Part 29 (2/2)

The chin showed e, bony and pro well on a finely-cut forehead; the ensemble healthy and mobile; in manner easy, unself-conscious, emphatic, inclined to be noisy from over-keenness and perfectly self-possessed

Conversation graphic and exaggerated, eager and concentrated, with a natural gift of expression Her honesty more a peculiarity than a virtue Decision ed mind wholly unfettered by prejudice Very observant and a fine judge of her fellow-creatures, finding all interesting and worthy of her speculation She was not easily depressed by antagonistic circumstances or social situations hostile to herself--on the contrary, her spirit rose in all losing ga no personal vanity, the highest vitality and great self-confidence She was self-indulgent, though not selfish, and had not enough self-control for her passion and irit than to any foresight that she kept out of difficulties She distrusted the dried-up advice of ood She was lacking in awe, and no respecter of persons; loving old people because she never felt they were old War no trouble too great to take for those you love, and agreeing with Dr Johnson that friendshi+ps should be kept in constant repair Too many interests and too many-sided

Fond of people, animals, books, sport, music, art and exercise

More Bohe acquaintances and even bores with interest Passionate love of Nature Lacking in devotional, practising religion; otherwise sensitively religious Sensible; not easily influenced for good or evil Jealous, keen and faithful in affection Great want of plodding perseverance, doingwell A fine ear for e or practice in perspective; more critical than constructive Very cool and decided with horses Good nerve, good whip and a fine rider Intellectually self-made, ambitious, independent and self-willed Fond of adive it”

I sent this to Dr Joith another character-sketch of Gladstone After reading them, he wrote me this letter:

BALL COLL Oct 23rd, 1890

MY DEAR MARGOT,

I return the book [Footnote: A commonplace book with a feritten sketches of people in it] which you entrusted to me: I was very much interested by it The sketch of Gladstone is excellent Pray write so it

The young lady's portrait of herself is quite truthful and not at all flattered: shall I add a trait or two? ”She is very sincere and extreenius She uished authoress if she would--but she wastes her ti from one country house to another in a manner not pleasant to look back upon and still less pleasant to think of twenty years hence, when youth will have s and fled away”

If you know her, will you tell her with my love, that I do not like to offer her any more advice, but I wish that she would take counsel with herself She has erous: will she not add to this a noble and siher we rise, the more self-discipline, self-control and econo to be in the world but not of it; to be outwardlyan ideal which extends over the whole of life and beyond; to have a natural love for every one, especially for the poor; to get rid, not of wit or good humour, but of frivolity and excite to the Will of God and not after the fashi+ons and opinions of ement of Lionel Tennyson--a new friend--I was anxious to start a newspaper When I was a little girl at Glen, there had been a schoolroom paper, called ”The Glen Gossip: The Tennant Tatler, or The Peeblesshi+re Prattler” I believe my brother Eddy wrote the wittiest verses in it; but I was too young to re I had uished friends by that time, all of whom had promised to write for me The idea was four or five numbers to be illustrated by my sister Lucy Graham Smith, and a brilliant letter-press, but, in spite ofI have always regretted this, as, looking at the naraht have been a success The title of the paper gave us infinite trouble We ended by adopting a suggestion of my own, and our new venture was to have been called ”To-morrow” This is the list of people who proested for the paper:

Lord and Lady Pembroke Sympathetic Ink

The Idle Pen

The Mail

The Kite

Blue Ink

Mr A Lyttelton The Hen

The Chick

Mr Knowles The butterfly

Mr A J Balfour The New Eve

Anonymous

Mrs Grundy

Mr Oscar Wilde The Life Ihter

Lady Ribblesdale Jane

Psyche

The Mask

Margot Tennant The Mangle