VETERAN NOVELIST MARRIED

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 70, 24 March 1914, Page 9

VETERAN NOVELIST MARRIED

SECRETARY AS BRIDE. (FROM OUR OWN COMICSPONDBNT.) I LONDON, 13th February Mr. Thomas Hardy, the veteran novelist and author of the celebrated Wessex tales, was quietly married by special licence this week at Enfield to Miss Florence Emily Dugdale, his secretary, who is the daughter of an Enfield schoolmaster. The ceremony took place at 8 o'clock in the morning. The bridegroom, who will be 74 in June, was attended by his brother, Air. Henry Hardy, with whom he had stayed the previous night at the Great Eastern Hotel, Liver-pool-street. Miss Dugdale was accompanied by her father and mother and her sister. Thp verger was the onJy other person in the church, as not even the intimate friends of the parties had been informed of the wedding, which had been kept secret by the express wish of the bridegroom. Miss Dugdale h aged about thirty and is tall and dark. The ages of the parties, however, were not recorded in the registei. .Later in the day Mr. and Mrs/ Hardy arrived in Dorchester and went to Mr. Hardy's residence, Max Gate. The news of Uu; wedding bad not then reached Dorchester. This is Mr. Hardy's second mardage. His first wife, whom he married in 1874, was formerly Miss Emma Gift'ord. She died in 1912, and there are. no children. Air. Hardy is best known to the woild as the man who discovered Wessex, aril gave us the charm of that pirt of the West Country fn a series of unforgettable books. "Hardy's Wessex"' is now 'i well-defined area, and he has led many .mother author to the exploration of i h;i't fascinating district. Ho is the Lift ol iliu groat Victorians, and mine lias boon kindly in, bringing him her laurels while It- still live 3to enjoy them. Ho i* I tin. only novelist on whom has been confcii'ed the coveted Order of Moiit, the Uold .Medal of the Iloyal Society is hi^. and in 1910 lie was presented with the freedom of Dorchester. Miss Florence Dugdale hue beea Mr. ,

Hardy's secretary for the last ten yeais. She was an intimate friend of tbe late Mrs. Hardy. During the last three ycais, in her maiden nanie^ of Florence E. Dugdale, she has written a number of delightful nature books for children, the best known of which aie "The Book of Bo by Biids," "The Book of Baby Pets," "The Book of -'"Baby Beasts." and "In Lucy's Garden." The "baby books" contain each a series of little talks about baby birds and animals, both wild and domestic.