CH\P. vii.] Concerning her Brother. 317 



MISS HERSCHEL TO SIR J. F. W. HERSCHEL. 



Feb. 24, 1841. 



*- * * * * 



I intended to have made some remarks to you about 

 several things which are said in those pages which came 

 enclosed in the letter of February 3rd. I suppose it is not 

 expected to acknowledge the receipt thereof, but if there 

 is anybody to whom my thanks are due, I beg you will do 

 it for me, because I am not capable of writing to strangers. 

 But to you I cannot help pointing out several things which 

 displease me very much 



I think whoever reads the Preface to the description of 

 the forty-foot telescope (see " Philosophical Transactions," 

 June 11, 1795), would not accuse him of jealousy 

 which also may be seen by the four volumes on the con- 

 struction of Specula, which your father left behind in MSS., 

 (to which you added those excellent drawings of the ma- 

 chinery, &c.), which it was my care, for half a dozen years 

 at least, to save them from being devoured by the mice, by 

 placing them on a table in the middle of the library, where 

 I was obliged to leave them when I left Slough, for I could 

 not find a better place for them. 



Your father was latterly most miserably stinted for room, 

 and I fear many, many things have met with destruction in 

 consequence of being put by in corners among rubbish 

 when not in use. For instance, when polishing and the 

 foci were to be tried, by three apertures, which generally 

 wanted to be repaired first ; (for the twenty-foot they were 

 made of pasteboard, but for. the forty-foot of light deal) 

 and I was directed to hold them before the mirror, and, 

 listening to the report of the trial, was glad to hear "All 

 right, three foci perfectly alike ! " and the work proceeded 

 to perfect the polish. Dear nephew, I stick fast, and must 



