apparatus. He was incessantly making fresh mirrors, or trying new
lenses, or combinations of lenses to act as eye-pieces, or projecting
alterations in the mounting by which the telescope was supported.
Such was his enthusiasm that his house, we are told, was incessantly
littered with the usual indications of the workman's presence,
greatly to the distress of his sister, who, at this time, had come to
take up her abode with him and look after his housekeeping. Indeed,
she complained that in his astronomical ardour he sometimes omitted
to take off, before going into his workshop, the beautiful lace
ruffles which he wore while conducting a concert, and that
consequently they became soiled with the pitch employed in the
polishing of his mirrors.

This sister, who occupies such a distinct place in scientific history
is the same little girl to whom we have already referred. From her
earliest days she seems to have cherished a passionate admiration for
her brilliant brother William. It was the proudest delight of her
childhood as well as of her mature years to render him whatever
service she could; no man of science was ever provided with a more
capable or energetic helper than William Herschel found in this
remarkable woman. Whatever work had to be done she was willing to
bear her share in it, or even to toil at it unassisted if she could
be allowed to do so. She not only managed all his domestic affairs,
but in the grinding of the lenses and in the polishing of the mirrors
she rendered every assistance that was possible. At one stage of the
very delicate operation of fashioning a reflector, it is necessary
for the workman to remain with his hand on the mirror for many hours
in succession. When such labours were in progress, Caroline used to
sit by her brother, and enliven the time by reading stories aloud,
sometimes pausing to feed him with a spoon while his hands were