xli 



though it might fade and revive, still it held on to the rock as in hope and giv- 

 ing hope, and the very drops which, in the whirlwind of their fury, seemed as 

 if they would carry all away, were made to revive it and give it greater beauty . 

 How often are the things we fear and esteem as troubles made to become 

 blessings to those w T ho are led to receive them with humility and patience ! 

 In one part of the fall the effect of the current of air was very curious. 

 The great mass of water fell into a foaming basin, but some diverted por- 

 tions struck the rock opposite the observer, and, collecting, left it at the 

 various projecting parts ; but, instead of descending, these hundred little 

 streams rushed upwards into the air, as if urged by a force the reverse of 

 gravity ; and as there was little other spray in this part, it did not at first 

 occur to the mind that this must be the effect of a powerful current of air, 

 which, having been brought down by the water, was returning up that face 

 of the rock." 



Into the pages of this journal he has fixed, with the most extreme neat- 

 ness, the different mountain-flowers that he gathered in his walks. 



Mrs. Faraday wrote for him part of a letter to Mr. Magrath : — et I 

 think Mr. Young would be quite satisfied w r ith the way my husband em- 

 * ploys his time. He certainly enjoys the country exceedingly ; and though 

 at first he lamented our absence from home and friends very much, he 

 ■seems now to be reconciled to it as a means of improving his general health. 

 His strength is, however, very good. He thinks nothing of walking thirty 

 miles in a day, and one day he walked forty-five, which I protested against 

 his doing again, though he was very little the worse for it. I think that 

 is too much. What would Mr. Young say to that ; but the grand thing 

 is rest and relaxation of mind, which he is really taking." He finishes the 

 letter himself : — " Though my wife's letter will tell you pretty well all 

 about us, yet a few lines from an old friend (though somewhat worn out) 

 will not be unpleasant to one who, like that friend, is a little the worse for 

 time and hard wear. However, if you jog on as well as we do, you will 

 have no cause for grumbling, by which I mean to say that I certainly have 

 not ; for the comforts that are given me, and, above all, the continued kind- 

 ness, affection, and forbearance of friends towards me, are, I think, such as 



few experience Remember me most kindly to Mr. Young. I will 



give no opinion at present as to the effect of his advice on my health and 

 memory ; but I can have only one feeling as to his kindness, and, whatever 



I may forget, I think I shall not forget that Now, as to the main 



point of this trip, i. e. the mental idleness, you can scarcely imagine how 

 well I take to it, and what a luxury it is. The only fear I have is that 

 when I return friends will begin to think that I shall overshoot the mark ; 

 for feeling that any such exertion is a strain upon that faculty, which I 

 cannot hide from myself is getting weaker, namely, memory, and feeling 

 that the less exertion 1 make to use that the better I am in health and 

 head, so my desire is to remain indolent, mentally speaking, and to retreat 

 from a position which should only be held by one who has the power as 



