102 
CONSTANCE C. W. NADEN. 
May, 1890 . 
ourselves viewed as social units ? Whither are we moving, 
and what is the curve of our line of progress ? What is the 
goal towards which we are really working?—for it may be, 
and probably is, far other than that which we set before our 
imagination. Not possessing the solution of these enigmas, 
we cannot know the full sociological significance of our own 
day or of any previous day, since part of that significance 
lies in the unseen future. The future is, without doubt, as 
rigorously predetermined by past and present as the nature of 
the harvest is predetermined bv the nature of the seed that 
-i. «/ 
is sown. If we really knew the crop, we could both predict the 
harvest and could trace its past history from the formation of 
the ovule to the liberation of the seed when mature. No 
child of the century can truly understand himself or his age, 
or can solve the problems in which he himself is a factor. If 
he could, he would be a child not of this century, but of all 
centuries. As our knowledge advances, and as our apprehen¬ 
sion of principles becomes more definite and coherent, we 
may learn to distinguish many of the streams of tendency 
which flow around us or bear us onward; but the inter-actions 
even of those which are seen are far too complex to be worked 
out by the clearest intellect. And we can never be certain 
that the most important currents have not remained un¬ 
observed just because we are moving with their motion.” 
What happened after the Birmingham visit may be briefly 
told. Symptoms of severe internal illness were discovered, 
and, as the result of several medical consultations, presided 
over by Sir Spencer Wells, an operation was decided upon, 
and performed by Dr. Lawson Tait, at her residence, 114, 
Park Street, Grosvenor Square, on Thursday, the 5th Decem¬ 
ber. The public were then informed of the critical state of 
the patient. For some little time it was hoped that she 
would have sufficient vitality to recover, and only a few days 
before the fatal termination of the illness Mrs. Daniell 
wrote :—“ I am very happy to tell you that our dear friend 
is now getting on very well. She is very weak, but I trust 
that will soon be overcome by the kind care of Dr. Grigg and 
nurses, and she is able to take a fair amount of nourish¬ 
ment. We hope to-morrow to remove her to another bed.” 
Sorrowful to say, the improvement was not maintained, 
and, after a fainting fit, which occurred about 11 o’clock 
in the forenoon of Sunday, December 22nd, she became 
extremely weak, and on the following day, December 
23rd—ere she had fully completed her thirty-second 
year, and retaining perfect consciousness—she gradually 
sank, and at 1-45 p.m. quietly “ passed to where 
