82 SIR WM. AND CAROLINE HERSCHEL. 



after hours. He became passionately fond of 

 books, reading their own little store with avidity. 

 The mother, who could not even write, viewed 

 with alarm this intellectual development, feeling 

 that her children, if they became learned, would go 

 away from home possibly from Germany. Poor, 

 ignorant heart ! She cooked and sewed, and pre- 

 vented her daughters from learning French or 

 drawing; but her weak hand could not stay the 

 power of a mind like William's, bent on acquiring 

 knowledge. 



Caroline, the eighth child, born in 1750, twelve 

 years younger than William, looked upon this 

 brother as a marvel; and shy, plain, and silent her- 

 self, watched the boy with pride, who, perchance, 

 would be somebody by and by. Alexander, a 

 little older than Caroline, was skilled on the vio- 

 loncello, and both the boys became members of the 

 Hanover foot guards. 



Years later, Caroline gave this picture of that 

 early life : "My brothers were often introduced 

 as solo performers and assistants in the orchestra of 

 the court, and I remember that I was frequently 

 prevented from going to sleep by the lively criti- 

 cism on music, on coming from a concert ; or by con- 

 versations on philosophical subjects, which lasted 

 frequently till morning, in which my father was a 

 lively partaker and assistant of my brother Will- 

 iam, by contriving self-made instruments. . . . 



" Often I would keep myself awake that I might 

 listen to their animating remarks, for it made me 



