278 



LAST YEARS IN ENGLAND. [Chap. VI. 



shells in every collection ; but, being large showy things, would 

 have been very useful for all their schools and colleges. I 

 stirred up all the people I could, to get grants of them, which 

 they did ; and of course I have my own series : and the 

 Smithsonian series remains intact. ... I am making steady 

 progress in my work; varied by sort — name — ^pack — describe — 

 but all ending in shells y till one is too tired at nights to do 

 more. My own collection, all packed, covers screwed, and 

 boxes iron-banded, is already seven large boxes full. So great 

 an elephant, that my income won't afford house-room for it. I 

 shall have to endow a college, and probably McGill University. 

 England has enough of such things." 



He set off, soon after, for a lecturing tour in the South, 

 which gave him an opportunity for seeing his sisters and 

 brothers : his plans for the future were still uncertain. At 

 length, however, he resolved to go, where we knew he had 

 long wished to go, if only he could feel it a duty : and he 

 found that his wife had no fear of any climate where he would 

 be happy. " My feeling is," he says, "that in the present 

 prospect of American affairs, there is sure to be any amount of 

 good work to be done, by speech, pen, and life : with better 

 interest (so to speak) for labour-capital, than is likely to be 

 here : and though I don't doubt I could be useful anywhere 

 here, I feel more disposed to exert what of working power I 

 still have, over there. I have no mission, or call, or definite 

 purpose j but feel as though I wished to ' report at Montreal/ 

 and be ready for orders from the Shepherd." 



It was with a pang that we all encouraged him in a plan 

 by which he would be so far removed from us ; but even his 

 sister Mary, who had longed to have him at Bristol, felt that it 

 was right. He went to see her again, before his voyage, when 

 he took his wife on a farewell visit to the South; and Mary 

 was glad to find that he was planning work in which the 

 distinct object to which he early devoted himself would be 

 kept in view : she hoped he would " never enslave himself to 

 shells again." He wrote to me, a fortnight before he sailed : 



