on behalf of duty, while a liberal residue may be
available for your special pursuits and tastes, and for
recreations. This is really the sound basis of life, which never
can be honourable or satisfactory without adequate guarantees
against frittering away, even in part, the precious gift of time.

While touching on the subject I would remind you of an old
recommendation of mine, that you should choose some parliamentary
branch or subject, to which to give special attention. The House of
Commons has always heard your voice with pleasure, and ought not to
be allowed to forget it. I say this the more freely, because I
think it is, in your case, the virtue of a real modesty, which
rather too much indisposes you to put yourself forward.

Yet another word. As years gather upon me, I naturally look forward
to what is to be after I am gone; and although I should indeed be
sorry to do or say anything having a tendency to force the action
of your mind beyond its natural course, it will indeed be a great
pleasure to me to see you well settled in life by marriage. Well
settled, I feel confident, you will be, if settled at all. In your
position at Hawarden, there would then be at once increased ease
and increased attraction in the performance of your duties; nor can
I overlook the fact that the life of the unmarried man, in this age
particularly, is under peculiar and insidious temptations to
selfishness, unless his celibacy arise from a very strong and
definite course of self-devotion to the service of God and his
fellow creatures.

The great and sad change of Hawarden [by the death of Sir Stephen]
which has forced upon us the consideration of so many subjects,
gave at the same time an opening for others, and it seemed to me to
be best to put together the few remarks I had to make. I hope the
announcement with which I began will show that I write in the
spirit of confidence as well as of affection. It is on this footing
that we have ever stood, and I trust ever shall stand. You have
acted towards me at all times up to the standard of all I could
desire. May you have the help of the Almighty to embrace as justly,
and fulfil as cheerfully, the whole conception of your duties in
the position to which it has pleased Him to call you, and which
perhaps has