twenty-two, she first visited England, there was no kind of ornamental
needle-work, knitting, plaiting hair, stringing beads and bugles, and
the like, of which she did not make samples by way of mastering the art.
As she was the only girl, and consequently the Cinderella, of the
family, she could not find time, however, for much self-improvement. She
was not, for instance, a skilled musician, but she was able to play the
second violin part of an overture or easy quartette. And it is worth
notice that the Herschels were something more than astronomers only.
Both Sir William and his son, great as they were in their special
department of science, took care to cultivate their minds generally;
were mathematicians, chemists, geologists, and men of letters. And here
is a lesson for our younger readers. The mind should always be diverted
towards one particular object; it should be the aim of everybody to
attain towards supreme excellence, if possible, in some one pursuit. On
the other hand, he should gather knowledge, more or less, in every
field, so as to avoid narrowness of view and poverty of idea.
Versatility does not necessarily mean superficiality; we may know much
of many things, and more of one thing. A man who is only a botanist,
shuts himself out from all the truest and deepest pleasures of
knowledge. It may be very clever for a violinist to play on a single
string; but he must play on _all_, if he would bring out the full
harmonies of his instrument, and do justice to its extraordinary powers.

* * * * *

Miss Herschel's enjoyment of life, which, when not carried to an excess,
is a Christian duty, continued to the very last. When she was in her
ninetieth year, she rose as usual every day, dressed, ate, drank, rested
on her sofa, read and conversed with her numerous visitors; still
taking an interest in science and literature, even in public affairs,