CHAPTER X 

 THE END 



A MAN'S character is not to be judged of solely from 

 Ms actions. We require to know something of his 

 thoughts, and especially of his opinions on fundamental 

 questions of ethics, morals and religion. Such thoughts, 

 however, are not commonly communicated to others, 

 except in cases where a long intimacy of friendship, or 

 the still closer familiarity subsisting between an affec- 

 tionate husband and wife, leads to some disclosure of 

 the inner self. We all know that attempts at such 

 disclosure are seldom really successful, even when willing 

 efforts are made on both sides. It is hard enough some- 

 times to know one's own mind and the sentiment by 

 which one's actions are governed. These considerations 

 must always clog the pen of the biographer, and no 

 attempt at delineation of character can be more than 

 partially successful. Perhaps the best test of such 

 success is to be found in a comparison of the most 

 prominent actions of the life with such record or in- 

 dications as may be found to exist of principles professed. 

 Fortunately in the present case so many letters have 



T 289 



