. The life of John Bright. ters and journals. Our little children/ he writes in1853, are well, and I am so happy with them that my politi-cal threatens to be lost in my domestic life, at which dearElizabeth seems disposed to rejoice. I dont like being awayfrom thee, he writes to his wife ; in truth, the more we aretogether in our comfortable home, the less we are disposed toseparate, I think. But we must take care and not become tooselfish. During the years while sons and daughters were growingup around him, he lost many that were dear to him ofhis own generation. Before the end of 1853 he had
. The life of John Bright. ters and journals. Our little children/ he writes in1853, are well, and I am so happy with them that my politi-cal threatens to be lost in my domestic life, at which dearElizabeth seems disposed to rejoice. I dont like being awayfrom thee, he writes to his wife ; in truth, the more we aretogether in our comfortable home, the less we are disposed toseparate, I think. But we must take care and not become tooselfish. During the years while sons and daughters were growingup around him, he lost many that were dear to him ofhis own generation. Before the end of 1853 he had lost hisbrothers Benjamin and Gratton, and his sisters Sophia andEsther, both of whom died shortly after they were in 1851 his father died. Thus, before the CrimeanWar broke out, his private life had received an entirely neworientation. In 1848 his sister Priscilla married his friend, DuncanMcLaren. As McLaren was not a Friend, the Society, accord-ing to its ancient rule, cast her out. Her brother records this. MARGARET ELIZABETH BRIGHTOb. 187S 1849] mrs. McLaren and the friends 173 event, which for himself and his sister was bitter and eventragic, in the following words in his diary of April 5, 1849 : To-day my dear sister Priscilla was disowned on theground of her marriage contrary to the rules or practicesof the Society. I protested against this course as unjustto her and injurious to the Society. But our MonthlyMeeting seems to be unable to perceive any distinctionin cases ; flagrant immorality and the marriage of amember with a religious person not a member are visitedwith the same condemnation. The Society may wellnot extend. It is withering to almost nothing. Itsglorious principles are made unsightly to the world. Itsaspect is made repulsive. It keeps out multitudes bythe imposition of tests and observances which can neverbe of real importance, and it excludes many from its foldwho have done no moral wrong, and whose assumed errormay have been highest virtue
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