194 CALVIN: 



plode, and Calvin would quietly come in and 

 resume his seat on the hearth. There was no 

 trace of anger in his manner, but he would n't 

 have any of that about the house. He had the 

 rare virtue of magnanimity. Although he had 

 fixed notions about his own rights, and extraor- 

 dinary persistency in getting them, he never 

 showed temper at a repulse ; he simply and 

 firmly persisted till he had what he wanted. 

 His diet was one point ; his idea was that of 

 the scholars about dictionaries, to "get the 

 best." He knew as well as any one what was 

 in the house, and would refuse beef if turkey 

 was to be had ; and if there were oysters, he 

 would wait over the turkey to see if the oysters 

 would not be forthcoming. And yet he was not 

 a gross gourmand ; he would eat bread if he saw 

 me eating it, and thought he was not being im- 

 posed on. His habits of feeding, also, were 

 refined ; he never used a knife, and he would 



