hed in the same way, the last one
thus ending--

"God, for the good you do mankind, grant you some easy years to do good
upon earth before you change for a happy eternity. So does desire and
pray Lord Galway's truly affectionate cousin, and faithfully such to
gratify to the utmost of her ability, R. RUSSELL."

The dear old lady speaks in this letter of "evening creeping upon her,"
but she lingered to an extreme old age, dying on September 29, 1723, in
her 87th year. She lived to see the Protestant rule firmly secured by
the Hanoverian succession. In public affairs she continued to take
interest, but always in subservience to the higher cause of moral and
spiritual advancement. In one of her last letters she says of the son of
the king, "I have inquired from Doctor Sloane how the Prince is to-day.
He says, 'In a way to do well.' I trust, in the mercy of God, all our
divisions shall be so with time."

One of her latest letters is dated September 4, 1716, addressed to her
second daughter, the Duchess of Devonshire: "It is to no use to murmur
that you could not be satisfied with taking the journey; the rather also
because I believe I should have done the same. It is so fine a season I
trust your return to Derbyshire will be easy; your mind would not have
been such had you not done as you did. I shall be easy with a line or
two from Lady Mary [her eldest daughter, who died unmarried in 1719] how
you got to Chatsworth. At your first coming you will have a great deal
to do, and so for the short time you can stay. I see no cause to fear,
but that all will be, as we are, quiet; it is the temper of most to
fear, or seem to do so." (She referred to the public tranquillity, of
which the rebellion of the year before had left doubts.) "The season is
exceedingly fine, not much burnt up; but the farmers, for talk's sake,
ever wishing for what they have not; but it is good walking, and that is
my best diversion. I cannot easily add any words to make this more a
diversion to you, than that I thank God I have as much health as my
years can have; and memory as yet enough to take a pleasure when I hear
of what I love most, and desire all good may be their portion; which
will afford content, while any thought whatever of good or ill remains
in the head or heart of

"Your ever-affectionate mother, R. RUSSELL."

The spirit in which she bore the first overwhelming passion of grief may
be best seen in the letters written by her to Doctor Fi