206 INDOOR STUDIES 



way his fervent prayers, his repeated resolutions to 

 do better, to conquer his laziness, "to consult the 

 resolve on Tetty's coffin," "to go to church," "to 

 drink less strong liquors," "to get up at eight 

 o'clock," "to reject or expel sensual images and idle 

 thoughts," "to read the Scriptures," etc., touch one 

 more nearly than Carlyle's exaggerated self-re- 

 proaches and loud bemoanings of the miseries of 

 life. Yet the fact remains that Johnson lived and 

 moved and thought on a lower plane than Carlyle, 

 and that he cherished less lofty ideals of life and of 

 duty. It is probably true, also, that his presence 

 and his conversation made less impression on his 

 contemporaries than did Carlyle's; but, through 

 the wonderful Boswell, a livelier, more lovable, 

 and more real image of him is likely' to go down to 

 succeeding ages than of the great Scotchman through 

 his biographer. 



Ill 



LITTLE SPOONS VS. BIO SPOONS 



When I was in England, whether in lodgings or 

 in a hotel, one of the hardest things to get at table 

 was a teaspoon to eat my dessert or sweetmeats with. 

 They always brought a dessert spoon, which usually 

 seems large and awkward to the American mouth. 

 Neither were there any small dishes, such as we 

 have at home. They brought you jam, or preserves, 

 or strawberries, on a plate as large as a dinner plate. 

 This fact would not be worth mentioning, were it 

 not characteristic of much one sees there. In Eng- 



