32 THE WORLDS WORKERS. 



little of her thoughts in joy and sorrow. In one way 

 this is to be regretted. Sorrow and pain come alike 

 to all, and it might have helped those who are in the 

 thick of the fight if they could have heard how it was 

 that this brave soldier bore herself so valiantly. 



It was after her return to Scotland, and when she 

 was thirty-three years of age, that Mrs. Somerville 

 first became possessed of a small library. Hitherto, 

 she had had to struggle on as best she might, getting 

 a volume here and another there, as she was able. 

 But now, having both means and time at her disposal, 

 and having friends whom she could consult, she 

 obtained from the then Professor of Mathematics in 

 the University of Edinburgh a list of works likely to 

 be of service, and these she bought straight away. 

 Some of these books were in French, some in Latin, 

 and all would have been looked upon as entirely 

 profound and difficult by the majority of ladies. But 

 Mary was delighted with her little library. She says, 

 " I could hardly believe that I possessed such a trea- 

 sure when I looked back on the day that I first saw 

 the mysterious word 'Algebra,' and the long course 

 of years in which I had persevered, almost without 

 hope. It taught me never to despair. I now pur- 

 sued my studies with increased assiduity." 



It is very interesting to note that these books, 

 and all the other mathematical works belonging to 

 Mrs. Somerville, were at her death presented to the 

 Women's College at Girton, Cambridge. 



