o are
interested in the composition of Fairy literature; and the theories on
which Julie wrote her own tales.[28]

[Footnote 28: Letter, Septuagesima, 1869.]

She also wrote (in 1875) an article on "Little Woods," and a domestic
story called "A very Ill-tempered Family."

The incident of Isobel's reciting the _Te Deum_ is a touching one,
because the habit of repeating it by heart, especially in bed at
night, was one which Julie herself had practised from the days of
childhood, when, I believe, it was used to drive away the terrors of
darkness. The last day on which she expressed any expectation of
recovering from her final illness was one on which she said, "I think
I must be getting better, for I've repeated the _Te Deum_ all through,
and since I've been ill I've only been able to say a few sentences at
once." This was certainly the last time that she recited the great
Hymn of Praise before she joined the throng of those who sing it day
and night before the throne of God. The German print of the
Crucifixion, on which Isobel saw the light of the setting sun fall, is
one which has hung over my sister's drawing-room fire-place in every
home of wood or stone which she has had for many years past.

The Child Verse, "A Hero to his Hobby-horse," came out in the Magazine
volume for 1875, and, like many of the other verses, it was written to
fit a picture.

One of the happiest inspirations from pictures, however, appeared in
the following volume (1876), the story of "Toots and Boots," but
though the picture of the ideal Toots was cast like a shadow before
him, the actual Toots, name and all complete, had a real existence,
and his word-portrait was taken from life. He belonged to the mess of
the Royal Engineers in the South Camp, Aldershot, and was as
dignified as if he held the office of President. I shall never forget
one occasion on which he was invited to luncheon at Mrs. Ewing's hut,
that I might have the pleasure of making his acquaintance; he had to
be unwillingly carried across the Lines in the arms of an obliging
subaltern, but directly he arrived, without waiting even for the first
course, he struggled out of the officer's embrace and galloped back to
his own mess-table, tail erect and thick with rage at the indignity he
had undergone.

"Father Hedgehog and his Friends," in this same volume (1876), was
also written to some excellent German woodcuts; and it, too, is a
wonderfully brilliant sketch of animal life;