s her friend than she was in County Longford. Every one likes them
and comes knocking at their lodging-house door, while Maria upstairs is
writing a letter, standing at a chest of drawers. 'Miss Edgeworth is
delightful,' says Tom Moore, 'not from display, but from repose and
unaffectedness, the least pretending person.' Even Lord Byron writes
warmly of the authoress whose company is so grateful, and who goes her
simple, pleasant way cheerful and bringing kind cheer, and making
friends with the children as well as with the elders. Many of these
children in their lives fully justified her interest, children whom we
in turn have known and looked up to as distinguished greyheaded men.

Some one asked Miss Edgeworth how she came to understand children as she
did, what charm she used to win them. 'I don't know,' she said kindly;
'I lie down and let them crawl over me.' She was greatly pleased on one
occasion when at a crowded party a little girl suddenly started forth,
looked at her hard, and said, 'I like simple Susan best,' and rushed
away overwhelmed at her own audacity. The same lady who was present on
this occasion asked her a question which we must all be grateful to have
solved for us--how it happened that the respective places of Laura and
Rosamond came to be transposed in 'Patronage,' Laura having been the
wiser elder sister in the 'Purple Jar,' and appearing suddenly as the
younger in the novel. Miss Edgeworth laughed and said that Laura had
been so preternaturally wise and thoughtful as a child, she could never
have kept her up to the mark, and so she thought it best to change the
character altogether.

During one of her visits to London Miss Edgeworth went to dine at the
house of Mr. Marshall; and his daughter, Lady Monteagle, tells a little
story which gives an impression, and a kind one, of the celebrated
guest. Everything had been prepared in her honour, the lights lighted,
the viands were cooked. Dinner was announced, and some important person
was brought forward to hand Miss Edgeworth down, when it was discovered
that she had vanished. For a moment the company and the dinner were all
at a standstill. She was a small person, but diligent search was made.
Miss Edgeworth had last been seen with the children of the house, and
she was eventually found in the back kitchen, escorted by the said
children, who, having confided their private affairs to her sympathetic
ear, had finally invited her to come with them and