SIR JO/. AND CAROLINE HERSCHEL. 97 



three or four hours and goes in the room for a few 

 moments. For some years Herschel has observed 

 the heavens every hour when the weather is clear, 

 and this always in the open air, because he says 

 that the telescope only performs well when it is at 

 the same temperature as the air. He protects him- 

 self against the weather by putting on more cloth- 

 ing. He has an excellent constitution, and thinks 

 about nothing else in the world but the celestial 

 bodies." 



But, occupied as Herschel was about "celestial 

 bodies," he yet found time to think about earthly 

 things, for we find him at forty-five, May 8, 1783, 

 marrying Mary, the wealthy widow of John Pitt, 

 Esq., a lady of much intelligence and amiability. 



The sad feature of the new relationship was the 

 misery it brought to Caroline. Her whole life had 

 centred in William. For eleven years she had 

 devoted every moment, every wish, every thought 

 to him. She had watched all night among the 

 stars with him, month after month, and year after 

 year, in cold and in heat, and superintended his 

 home by day. His every desire was her law. She 

 loved no other, and he was her all. Perhaps she 

 ought to have known that another might come into 

 his life, but she trusted blindly, and did not ques- 

 tion the future. 



When the wife came into the home, Caroline went 

 out of it forever. For more than twenty years 

 she lived in lodgings, always " cheerless and soli- 

 tary," her only happiness found in coming day by 



