14 Caroline Lucreiia Herschel. [i:co-i76i. 



father returned, those epithets could ill apply to the 

 father himself, for there is abundant evidence that he 

 was a man of no ordinary character one who, in spite 

 of constant suffering of a most distressing kind, per- 

 sisted in hard work to the very end, and who set his 

 children a noble example of patience, unselfishness, 

 and self-denial. To the last, as his daughter records, 



" Copying music employed every vacant moment, even 

 sometimes throughout half the night, and the pen was not 

 suffered to rest even when smoking a pipe, which habit he 

 indulged in rather on account of his asthmatical constitu- 

 tion than as a luxury ; for, without all exception, he was the 

 most abstemious liver I ever have known ; and in every 

 instance, even in the article of clothing, the utmost frugality 

 was observed, and yet he never was seen otherwise than 

 very neat. . . . With my brother [Dietrich] now a 

 little engaging creature of between four and five years old- 

 he was very much pleased, and [on the first evening of Iris 

 arrival at home] before he went to rest, the Adempken 

 (a little violin) was taken from the lumbering shelf and 

 newly strung and the daily lessons immediately commenced. 



. . . I do not recollect that he ever desired any other 

 society than what he had opportunities of enjoying in many 

 of the parties where he was introduced by his profession ; 

 though far from being of a morose disposition ; he would 

 frequently encourage my mother in keeping up a social 

 intercourse among a few acquaintances, whilst his afternoon 

 hours generally were taken up in giving lessons to some 

 scholars at home, who gladly saved him the troublesome 

 exertion of walking. . . . He also found great pleasure 

 in seeing Dietrich's improvement, who, young as he was, 

 and of the most lively temper imaginable, was always ready 



