Here’s a nice Victorian-era greeting card that I don’t find anywhere in the Ephemera DB. It depicts Fountains Abbey and has a greeting that reads “A bright and happy Year.”. It belongs to Artistic Series 539, which I also don’t find in the DB, so will probably require a new set. If the Arbuckle Coffee usage of this design is any indication, there should be at least 3 similar card designs for various other abbey ruins in that set (those being Bolton Abbey, Kirkstall Abbey, and Tintern Abbey), although this is the only Tuck usage that I’ve run across so far. And, of course, there could be more designs than those that Arbuckles’ used.
The dimensions are approximately 4.125in H x 6.25in W. The artist’s signature appears to be “R. F. Mc”, which I think is most likely that of Robert F. McIntyre. And, to save you some typing, and me some proofreading, here’s the text of the H.M. Burnside verse on the back:
THE RED SUN SINKS TO REST, ON THE OCEAN’S HEAVING BREAST.
MAY IT RISE UPON A CALM, AND CLOUDLESS YEAR __
MAY SOME SHIP COME SAILING HOME, O’ER THE FLASHING FAIRY FOAM,
WHICH TREASURE-TROVE OF GOLDEN GRAIN SHALL BEAR.
MAY IT BRING YOU HOPE TO CHEER, EVERY HOUR OF DOUBT AND FEAR.
AND LOVING HANDS TO STREW YOUR PATH WITH FLOWERS.
MAY IT BRING YOU PEACE TO BLESS, WITH A DEEPER HAPPINESS,
EVERY GIFT THAT LOVE’S FREE HAND UPON YOU SHOWERS.
The Fountains Abbey card belongs to Artistic Series 539 but you’ve paired it in a set with an unrelated card from Artistic Series 6174. That number doesn’t appear anywhere on the Fountains Abbey card.