in
which all exhibition of itself is painful. It was so with these. Had
conversations between them been overheard, people would have said,
"How cold they are to each other!"

His theory and his wishes about devoting his future to teaching
had made an impression on Mrs. Yeobright. Indeed, how could it be
otherwise when he was a part of her--when their discourses were as if
carried on between the right and the left hands of the same body? He
had despaired of reaching her by argument; and it was almost as a
discovery to him that he could reach her by a magnetism which was as
superior to words as words are to yells.

Strangely enough he began to feel now that it would not be so hard
to persuade her who was his best friend that comparative poverty was
essentially the higher course for him, as to reconcile to his feelings
the act of persuading her. From every provident point of view his
mother was so undoubtedly right, that he was not without a sickness of
heart in finding he could shake her.

She had a singular insight into life, considering that she had never
mixed with it. There are instances of persons who, without clear
ideas of the things they criticize, have yet had clear ideas of the
relations of those things. Blacklock, a poet blind from his birth,
could describe visual objects with accuracy; Professor Sanderson, who
was also blind, gave excellent lectures on colour, and taught others
the theory of ideas which they had and he had not. In the social
sphere these gifted ones are mostly women; they can watch a world
which they never saw, and estimate forces of which they have only
heard. We call it intuition.

What was the great world to Mrs. Yeobright? A multitude whose
tendencies could be perceived, though not its essences. Communities
were seen by her as from a distance; she saw them as we see the
throngs which cover the canvases of Sallaert, Van Alsloot, and
others of that school--vast masses of beings, jostling, zigzagging,
and processioning in definite directions, but whose features are
indistinguishable by the very comprehensiveness of the view.

One could see that, as far as it had gone, her life was very complete
on its reflective side. The philosophy of her nature, and its
limitation by circumstances, was almost written in her movements.
They had a majestic foundation, though they were far from being
majestic; and they had a groundwork of assurance, but they were not
assured. As her once elastic walk ha