(PARSONS, Florence I.)   UNTITLED ILLUSTRATED MANUSCRIPT BOOKLET OF GARDEN SCENES.       &nbspN.P. (Canton, Bradford Co., Pennsylvania), n.d. (ca.   1860).          An utterly charming manuscript booklet each page of which is illustrated in color in a lovely folk-art style. The cover or first page shows a young girl in floral dress with pantalons standing in the arch of a flowering arbor. The second page displays the name Florence Isabelle Parsons written in ink and accented in red watercolor, surrounded by a primitive wreath suggesting flowers and leaves. The third page shows the young girl again, this time holding a flower, beneath the arbor and standing by a table with a bird cage on top. A bouquet with ribbon tie takes up page four. The fifth page portrays a large rose colored house with two trees in the background surrounded by a picket fence; what would seem to be rose bushes grow all around the fence. The sixth and final page contains the following within a hand drawn cartouche: "Be a good girl and strive to learn all you can/ Florence I. Parsons / (Rebecca Kilmer?)" This entire inscription needs to be viewed with a magnifying glass; the last name is almost entirely faded away. The colors used throughout the booklet are pale green, yellow-orange, rose, yellow, brown and black. Water color and, perhaps, charcoal, and ink seem to be the media. The technique is child-like; the composition very good. It would seem that the booklet may have been a gift to Florence I. Parsons of Canton, Bradford Co., PA., born in 1853; deceased in 1873. The sweetness of the life seen in the garden scenes coupled with the sadness of what may have been a very short young life make this booklet a special comment on the significance of the garden.   Handsewn booklet of 6 pages illustrated in water-colors.            Well preserved; fading to inscription on "cartouche" of final page - must be read with magnifying glass. $350.00

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