Dr. Westcott's interesting and weighty
letter.... A very clever man, a Bampton lecturer, evidently writing
with good and upright intention, sends me a lecture in which he
lays down the qualities he thinks necessary to make theological
study fruitful. They are courage, patience, and sympathy. He omits
one quality, in my opinion even more important than any of them,
and that is reverence. Without a great stock of reverence mankind,
as I believe, will go to the bad....

During the strife and heat of the controversy on Home Rule, Lady Russell
received the following letter from Mr. Gladstone:

10, DOWNING STREET, WHITEHALL,

_June_ 10, 1886

MY DEAR LADY RUSSELL,--I am not less gratified than touched by your
most acceptable note. It is most kind in you personally to give me
at a critical time the assurance of your sympathy and approval. And
I value it as a reflected indication of what would, I believe, have
been the course, had he been still among us, of one who was the
truest disciple of Mr. Fox, and was like him ever forward in the
cause of Ireland, a right handling of which he knew lay at the root
of all sound and truly Imperial policy. It was the more kind of you
to write at a time when domestic trial has been lying heavily upon
you. Believe me,

Very sincerely yours,

W.E. GLADSTONE

_Lady Russell to Lady Agatha Russell_

DUNROZEL, HASLEMERE, _August_ 30, 1886

... Our Sunday, mine especially, was a peaceful, lovely
Sabbath--mine especially because I didn't go to any church built
with hands, but held my silent, solitary worship in God's own
glorious temple, with no walls to limit my view, no lower roof than
the blue heavens over my head. The lawn, the green walk, the Sunday
bench in the triangle, each and all seemed filled with holiness and
prayer--sadness and sorrow. Visions of more than one beautiful past
which those spots have known and which never can return, were there
too; but the Eternal Love was around to hallow them....

_Lady Russell to Miss Buehler_

PEMBROKE LODGE, _November_ 24, 1886

MY DEAREST DORA,--I am afraid you will say that I have forgotten
you and your most loving and welcome birthday letter, but as I know
you will not _think_ it, I don't so very much mind. Nobody at
seventy-one and with many still to love and leave on earth, can