LITERARY AND DOMESTIC LD7E. 383 



any change last night. The Professor was seized with a sort of 

 half delirium, and you can scarcely picture a more distressing scene 

 than him lying on the floor, his son John weeping over him, and 

 the poor girls in equal distress. His first words were those of 

 prayer ; after that he spoke incessantly the whole night, and seemed 

 to recapitulate the events of many years in a few hours. They 

 were all calmer this morning. Maggy tells me that she scarcely 

 ever spoke except when addressed ; that she did not think herself 

 in danger, and had even yesterday morning spoken of getting bet- 

 ter. But she did not know any of them, at all times, for the last 

 day or two, and I believe none of them yesterday. The funeral, I 

 believe, will take place on Saturday. God bless you both ; — with 

 kindest love to all." 



So passed away from this earth the spirit of his idolized wife, 

 leaving the world thenceforth for him dark and dreary. This be- 

 reavement overwhelmed him with grief, almost depriving him of 

 reason, nor, when the excess of sorrow passed away, did mourning 

 ever entirely leave his heart. When he resumed his duties next 

 session, he met his class with a depressed and solemn spirit, unable 

 at first to give utterance to words, for he saw that he had with him 

 the sympathy and tender respect of his students. After a short 

 pause, his voice tremulous with emotion, he said, " Gentlemen, 

 pardon me, but since we last met, I have been in the valley of the 

 shadow of death." 



CHAPTER XV. 



LITERARY AND DOMESTIC LIFE. 



1837-44. 



" Pictures and visions which fancy had drawn and happy love 

 had inspired, came now in fierce torrent of recollection over the 

 prostrate and afflicted soul. Though sorrow had no part in them 

 before, it possesses them now. Thus, one idea, and the pain which 

 is now inseparable from it, reign over all changes of thought — 

 though these thoughts in themselves have been fixed in their con- 



