212 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. x. 



principles, and gave many illustrations of the effect produced on the 

 minds and conduct of the benighted and savage tribes with whom he 

 was brought into contact by his own unvarying uprightness of conduct 

 and self-denying labour. The fatherly character of God, His never- 

 failing goodness and mercy, and the infinite love of the Lord Jesus 

 Christ, and efficacy of His atoning sacrifice, appeared to be the topics 

 on which he loved chiefly to dwell. The all-pervading deadly evils of 

 slavery, and the atrocities of the slave-trade, never failed to excite his 

 righteous indignation. If ever he was betrayed into unmeasured 

 language, it was when referring to these topics, or when speaking of 

 the injurious influence exerted on the native mind by the cruel and 

 unprincipled conduct of wicked and selfish traders. His love for 

 Africa, and confidence in the steady dawn of brighter days for its 

 oppressed races, were unbounded." 



From a member of another family, that of Mr. Fred- 

 erick Fitch, of Highbury New Park, with whom also the 

 Livingstones spent part of their time, we have some 

 homely but graphic reminiscences :— 



"Dr. Livingstone was very simple and unpretending, and used 

 to be annoyed when he was made a lion of. Once a well-known 

 gentleman, who was advertised to deliver a lecture next day, called on 

 him to pump him for material. The Doctor sat rather quiet, and, 

 without being rude, treated the gentleman to monosyllabic answers. 

 He could do that — could keep people at a distance when they wanted 

 to make capital out of him. When the stranger had left, turning to 

 my mother, he would say, ' I '11 tell you anything you like to ask.' 



" He never liked to walk in the streets for fear of being mobbed. 

 Once he was mobbed in Regent Street, and did not know how he was 

 to escape, till he saw a cab, and took refuge in it. For the same reason 

 it was painful for him to go to church. Once, being anxious to go 

 with us, my father persuaded him that, as the seat at the top of our 

 pew was under the gallery, he would not be seen. As soon as he 

 entered, he held down his head, and kept it covered with his hands 

 all the time, but the preacher somehow caught sight of him, and 

 rather unwisely, in his last prayer, adverted to him. This gave the 

 people the knowledge that he was in the chapel, and after the service 

 they came trooping towards him, even over the pews, in their anxiety 

 to see him and shake hands. 1 



"Dr. Livingstone usually conducted our family worship. On 

 Sunday mornings he always gave us a text for the day. His prayers 

 were very direct and simple, just like a child asking his Father for 

 what he needed. 



1 A similar occurrence took place in a church at Bath during the meetings of 

 the British Association in 1864. 



