6 MEMORIES OF MY LIFE 



was desired to steady himself by laying one finger on 

 Captain Barclay's shoulder, who thereupon lifted and 

 landed him on the table. I was not present at the 

 feat, but heard it often described by word and gesture. 

 However, the Captain rather strained his shoulder 

 by performing it, as he confessed to my father after- 

 wards. Captain Barclay's endurance of long continued 

 fatigue was exceptional to a very high degree. The 

 memoirs of his life are well worth reading. 



My grandmother's half-sister was wife of Hudson 

 Gurney (1775-1864), "antiquary and verse writer, 

 friend of Lord Aberdeen," to again quote the Index 

 to the Did. Nat. Biog. He was a man of large 

 fortune, and my two sisters, Bessy and Emma, paid 

 long visits to his house in St. James's Square, where 

 his wife was very kind to them, and where they saw 

 much good London society. 



My grandfather and grandmother Galton were 

 practically Quakers all their lives, and so was one of 

 their daughters, but the rest of their children fell off 

 and joined the Established Church. Still, we saw not 

 a little of our Quaker relations. A story was current 

 in our family about myself, as a shy and naughty 

 child, being quite subdued by the charm of Mrs. Fry 

 (1780-1845). She did not even look at me, but 

 merely held out her open hand with comfits in it, and 

 went on speaking to others in her singularly sweet 

 voice. I gradually worked my way nearer to her ; 

 then she quietly took me on her knees, where I sat 

 for long in perfect content. 



My grandparents on the other side were Darwins, 

 my grandfather being Dr. Erasmus Darwin ( 1 73 1 

 1802), physician, poet, and philosopher, and the very 



