CHAPTER I When was at the beginning of the century remember .
must have been getting on for eighty in the year 1807 , earlier than which date suppose can hardly remember , for was born in 1802 .
A few white locks hung about ears , shoulders were bent and knees feeble , but was still hale , and was much respected in .
name was .
was said to be ; have been told brought a little money , but it can not have been much .
was .
had lived not unhappily together , for 's temper was easy and soon learned to bow before 's more stormy moods .
was ; was also at one time ; when remember , however , had so far risen in life as to be no longer compelled to work with own hands .
In earlier days had taught to draw .
do not say drew well , but it was surprising should draw as well as did .
, became possessed of a good many of 's drawings , which were always of local subjects , and so unaffectedly painstaking that they might have passed for the work of .
remember them as hanging up framed and glazed in the study at , and tinted , as all else in was tinted , with the green reflected from the fringe of ivy leaves that grew around the windows .
wonder how they will actually cease and come to an end as drawings , and into what new phases of being they will then enter .
Not content with being , must needs also be .
built the organ in with own hands , and made a smaller one which kept in .
could play as much as could draw , not very well according to professional standards , but much better than could have been expected .
showed a taste for music at an early age , and on finding it out , as soon did , became partial to in consequence .
It may be thought that with so many irons in the fire could hardly be , but this was not the case .
had been , and had begun life with no other capital than good sense and good constitution ; now , however , there was a goodly show of timber about , and a look of solid comfort over .
Towards the close of the eighteenth century and not long before came to , had taken , thus making a considerable rise in life .
Along with there went .
's business was now carried on in , the remains of which could be seen in what was called .
, embosomed in honeysuckles and creeping roses , was , nor were internal arrangements less exemplary than outside was ornamental .
Report said that starched the sheets for best bed , and can well believe it .
How well do remember half filled with the organ which had built , and scented with a withered apple or two from the _ pyrus japonica _ that grew outside ; the picture of the prize ox over the chimney-piece , which had painted ; the transparency of , also by ; and ; the china shepherd and shepherdess ; the jars of feathery flowering grasses with a peacock 's feather or two among them to set them off , and the china bowls full of dead rose leaves dried with bay salt .
All has long since vanished and become a memory , faded but still fragrant to .
Nay , but -- and the glimpses into , or it may be of the arms and face of ; or again , where among other treasures kept the famous lipsalve which was one of especial glories , and of which would present a shape yearly to those whom delighted to honour .
wrote out the recipe for this and gave it to a year or two before died , but could never make it as did .
When were used sometimes to send respects to , and ask leave for to come and take tea with .
Right well used to ply .
As for temper , never met such in lives ; whatever may have had to put up with , had no cause for complaint , and then would play to upon the organ , and would stand round open-mouthed and think .
had no sense of humour , at least can call to mind no signs of this , but had plenty of fun in , though few would have guessed it from appearance .
remember once sent down to to get some glue , and happened to come when was in the act of scolding .
had got -- -- by the ear and was saying , " What ?
Lost again -- smothered o ' wit . "
( believe it was the boy who was supposed to be , and who was thus addressed as lost . )
" Now , look here , , " continued , " are born stupid , and art one of ; some achieve stupidity -- that 's again , -- wast both born stupid and hast greatly increased birthright -- and " ( and here came a climax during which 's head and ear were swayed from side to side ) " have stupidity thrust upon , which , if it please , shall not be case , , for will thrust stupidity from , though have to box ears in doing so , " but did not see that really did box 's ears , or do more than pretend to frighten , for the two understood one another perfectly well .
Another time remember hearing call by saying , " Come hither , three-days-and-three-nights , , " alluding , as afterwards learned , to 's periods of intoxication ; but will tell no more of such trifles .
's face would always brighten when 's name was mentioned .
" tell , , " would say to , " was not only , but was . "
This was more than as was prepared to stand .
" , " answered , " what did do ?
could draw a little , but could to save life have got a picture into ?
built two organs and could play the Minuet in _ Samson _ on one and the March in _ Scipio _ on the other ; was and a bit of ; was , but why make out so much abler than was ? "
" , " returned , " must not judge by the work , but by the work in connection with the surroundings .
Could or , think , have got a picture into ?
Would a single one of those frescoes went to see when were at have the remotest chance of being hung , if it were sent in for exhibition now ?
Why , would be so outraged that would not even write to to tell to come and take fresco away .
Phew ! "
continued , waxing warm , " if had had 's chances would have done all that did , and have done it better ; if had had 's chances would have done all that did , and done it no worse ; as it was , was , and will undertake to say never scamped a job in the whole course of life . "
" But , " said , " can not judge with so many ' ifs . '
If had lived in 's time might have been , but did not live in 's time . "
" tell , , " said with some severity , " must judge not so much by what do , as by what make feel that have it in to do .
If has done enough either in painting , music or the affairs of life , to make feel that might trust in an emergency has done enough .
It is not by what has actually put upon canvas , nor yet by the acts which has set down , so to speak , upon the canvas of life that will judge , but by what makes feel that felt and aimed at .
If has made feel that felt those things to be loveable which hold loveable ask no more ; grammar may have been imperfect , but still have understood ; and are _ en rapport _ ; and say again , , that was not only , but . "