, 1873-06-15


was fortunate to hare an introductton to
Mrs Bonneville and her family when visited
Naples in the winter OF 1870. They vera living
in the top story OF 4, great palazzo du the
riviera di Chiaja; suite Of spacious rooms,
facing the bay, and approached by great starr
case, that seemed, as is always the caso in
| Italy, to get cleaner and more sumptuous the
higher yon ascend: YOU passed: through two or
three ante-rooms, gathering as you vent truly
italian impression Of marble and space, and
great drawing-room. It was only in
fhe evening that Mrs. somerville received,
and it is an evening impression that the
room has left; great dim distances, few lights
Plates Of Ratfaeue Majo1ica On the wa1ls and the
antique bronzes on the marble tables; and in the
far corner two ladies working, and third Lady,
old and small, sitting, watchful and dgnlded, IN
her low armchair.
birthday when SAW her first. she put down
the Engliah newspaper IS I approached, and, AZ
ter her kind greeting, settled down for gossip*
Her 80 years seemed to have Withered her frame;
but it WIS wiry and firm still, her eyes were
keen, her voice Clear only her hearing WAS i'm
paired. Still it Was quite possible to talk with
her II you raised your voice; and it Was easy to
make her talk more than Listen. OF course, the
fifty years before, ut the Restoration She was
military and comrnieerating, critic and WOMAN,
by turns now shaking her head over The dead
| and dying, now specializing shout the fall OF
| Paris. You had but to close your eyes, and to
fancy clever modern Englishwoman talking
| the words and thoughts we're as fresh and cur
rent as those Of clever young wife OF clever
young member in Parliament Of to-day. It
WAS the came in the other subjects which ne dis.
changes at Oxford, and what not.
| But, Of course, abe was most Interesting when
she came t. telk Of herself: 49,. II ]. do net az apolo-
sl ssiTays good for the 3onns to hear That old ago
| is not 90 terrible as they fear MY life is very
| placid one.. + have my coffee early; from 8 to
| u read Or write IN bed; then rise and paint
age now! Tho afternoon is my time for rest
then comes dinner-time, and after that sit here,
and am glad to nee any kind friends who may
like to visit me." Then she would explain
what Was the reading and writing she was
engaged upon. She Was correcting and add
ing to the first edition Of molecular
and Microscopic science;" "only putting
it in order for my daughters 10 publish when
second edition is called for after my death. Oh,
say with smile; F" I took care that they should
be much better educated THAN was: I mread-
ing good deal now,-1eading Heredotus. I took
him down from my shelves the other day-it
yea1s-to zee if I had forgotten the character:
To my delight, found could read him and un-
derstand him quite easiy. What T. charming
writer Herodotus is |" AL this was without the
alightest pedantty; the utterance OF = perfectly
natural, simple mind, that drelt upon subjects
which Interested 1t when 1t saw that they inter-
ested it's neighbor.
The Impression which Mrs. somervi1le left
upon me from this evening, and several like it
spent in her company, WAS that OF thoroughly
harmonious character, widely sympathetic and
intensely individual. She had developed these
two sides OF her nature in the most complete
way, and the result was perfectly calm Old age.
The extraordinary power Of abstraction which
enabled her TO work out a mathematical prob