84 REMINISCENCES. [Oh. IV. 



manners remarkably cordial, frank, open, straightforward, 

 natural, and without any shade of reserve. Her whole mind 

 was pure and transparent. One felt one knew her thoroughly 

 and could trust her. I always thought, that come what might, 

 wo should have had, in our old age, at least one loving soul, 

 which nothing could have changed. All her movements were 

 vigorous, active, and usually graceful. When going round the 

 Sand-walk with me, although I walked fast, yet she often used 

 to go before, pirouetting in the most elegant way, her dear face 

 bright all the time with the sweetest smiles. Occasionally she 

 had a pretty coquettish manner towards me, the memory of 

 which is charming. She often used exaggerated language, and 

 when I quizzed her by exaggerating what she had said, how 

 clearly can I now see the little toss of the head, and exclamation 

 of ' Oh, papa, what a shame of you ! ' In the last short illness, 

 her conduct in simple truth was angelic. She never once 

 complained ; never became fretful ; was ever considerate of 

 others, and was thankful in the most gentle, pathetic manner 

 for everything done for her. When so exhausted that she 

 could hardly speak, she praised everything that was given her, 

 and said some tea * was beautifully good. 1 When I gave her 

 some water, she said, * I quite thank you ; ' and those, I believe, 

 were the last precious words ever addressed by her dear lips 

 to me. 



" We have lost the joy of the household, and the solace of 

 our old age. She must have known how we loved her. Oh, 

 that she could now know how deeply, how tenderly, we do still 

 and shall ever love her dear joyous face ! Blessings on her ! * 



" April 30, 1851." 



We, his children, all took especial pleasure in the games he 

 played at with us, and in his stories, which, partly on account 

 of their rarity, were considered specially delightful. 



The way he brought us up is shown by a little story about 

 my brother Leonard, which my father was fond of telling. He 

 came into the drawing-room and found Leonard dancing about 

 on the sofa, to the peril of the springs, and said, " Oh, Lenny, 

 Lenny, that's against all rules," and received for answer, " Then 

 I think you'd better go out of the room." I do not believe he 

 ever spoke an angry word to any of his children in his life ; 

 but I am certain that it never entered our heads to disobey 

 him. I well remember one occasion when my father reproved 

 me for a piece of carelessness ; and I can still recall the 

 feeling of depression which came over me, and the care which 



* The words, " A good and dear child," form the descriptive part of 

 the inscription on her gravestone. See the AthetwBwn, Nov. 26, 1887. 



