Part 30 (1/2)

It ithin five minutes' walk of the Foundry, and I was scarcely ever out of reach of the Fireside, where ere both so happy

It had been sanctified by our united love for thirteen years

It was surrounded by a nice garden, planted with trees and shrubs

Though close to the Bridgewater Canal, and a busy e was perfectly quiet

It was in this garden, when I was arranging the telescope at night, that I had been detected by the passing boatman as ”The Patricroft Ghost”

When ere about to leave Patricroft, the Countess of Ellesmere, who, as well as the Earl, had always been our attached friends, wrote to my wife as follows: ”I can well understand Mr Nasmyth's satisfaction at the emancipation he looks forward to in December next

But I hope you do not expect us to share it! for what is so much natural pleasure to you is a sad loss and privation to us

I really don't knoe shall get on at Worsley without you

You have nevertheless ein this world can be”

Yet we had to tear ourselves away froiven notice to my partner

[footnote

The ”Partner” here referred to, was my excellent friend Henry Garnett, Esq, of Wyre Side, near Lancaster He had beenpartner or ”Co” for nearly twenty years, and the most perfect harmony always existed between us

that it was my intention to retire froe on the business after my retirement All was pleasantly and satisfactorily settled several months before I finally left; and the character and prosperity of the Bridgewater Foundry have been continued to the present day

But where was I to turn to for a settled ho picture by e in Kent”

It took such a hold of ination that I never ceased to entertain the longing and ae for the rest of ly, about six months before my final retirement, I accompanied my wife in a visit to the south In the first place we made a careful selection from the advertisements in the Times of ”desirable residences” in Kent

One in particular appeared very te We set out to view it

It seemed to eination as necessary to fulfil the idea of our ”Cottage in Kent”

It had been the property of F R Lee, the Royal Academician

With a few alterations and additions it would entirely answer our purpose So we bought the property

I may mention that when I retired from business, and took out of it the fortune that had accu my twenty-two years of assiduous attention and labour, I invested the bulk of it in Three per cent Consols The rate of interest was not high, but it was nevertheless secure High interest, as every one knows, means riskful security

I desired to have no anxiety about the source ofthe rest of my days in the active leisure which I desired I had for so in consols, which my dear wife terood reason to be satisfied with that safe and tranquillising invest influence of the absence of financial worry will agree with me that this antibilious stock is about the best

The ”Cottage in Kent” was beautiful, especially in its rural surroundings The view fro, and elish scenery The noble old forest trees of Penshurst Park were close alongside, and the grand old historic mansion of Penshurst Place ithin a quarter of a mile's distance from our house There were hbourhood; the railway station, which ithin thirty-fiveus to be within reach of London, with its innumerable attractions, in little round at first surrounded our cottage, but these were afterwards expanded to sixteen; and the whole was rounds In all this e] Haard for ha the crest of our family for hundreds of years--I named the place Hammerfield; and so it remains to this day The irounds were considerable A greenhouse was built, 120 feet long by 32 feet wide Roomy apartments were added to the house The trees and shrubs planted about the grounds were carefully selected The coniferae class were ed them so that their natural variety of tints should for contrasts In this respect I introduced the beech-tree with the happiest effect It is bright green in spring, and in the autumn it retains its beautiful ruddy-tinted leaves until the end of winter, when they are again replaced by the neth

The warreen of the coniferae, especially of the Lawsoniania and the Douglassi-- the latter being one of the finest accessions to our list of conifers

It is graceful in form, and perfectly hardy I also interspersed with these several birch-trees, whose slender and graceful habit of growth fore of the conifers

To thus paint, as it were, with trees, is a high source of pleasure in gardening Areatest

During the tiress we rented a house for six rounds of the Crystal Palace This was a reat attractions of the place, both inside and out, there were the admirable orchestral daily concerts, at which ere constant attendants We had the pleasure of listening to the noble coreatled by Herr Manns, who throws so much of his fine natural taste and enthusiastic spirit into the productions as to give them every possible charm

Frohest enjoy tofor to such kind of music, it yields ests ideas, and brings vividly before the ination This is, to hest order of excellence in o, and still continue, to whistle a bit, especially when engaged in some pleasant occupation I can draw from my mental repository a vast number of airs and certain bits of compositions that I had once heard I possess that iood ear;” and I alorked ed in whistling some favourite air The dual occupation of the brain had always the best results in the quick development of the constructive faculty And even in circu is not allowed I can think airs, and enjoy them almost as much as when they are distinctly audible This power of the brain, I am fain to believe, indicates the natural existence of the truethe course ofthe practical use of any musical instru subject

So soon as I was in due possession of my house, I had speedily transported thither all my art treasures--my telescopes, my home stock of tools, the instru of my career as aand active parts of ave them an honoured place in the workshop which I added to my residence There they are now, and I often spend a busy and delightful hour in handling ht of such objects brings back to thedead see at them You almost feel as if you could converse with the departed I do not know of anything so touchingly powerful in vividly bringing back the treasured incidents and ht of such humble objects Every one has, no doubt, a treasured store of such material records of a well-remembered portion of his past life These strike, as it were, the keynote to thoughts that bring back in vivid form the most cherished remembrances of our lives Ontreasured hoards of such objects thrown together in a heap as mere rubbish And yet these had been to sohts and recollections, But the last final break-up has cos of some departed kind heart are scattered far and wide These touching relics of a long life, which had almost become part of himself, are ”knocked down” to the lowest class of bidders It is a sad sight to witness the uncared for dispersion of such objects--objects that had been lovingly stored up as the most valued of personal treasures I could have wished that, as was the practice in re relics were buried with the dead, as their ht have left so desecrated by the harpies ait at sales for such ”job lots”