wife is reading something extremely interesting to us,' he would
artfully say; 'perhaps you would like to listen to it also?'

"'By all means,' the unsuspecting visitor would reply, and not another
opportunity would he have to speak until it was time to take leave."

"What books did grandmamma read to you?" inquired Marguerite. "You
have mentioned both history and novels, but without giving any names."

"Your uncle," replied mamma, "supplied us with light literature from
the resources of the _Spectator_ office--newspapers, pamphlets,
periodicals, etc., and mother's own little library was sterling in its
quality as her own old-fashioned ballads; it was quite varied, too,
considering how few volumes it contained.

"One of the books that I remember was Butler's 'History of the United
States;' a ponderous tome that I presume you children have never seen.

"Another volume from which we derived much information and pleasure was
a large 'Universal History;' the name of its author I have forgotten.

"The 'History of the Jews,' by Josephus, was also a great favorite with
mother; this work did not, however, belong to us, but was lent us by
your other grandfather, Marguerite. Mr. Cleveland, a neighbor of ours,
you know, had, like us, a small library of standard books, which he was
always glad to lend to an _appreciative_ reader.

"The 'Wonders of Nature and Providence' was another book that I
remember well, and a 'Life of Napoleon,' by what author I do not know,
but which was a source of endless delight both to father and mother.
The emperor, you know, had been dead only since 1821, consequently his
exploits were fresh in every one's memory, and some of mother's most
stirring songs were about 'General Bonaparte.' You four children come
legitimately by your devotion to Napoleon, for both father and mother
were enthusiastic in their admiration for the great French hero.

"Among our smaller books was a life of Prince Eugene of Savoy, and the
memoirs of Baron Trenck, whose romantic history we enjoyed as much as
the most thrilling novel.

"As for novels, we had not many at that time, although the newspapers
with which brother furnished us usually contained serial stories that
mother used to read aloud. I remember, however, that mother owned
'Waverley,' 'Rob Roy,' and 'Francis Berrian,' a romance of which father
was especially fond, and all of which she read to us.

"For poetry, we had a volume of selections from English po