The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-30
r.,,rp Nth Mrs. Sosnerstilc.

was fortunate TO have an introauc,"n ~
wa, w. aud her Elmiv when
visited Naples in the winter OF io.o. CROFT
,n,,, Gy;ncr In the top story " =,
49, M,a. on ,hr riviera di ChIaZa; sun VI
l sl,"; rooms. facing the bay ana az
lnnn, hv n great staircase, thai sectheo,
ai,,.ors the case in Italy. TO get ''ethei
I'D more sumptuous the hiSher YOU as
ccndrd. You passed through TWO or thltc
,nfe.roomS. gathering as you went fu't
italian impression of marble ana space, ana
then found yourself ut the door OF the great
6rowinc-roon. II was only IN the evening
that Mrs. Somcryiilc received. and II Is an
evening impression that the room has lcit
Great dim distances, Il. few lights ut the
farther end, barely distinguishing the plates
of Raaaelle Alaiolica on the walls. ana ths
antique bronzcS on the marble tables ana
in the far corner two ladies working. and a
third lady, old and small; sitting. "a'c''i"'
and digpitied. in her low armchair. 49,.
Thix w,S Mrs. Snmcryillt; il was her
,;no,ie.h birthday when saw her first. She
mt down the English newspaper rs APP
preached. aud. after her kind greeting, set
tied down for a gossip. Her ninety years
seemed 10 have withcrrd her frame. but II
was wirv and firm still, her eyes were keen.
her voice clear. only her hearing was I'M
r,rcd. Still it was quite possible TO talk
with her if yen raised your voice; ard II
WAS easy 10 make her talk more than llsen.
OF course, the war was our first Suilcct
she had forcSeen it fifty years before. Ill the
Restoration. She was military and coInmi-
srratinc. critic and woman, 10y turns; now
shakip" her head over the dead and dying,
now Specializing about the fall of Paris
You had but 10 close your eyes, ana TO fancy
aclc,cr modern English woman talking the
words and thoughts were rs fresh ana cur
rent as those of clever young wife Oh
clever Young member in Parliament OF to-
lay. Ii WAS the same in the other subjects
which VT discussed; Italy and the Italian
character, the latest changes ut Oxford, ant
what not.
But of course she WAS most interesting
when she came to talk of herself. . DO moi
a,olo.iZc for talkin. of myself she said
"lor il is always good for the young to heal
that Old aye is not 50 terrible rs they fear
Ny lille is 4 very placid one. l have my COT
fee early: from TO II | read or write II
bed: then rise and paint in my studio TO-
an hour that is all | can manage now. The
aitcrnupn is ny time Tor rest then come
dinner-time. and after that sit here. and
am clad to see any kind friends who ma,
ike TO visit NC" Then she would cXplail
what was the reading and writing sh
WAS engaged upon. She was correcting ant
adding TO the first edition of Molecl
larand Microscopic Science" " only putting
II IN order for my daughters to publish whe1
a second edition is called for after my death
oh. they are quite competent to do it, Sh
would say, with IL smile II took care tia
they should be much better educated thai
| was. I am reading u good deal now
reading Herodotus. took him down frol
nv shelves the other day-it was the tirs
time | had tried Greek for fifty years-to sc
if had forgotten the character. To my dc
li.ht found could read him and under
stand him quite easily. What Il chal mlni
writer Herodotus is" All this was withou
the slightest pc,lantry: the utterance OF
perfectly natural. simple mind. that dwell
uron subjects which Interested il when
saw that they interested its neighbor.
The impression which Mrs. SomerrlIlr let
upon ne from this evening, and several llk
u rent in her company, WAS that OF Tho
roughly harmonious character, widely sym
pathetic and intensely individual. She hat
,I,Selcpcd those two sides of her nature II
lie most complete way, and the result was
lnrlcctly calm old aye. The cNtrIordnar.
rover of abstraction which enabled her Il
work ont a mathematical problem amid tn
lnlzz OF conversation was typical OF he
Whole mind. She was great. because sh
W.T. 30 perfectly Sei-contancd. Yet he
>vnIathics as has been said. were wide an'
warm. such balance of character is rar
spectacle ut any time: Is. perhaps, lilrc>t Il
,\trclne old age, and is precious III proper
lion To lis rarity -PcOpic'S MAGAZINE.