In the summer of 1895 Emma Roberts received a copy of Matthew Arnold’s Essays in Criticism for her birthday

She decorated her book by adding a Fleur-de-lis as well as a number of illuminated characters

Her brother helped her to construct two ribbon clasps

In later life Emma and her brother Charles became missionaries and spent many years in China

They both retired from view in the 1920s and were last recorded in Northern China in 1937

 

On the day of the Super Moon

I purchased Emma’s book from small shop in Deal

Its decorations had weathered well

But its ribbon claps were gone leaving only shallow indentations

 

I sat on Deal beach

Night was falling

In the channel the lights of far off ships flickered quietly

I could also see huge fires burning

France was celebrating again