58 THE WORLD'S WORKERS. 



Mr. Herbert, M.P., has brought in a bill to protect land 

 birds, which has been passed in Parliament; but I am 

 grieved to find that ' the lark, which at heaven's gate 

 sings/ is thought unworthy of man's protection. 

 Among the numerous plans for the education of the 

 young, let us hope that mercy may be taught as a 

 part of religion." 



Thus interested and occupied, the last weeks of 

 life passed peacefully away, with higher algebra in the 

 morning, Shakespeare, Dante, and more modern light 

 reading, besides the newspapers, the visits of friends, 

 cheerful conversation, and needlework, during the rest 

 of the day. 



Mrs. Somerville's old age was a thoroughly happy 

 one. She had always had a great dread of outliving 

 her intellect, but this trial was spared her. Although 

 she attained so great an age, she was healthy in body 

 and vigorous in mind to the last. With the one ex- 

 ception of deafness, she had none of the infirmities 

 of age. She could read small print with ease and 

 without glasses, even by lamp-light, and when very 

 old, resumed the habit of working with her needle, 

 being very much gratified to find that she could "count 

 the threads of a fine canvas without spectacles." She 

 understood and worked out difficult problems with the 

 same quickness and ease which she displayed when 

 young. Her last occupations, continued to the actual 

 day of her death, were the revision and completion 

 of a treatise, written years before, on the " Theory 



