300                                                                                    [chap.  XXI
 

CHAPTER XXI

1893—1896

My mother's ni-health—Miss Cobbe—A great storm—A birthday
letter to my mother—Her better health—Herbert Spencer—
E. B. Litchfield's niness-—My mother's last illness and death.

My mother's health was in a very imcomfortable state from
the autumn of 1892 until the end of 18^3. She used in
her letters to teU me exactly how she was, but always took
care to chronicle her better moments, " My nights are
lovely," " I am having a good day," " I am enjoying the
sunshine." She suffered greatly from the heat this summer.
After the weather changed she wrote June 20th, " I feel
quite tipsy looking out at the dear black sky and drizzled
windows," and again " such a lovely puddle on the walk
and the barometer so low."

Down, Aug. mh, 1893.

I was going to write and order Leo Maxse's National
Beview, but F. Greenwood's article on W. E. G. is so mon¬
strous I have held my hand. It makes him out a fiend and
I am afraid such violence wiU neutralise what is good in
the Review.

Aug. Zlst, 1893 (your wedding day).

. . . Leonard said BaKour's speech, which I thought so
impertinent to W. E. G., was quite charming in its manner
and playfulness. A Mr Paul, a Gladstonian meniber, sat
by L. and said " that is quite delightful."

I had been aU September at Down whUst my sister
was abroad. It was an ideal month of fine weather. My
mother wrote to her at the end of our time together: "A
dismal day, but Sir John Lubbock says that no weather
is really bad, so we must not mind."