MRS STOWE. 299 



artists of a lower kind, however clever. Landseer, to my 

 mind, is not effective this year. I was much struck by a 

 single simple head, a youthful Samuel, — 'Speak, Lord, 

 for Thy servant heareth.' The artist's name is Sant. In 

 my ignorance, I had never heard of him ; but that head 

 shews a beautiful combination of almost infantile sim- 

 plicity and sweetness, with an expression of reverential 

 awe, as in the presence of the great God who made heaven 

 and earth, which to my mind is very striking. 



" I have just received a note from His Grace of Argyll, 

 wishing me to be with him this evening. He is a great 

 admirer of Mrs Stowe, and in reply to some remarks of 

 mine, says, 'As to Mrs Stowe, nothing will spoil her, I 

 feel sure.' Good Mrs Harriet ! she was almost worried 

 to death in Edinburgh, and must have thought us rather 

 a ruffianly set of philanthropists. For myself, I am too 

 old now to become a philanthropist, and I have a great 

 aversion to crowds ; moreover, I set such great store by 

 the feminine part of the female character, that I am slow 

 to see the use or propriety of any woman appearing upon 

 a public platform, unless, as in the case of the late Mrs 

 Manning, she is going to be hanged. It then becomes 

 unavoidable." 



Towards the end of that year, the editor of this volume 

 projected a serial for young men, which afterwards ap- 



