LITERARY AND DOMESTIC LIFE. 413 



Peel, an excellent, sensible, most kind old lady ; stone blind from 

 five years of age, and otherwise afflicted, but always cheerful ; too 

 high a Tory to admire the premier, and, inter alia, of old Sir Robert's 

 opinion as to the Children question. I am going to-day for a few 

 days to another house in this neighborhood, and shall be in London 

 again by this day week. 



" Sir W. Allan writes he has a picture of Sir W. and Anne Scott 

 for the Exhibition. I hope rather than expect to be pleased 

 therewith. 



"So Abinger exit. He wedded a spry widow who had been 

 anxious for his third son on last August ; and on landing at Calais 

 for the honey trip, put herself down ' age 55 ;' but the Fates were 

 not to be gammoned, nor Lady Venus neither, and the coffin- 

 plate will tell truly : Ann. iEtat. 76. I suppose Pollock will take 

 the place, yet it is not impossible that H. B. may fancy it, and if he 

 does, it might not be easy for Peel to give him a rebuff. Ever affec- 

 tionately yours, J- G. L." 



Lockhart's very sorrows are a contrast to those of his friend. 

 There is something of a listless bitterness in the words, " I should 

 be unable to awaken more than a dim ghost-like semi-sympathy with 

 them, or in any thing present or to come." He is stricken, as it 

 w r ere, and will not look up. But my father, with that healthful heart 

 of his, that joyous nature that smiles even in the midst of tears, had 

 scarcely yet laid aside the strong enthusiasm which belonged so re- 

 markably to his youth. His energies are, as may be seen from the 

 following letter to his son John, still directed to the " Kemp affair." 

 The subject is pleasantly mingled with domestic interests concern- 

 ing Billholm : — 



"6 Gloucester Place, Saturday, Gth, 1844. 



" My dear John : — On looking over the portfolio of prints, I 

 thought Harvey's Covenanters, Baptism, and Allan's Burns worth 

 framing, and have got them framed in same style with Allan's 

 Scott in the dining-room. These three make a trio, with Harvey 

 in the middle, which will hang, I think, well on the drawing-room 

 wall opposite the front window. 



"The Polish Exiles will hang, I think, well to the right of the 

 door, as you enter the drawing-room, if in the middle, so as at any 

 time to allow of two appropriate pendants. The demure Damsel 



