IV. JOANNA’S CARE 541

hers, with the tranquil exertion of my own natural powers, in the place where God had set me.

Both at the time, and ever since, I have felt bitter remorse that I did not make Carlyle free of the garden, and his horse of the stables, whether we were at home or not;¹ for the fresh air, and bright view of the Norwood hills, were entirely grateful and healing to him, when the little back garden at Cheyne Row was too hot, or the neighbourhood of it too noisy, for his comfort.

66. And at this time, nearly every opportunity of good, and peace, was granted in Joan’s coming to help me to take care of my mother. She was perfectly happy, herself, in the seclusion of Denmark Hill; while yet the occasional evenings spent at George Richmond’s, or with others of her London friends, (whose circle rapidly widened,) enabled her to bring back to my mother little bits of gossip which were entirely refreshing to both of us; for I used to leave my study whenever Joanie came back from these expeditions, to watch my mother’s face in its glittering sympathy. I think I have said of her before, that although not witty herself, her strong sense gave her the keenest enjoyment of kindly humour, whether in saying or incident;² and I have seen her laughing,partly at Joanie and partly with her, till the tears ran down her still brightly flushing cheeks. Joan was never tired of telling her whatever gave her pleasure, nor of reading to her, in quieter time, the books she delighted in, against which, girls less serenely-nay, less religiously, bred, would assuredly have rebelled,-any quantity, for instance, of Miss Edgeworth and Richardson.

(I interrupt myself for a moment to express, at this

¹ [A letter to Mr. Allen from the Continent (June 13, 1861) seems to show, however, that Ruskin did in some sort try to do this:-

“Let flowers be taken as often as possible to Mrs. Carlyle, and as soon as the strawberries are ripe and weather nice, let Lucy go over to Chelsea and tell Mrs. Carlyle, and try to persuade her to come with Mr. Carlyle to eat strawberries and fresh cream.

“Mrs. Carlyle has been very ill, and if you can all behave so as to get her to come often and sit in the garden, or Mr. Carlyle to come there and smoke after his rides, I shall be much obliged to you all.”]

² [See above, p. 142.]

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