30 THE WORLD'S WORKERS. 



her from studying. She worked, however, under great 

 disadvantages ; and after a time two babies came into 

 the home, and doubtless they diverted their mother's 

 attention from mathematics. Yet it was during this 

 rather trying period that she managed to master 

 French, and learnt to speak it so as to be understood. 

 Mary's residence in London was very brief. After 

 three years, Mr. Greig died, and his widow, with her 

 two little sons, returned to her father's home. In a 

 short time the younger child died also. The elder 

 one, Woronzow Greig, lived to be a great comfort to 

 his mother. 



The next five years of Mary's life were given up 

 almost entirely to study. The death of her husband 

 and her baby had saddened the poor lady, and she 

 was very glad to turn for consolation to those pursuits 

 which in time past had given her so much satisfaction. 

 She was independent now, being possessed of a fair 

 income, and she was at liberty to please herself. Her 

 friends hoped that she would have given entertain- 

 ments and lived a life of gaiety, but her tastes did not 

 lie in this direction. She attempted no concealment, 

 was quite indifferent about being considered eccentric 

 and foolish ; she made her plans and consistently 

 adhered to them. She entered upon a systematic 

 course of study in mathematics and astronomy, and 

 devoted a certain number of hours each day to read- 

 ing, and she even engaged a tutor to help her with 

 her books, although she soon found that she knew as 



