90 BIOGRAPHICAL [CHAP. XH. 



walk out together, take a drive, or pay calls. They fre- 

 quently had visitors for a few days, and nephews and nieces 

 would come and go which was always a pleasure to them. 

 They were devoted to each other and spent much time 

 together, Miss Georgiana's death, on August 19, 1896, was 

 a sad blow to Miss Eleanor, who missed her sister's com- 

 panionship and sympathy dreadfully. To a casual observer 

 time seemed to heal her wounded feelings and she appeared 

 cheerful and bright, but in reality she was never again quite 

 the same person they had been such lifelong friends and 

 companions. 



In a letter to the Rev. C. J. Bethune she wrote on 

 October 12, 1896 : 



" I thank you gratefully for your kind comforting letter ; 

 believe me such words as yours are a great consolation 

 and support to me, for I do miss my dear sister exceed- 

 ingly. 



" For her I fully hope that she is safe, and happy, and I 

 love to think of her as without fears or doubts serving the 

 Lord she so humbly trusted but we were so completely 

 one that I scarcely feel the same person without her. It was 

 not only our sisterly affection and colleagueship, but she 

 had such a good judgment that I am constantly longing for 

 her sound sense to help me. There is no use in idle grief, 

 and I am fairly well again. I have not at all put aside 

 work through all my sorrow, for I felt this would answer no 

 good purpose, and now I am working on my next Annual 

 Report and am arranging to have a good portrait of her as 

 a frontispiece (plate xxvu.). I think she would like it, and 

 I am sure she would have been deeply grateful for the kind 

 respect paid by the good friends whose friendship she so 

 exceedingly valued. I scarcely know how to write about 

 it there is so much I should like to say. Perhaps I had 

 better not write more, but indeed I value your beautiful 

 words of comfort which I have repeatedly read." 



A touchingly sympathetic notice of the death appeared 

 in Miss Ormerod's Annual Report for 1896. 



Miss Ormerod rose early, breakfasted at eight o'clock, 

 and then read the " Times." On getting to work she made 

 a special point of replying to inquiries first, saying it served 

 no good purpose to keep people waiting for an answer ; and, 

 as a matter of fact, delay or hesitation found no place in 

 any of her actions. Frequently there were specimens to 

 examine and report upon, and probably to put aside in a 



