CHAP, vii.] Letter to Lady Herschel. 29 & 



But being frequently under the necessity of assisting one or 

 other of my, as I thought, poor (but say extravagant) rela- 

 tions, I began to keep a spare box, by way of showing to 

 what extent I have thus robbed myself. .... I am sorry 

 to trouble you with such details, but I find myself so unwell 

 at present that I cannot rest till I have cautioned you not 

 to ask any question about rue of any one, for nobody know& 

 anything about me my confidence in Mrs. Beckedorif, even,, 

 can only be partial, as we can only see each other so- 

 seldom. 



MISS HERSCHEL TO LADY HERSCHEL. 



HANOVER, Sept. 24, 1838. 

 ***** 



I see by the postscripts you directed my nephew to add 

 to your letter that you know exactly what will make his 

 poor old aunt happy ; and I must beg you to make my peace 

 with my dear little William, for I fear the angry looks I gave 

 him when seeing him climbing too high on an open window 

 two stories above the pavement, can have left no favourable 

 impression on his recollection. Unfortunately we could not 

 converse together : he talked too soft and quick for me (I 

 do not hear so well as formerly), and my mixture of German 



and English was not intelligible to Mm Had the 



knitting with beads been known forty j r ears sooner, it would 

 have been one of the accomplishments with which I came,, 

 at the age of twenty-two, into England in 1772, for there 

 was no kind of ornamental needlework, knotting, plaiting 

 hair, stringing beads and bugles, &c., of which I did not 

 make samples by way of mastering the art. But as it was 

 my lot to be the Cinderella of the family (being the only 

 girl) I could never find time for improving myself in many 



