Cambridge, in whom he had great confidence. He ate heartily, though
simply and moderately, and slept for about an hour after dinner. He
then had tea, and from about 7 to 10 he worked in the same room with
his family. He would never retire to a private room, and regarded the
society of his family as highly beneficial in "taking the edge off his
work." His powers of abstraction were remarkable: nothing seemed to
disturb him; neither music, singing, nor miscellaneous conversation.
He would then play a game or two at cards, read a few pages of a
classical or historical book, and retire at 11. On Sundays he attended
morning service at church, and in the evening read a few prayers very
carefully and impressively to his whole household. He was very
hospitable, and delighted to receive his friends in a simple and
natural way at his house. In this he was most admirably aided by his
wife, whose grace and skill made everything pleasant to their
guests. But he avoided dinner-parties as much as possible--they
interfered too much with his work--and with the exception of
scientific and official dinners he seldom dined away from home. His
tastes were entirely domestic, and he was very happy in his
family. With his natural love of work, and with the incessant calls
upon him, he would soon have broken down, had it not been for his
system of regular relaxation. Two or three times a year he took a
holiday: generally a short run of a week or ten days in the spring, a
trip of a month or thereabouts in the early autumn, and about three
weeks at Playford in the winter. These trips were always conducted in
the most active manner, either in constant motion from place to place,
or in daily active excursions. This system he maintained with great
regularity, and from the exceeding interest and enjoyment that he took
in these trips his mind was so much refreshed and steadied that he
always kept himself equal to his work.