JI/A'S. SOMERVILLB. 15 



But she was always too shy to do herself justice in 

 performing before strangers. To the last day of her 

 life Beethoven was her favourite composer. 



A very bright spot in the memory of the Mary 

 Somerville, the great mathematician and elderly lady, 

 was a visit which Mary Fairfax, the girl of thirteen, 

 paid to Dr. and Mrs. Somerville, her uncle and aunt, 

 at Jedburgh. This Dr. Somerville was the father of 

 the Mr. William Somerville who afterwards became 

 Mary's husband. Dr. Somerville's house the Manse, 

 as it was called was a charming place. It stood in 

 the midst of a large garden, well stocked with fruit- 

 trees, flowers, and vegetables. A pure stream flowed 

 through the valley which lay beyond the Manse 

 garden, and here Mary and her cousins used to 

 bathe. Sometimes they went nutting in the forest, 

 sometimes they went on expeditions, looking for birds. 

 But all these delights sank into insignificance beside 

 the greatest of all, which was that Mary found sym- 

 pathy and encouragement to study in her uncle's 

 house. 



Her cousins had little love for books, but her 

 aunt was a great reader, and Shakespeare Mary's 

 friend, Shakespeare was her favourite author. Her 

 uncle, too, was a most genial, talented man. He did 

 what he could to encourage his niece in her pursuit 

 of knowledge. When, rendered bold by his kindness, 

 she ventured to confess to him that she had tried to 

 teach herself Latin, but feared that she would never 



