176 FRANCIS ORPEN MORRIS 



Tokens that boundless Beauty reigns above, 

 Unchanging Order and exhaustless Love." 



These frequent visits to Londesborough my father 

 thoroughly enjoyed, and not less so those which his 

 kind friend and neighbour paid to Nunburnholme. 

 Although not easily depressed, he must often have 

 found such friendly intercourse a help and a solace 

 in times of difficulty or trial. Many of these plea- 

 sant meetings Canon Wilton alluded to when writing 

 to an old friend of his G. M. Let one or two ex- 

 tracts speak for themselves. Thus, for instance, in a 

 letter dated September 30, 1868, he makes mention 

 of a visit Mr. Morris paid him the previous day : 



" Yesterday my friend Mr. Morris came up (with 

 Mrs. Morris, whom my wife took possession of) for 

 an afternoon's talk and tea with me. I wish you 

 could have seen and joined us over the fire in my 

 cosy study, discussing the difficulties of Darwinism ! 

 Mr. Morris reposed in my easiest of easy-chairs, 

 with his foot resting on the fireplace on a level 

 with his head more Oxoniensi vel Cantabrigiensi 

 while I leaned back in a more dignified manner 

 in my American rocking-chair, reading aloud his 

 address to the British Association, which perhaps 

 you saw mentioned in the Times. The happiness 

 of my companion was complete ; indeed, he told me 

 there was nothing he enjoyed more than to hear 

 one of his own papers read aloud to him by a sym- 

 pathetic friend ! Of course we often paused to dis- 

 cuss interesting points ; in fact, between us we quite 

 demolished that heterodox philosopher (Darwin). 



