34 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK oh. 



to stay near Manchester with his great-uncle, 

 Mr. Entwistle. This was a visit destined to have 

 a very considerable influence on his life, for it 

 was there that he first met his future wife, Miss 

 Hordern. 



This young lady was an orphan, daughter 

 of the late Reverend Peter Hordern of Chorlton 

 cum Hardy. It seems that she stayed a great 

 deal with her relatives, Mr. and Mrs. Haigh, at 

 Liverpool. The young fellow admits himself to 

 have been greatly impressed even at the first 

 meeting, for he writes later, in his diary : 

 " First saw dear Nelly. I recollect it as if it 

 was yesterday. Uncle William and I were walk- 

 ing in the garden. Aunt Hannah and Nelly 

 came and joined us. I was immensely struck 

 by her, and persuaded my mother to ask her 

 down to High Elms." 



In spite of this frank avowal, however, it is 

 apparent that his judgment was by no means 

 so disturbed that he was in any haste to disclose 

 his sentiments, and he shows himself curiously 

 able to take an impartial view of the young 

 lady's character. It seems that he went on from 

 his uncle's at Manchester to stay with the Haighs 

 at Liverpool, where, no doubt, he made the 

 lady's better acquaintance, but his mother 

 responded liberally to his suggestion of inviting 

 her to their home at High Elms, and there he 

 had frequent and prolonged opportunity of know- 

 ing her intimately. She was at High Elms in 

 January 1854, when he had one of his periodical 

 attacks of illness, and he records that " Nelly 

 Hordern has been a very kind nurse to me and 



