hild carries lightly, Sir George had
given much thought, namely, 'Of what does human life consist? what are
its elements?' Thereon he had the deliverance:

'Quite early in my own life, I formed the opinion that we had neglected
to consider an element of existence; that besides the solids and the
fluids there was ether. It seemed to me that ether played a very
important part, alike in the creation and the maintenance of life. That
was the everlasting ingredient, the something which never perished, but
went on and on, the soul in the body of flesh and blood. Brought into
contact with various eminent men, I was happily able to discuss such
vital questions with them.'

Sir George's mother first set him thinking, and he had a recollection of
learning the Lord's Prayer from her. Indeed, his earliest mental problem
arose from the opening words, 'Our Father, which art in Heaven.'

'I took the "which art in" to be all one word, and puzzled over its
possible meaning. The circumstance was a light to the obstacles that
beset a child's mind, and a lamp to parents in training that mind. Never
was there a mother more fitted than mine, for the glorious
responsibilities of motherhood. Very highly educated, she added Latin to
her other accomplishments, in order that she might teach the language to
me. She had married a second time, and my step-father, a wise and large-
hearted man, one of the best men I have ever known, also bestowed much
care on my upbringing.'

As a little fellow he had lived a good deal in London with relations, a
family of whom had a house near Hyde Park. He could call up, from the
farthest caverns of his memory, a Sunday forenoon on which he was carried
off to church, because there was nobody at home, except the servants, to
look after him.

'What West End church it may have been I cannot tell,' Sir George said,
'but I imagine the one the household usually attended. The other detail
that a fire burned in our pew, did impress itself definitely upon my
mind. I was at least big enough to lift a poker, and what must I do but
seize that instrument, and set to scraping the fire, to the confusion of
those with me. Perhaps the idea of a fire in a church pew may be deemed
curious at this date, so much later. But why not? It was really a great
boon to those worshippers whom delicacy of health might otherwise have
kept at home. For, of course, there was then no better means of warming a
church.

'The house of another L