hich was a neatly turned 4-inch globe, upon which the equator and
ecliptic were engraved by my brother."

The mechanical genius was not confined to WILLIAM, for we read that
ALEXANDER used often to "sit by us and amuse us and himself by making
all sorts of things out of pasteboard, or contriving how to make a
twelve-hour cuckoo clock go a week." This ability of ALEXANDER'S was
turned later to the best account when he became his brother WILLIAM'S
right hand in the manufacture of reflectors, eye-pieces, and stands in
England. His abilities were great, and a purpose which might otherwise
have been lacking was supplied through the younger brother's ardor in
all that he undertook.

His musical talent was remarkable; he played "divinely" on the
violoncello. He returned to Hanover in 1816, where he lived in
comfortable independence, through the never-failing generosity of his
brother, until his death in 1821. A notice of him in a Bristol paper
says: "Died, March 15, 1821, at Hanover, ALEXANDER HERSCHEL, Esqr., well
known to the public of Bath and Bristol as a performer and elegant
musician; and who for forty-seven years was the admiration of the
frequenters of concerts and theatres of both those cities as principal
violoncello. To the extraordinary merits of Mr. HERSCHEL was united
considerable acquirement in the superior branches of mechanics and
philosophy, and his affinity to his brother, Sir WILLIAM HERSCHEL, was
not less in science than in blood."

We shall learn more of the sister, CAROLINA, as time goes on. Now in
these early years she was a silent and persistent child, growing up with
a feeling that she was uncared for and neglected, and lavishing all her
childish affection, as she did all that of her womanly life, on her
brother WILLIAM. Throughout her long life, "my brother" was WILLIAM,
"my nephew" _his_ son.

The brothers JACOB and WILLIAM were, with their father, members of the
band of the Guards in 1755, when the regiment was ordered to England,
and they were absent from Hanover a year.

WILLIAM (then seventeen years old) went as oboist, and out of his
scanty pay brought back to Hanover, in 1756, only one memento of his
stay--a copy of LOCKE _On the Human Understanding_.

He appears to have served with the Guard during part of the campaign of
1757. His health was then delicate, and his parents "determined to
remove him from the service--a step attended by no small
difficulties."[3]

This "removal" wa