CHAP, vi.] Her Life in Hanover. 257 



been enabled to dispel by its comfortable contents the 

 gloomy reflections with which I am on the return of your 

 and my birthdays assailed. But being obliged to spend 

 such days alone, at a distance from all who are dear to us ; 

 or, what would be worse, in the presence of beings of un- 

 congenial feelings, one is apt to fall again into the dismals, 

 which the return of the late snow and frosty weather pre- 

 vented my taking recourse to my usual remedy, which is to 

 turn all grievances into a joke. Your birthday I celebrated 

 exactly like that of 1832, viz., after dinner I jingled glasses 

 with Betty, and made her say, " Es lebe Sir John ! hoch !* 

 hurrah'!" She went in the kitchen to wash the dishes, and 

 I with a book (a silly novel) in my hand on the sofa asleep ! 



I begin to be confused, and had rather say nothing of the 

 thousand things which are running in my head, and which 

 all must be said within the next six months. As yet I can 

 follow your steps and proceedings, for I read the papers the 

 Globe and saw that in June is the meeting in Cambridge. 

 .... From these papers I also see how all my valuable 

 acquaintances drop off one after another. Captain Kater 

 has lost his wife, the fine singer ; Mrs. Parry ; Lady Har- 

 court ; your dear mother, are gone the latter three of my 

 own age, and I must hold out ! 



TO LADY HERSCHEL. 



HANOVER, August 1, 1833. 

 ***** 



I have now the pleasure of thanking my nephew for 

 his valuable book of astronomy, having actually received it 

 by yesterday's post, and by a kind letter from Professor 

 Schumacher. I learn that I may yet hope to see the 

 promised Catalogue of nebulae and double stars, to the 



* Sir John for ever ! 



8 



