252 Caroline Lucretia Herschel. [1832. 



single individual of those friends I have in England, and 

 how much more it would affect me to lose one so nearly 

 connected, and within a few months of my own age, it may 

 be easily imagined .... Next to listening to the conversa- 

 tion of learned men, I like to hear about them, but I find 

 myself, unfortunately, among beings who like nothing but 

 smoking, big talk on politics, wars, and such like things. 

 Of our German astronomers, I have lately heard nothing ; 

 but that, perhaps, is owing to Encke having had the cholera, 

 but of which he soon recovered. Gauss has been long un- 

 happily situated by losing his second wife, who had been 

 long lingering . . . . 



.... I beg once more for an early assurance of my dear 

 sister's recovery. 



MISS HERSCHEL TO SIR JOHN HERSCHEL. 



HAXOVER, Jan. 20, 1832. 

 MY DEAREST NEPHEW, 



My dear niece's and your letter of January 3rd, have 

 indeed answered your kind intentions, for the painful com- 

 munication of your last found me prepared, and enabled me 

 to break the black seal with tolerable composure, and I 

 found no small consolation from your description of the easy 

 ending of your dear departed parent. 



At this moment, I am incapable of sajing anything of 

 myself. I know it cannot be long before I shall follow the 

 dear departed, and my pen would trace nothing but lamen- 

 tations at the prospect that my remains will not be joined 

 in rest by the side of those with whom I lived so long. 



But I beg and trust you will continue to bless me with 

 your good opinion and approbation, until the close, for that 

 I have hitherto been in possession of the same, I conclude 

 from the kind letters I receive from your own hands 



