140 MATTHEW FONTAINE MAURY 



say, he would, taking the lesson for a text, deliver 

 the most delightful lectures. He prescribed no set time 

 for our preparation of these lessons ; but we were required 

 to master them thoroughly, and give the substance to 

 him clothed in our own words and not in those of the 

 book. He always expected and required that we should 

 not prepare them at night, but should then come into 

 the parlor to receive and entertain and be entertained 

 by the distinguished men and women who frequently 

 gathered round him. He considered this a most impor- 

 tant part of our education. 



"He objected to the introduction of cards in the family 

 circle, as he said they interfered with intelligent and im- 

 proving conversation, and that those who had recourse 

 to them for amusement were apt to depend on them, 

 and could not exert themselves to be agreeable as they 

 should and would do, if they had not this entertainment. 

 He himself did not know one card from another. Our 

 Mother taught us our Bible lessons and catechism, and 

 she and Aunt Eliza, who was a beautiful needlewoman, 

 gave us regular tasks in mending and darning. We 

 seldom went to church more than once on Sunday, as 

 it was so far from the Observatory to St. John's (Rev- 

 erend Doctor Pynes) ; so Papa had us up regularly for 

 the evening service, which we would read verse about, 

 *the stranger that was within our gates' generally taking 

 part also. . . . 



"He would never allow us to read works of fiction 

 whilst we were students, and would punish most severely 

 any departure from the truth, or act of disobedience. 

 These two sins, he said, were the only ones he intended 

 to punish his children for; and he was very careful not 

 to make unnecessary issues with them, and never to give 



