344 Caroline Lucretia Herschel. 



was her determination to preserve her old customs, and not 

 to yield to increasing infirmities, that when, upon Dr. M.'s 

 positive orders, I had a bed made up in her room, before 

 she came to sit in it one da}-, it was not till two o'clock in 

 the night that Betty could persuade her to lie down in it. 

 Upon going to her the next morning, I had the satisfaction, 

 however, of finding her perfectly reconciled to the arrange- 

 ment ; she now felt the comfort of being undisturbed, and 

 she has kept to her bed ever since. Her mental and bodily 

 strength is gradually declining, and although she at times 

 rallies wonderfully, we can hardly expect that another 

 month will elapse ere I have to make my sad and last 

 report. . . . She says that she is without pain ; fever has 

 left her, and her pulse is regular and good, though weak at 

 times. She still turns and even raises herself without 



* * 



assistance, and at times converses with us A few 



days ago she was ready for a joke. When Mrs. Clarke told 

 her that General Halkett sent his love, and " hoped she 

 would soon be so well again that he might come and give 

 her a kiss, as he had done on her birthday," she looked very 

 archly at her, and said, " Tell the General that I have not 

 tasted anything since I liked so well." I have just left her, 

 and upon my asking her to give me a message for her 

 nephew, she said, " Tell them that I am good for ifothing," 



and went to sleep again She is not averse to seeing 



visitors. 



January 6th. 



Four days later the same kind friend had to tell 

 how peacefully and gently the end came at last. 



Jan. 1.0th, 1848. Your excellent aunt, my kind revered 

 friend, breathed her last at eleven o'clock last night, the 9th 

 of January. . . . She suffered but little, and went to sleep 



