Recollections and impressions, . reverence for learning combiningwith her intense affection for her son to fill herheart with proud satisfaction. In September she returned to her own house inWalker Street. There was no pain nor sickness,only a gradual failure of the bodily powers. Shehad always been the best of correspondents, andnow she still sat guiding that unwearied pen ofhers; but so dim had her sight grown that shesometimes failed to notice that she had no ink onher pen. She got into the habit of handing herletters to the grand-daughter who lived with herto have them corrected. For some
Recollections and impressions, . reverence for learning combiningwith her intense affection for her son to fill herheart with proud satisfaction. In September she returned to her own house inWalker Street. There was no pain nor sickness,only a gradual failure of the bodily powers. Shehad always been the best of correspondents, andnow she still sat guiding that unwearied pen ofhers; but so dim had her sight grown that shesometimes failed to notice that she had no ink onher pen. She got into the habit of handing herletters to the grand-daughter who lived with herto have them corrected. For some days before she took to her bed she hadwritten diligently, but had never asked to havethe press corrected,—her own phrase. A few dayslater she sent for her blotting-book and showed ussix letters addressed to her sons. Only two werefinished, but all were begun, so ,that no one shouldfeel neglected. Life was dear to her among all herchildren and grandchildren, and when she first felther strength going she had some days of quiet. From a photograph hy Rodger, St Andrezvs, iS^n. MRS SELLAR. * STEPPING WESTWARD. 233 sadness. Then she realised that this was anoccasion for her instinctive delight in giving, andgrew quite cheerful, looking round her room anddeciding to whom she might leave all her littlepossessions. One of my daughters was not verystrong that year, and Grannie was eager thatshe should enter at once into the possession ofher sealskin. When I tried to put this off shesaid decidedly, No, the cold weather is coming:besides, if she waited till I were dead she wouldnot wear it at once. For three months the dear old lady lay in herroom, her bodily powers gradually failing, butnothing clouding her mind nor weakening herimmense power of loving. One of her grand-children was attending my husbands lectures onLatin literature, and, for love of the lecturer, theold lady insisted on having notes read aloud toher. On one occasion, after a long pause, shesaid, looking puzzled, I cant
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