CHAPTER XVIII 



HIS LAST YEARS 

 By Lady Flower. 



The latter part of life is often spoken of as " going 



down hill," but with Sir William Flower it was 



more like the sun setting after a beautiful day ; for 



all that had distinguished his life in its rise and 



progress shone forth even more towards its close, 



just as the sunset brings out lovely colours, lights, 



and shades unnoticed before, till we feel almost as 



if this earth were being transfigured into heaven. 



His devotion to duty, his love of work, his 



keen interest in science, in politics, in fact in all 



things, both public and private, that bore upon the 



progress and good of mankind, his own patience 



under trials, his consideration for others, his love of 



his family, were only intensified as his physical 



strength declined. The sufferings of illness were 



to him "crosses" to be borne with resignation and 



cheerfulness. When in 1897 the doctors first told 



him of serious mischief threatened by his heart, he 



said to his wife that he " only hoped that it would 



not make him irritable or troublesome to others." 



His aspiration was fulfilled, it never did. 



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