THE STORY OF MY LIFE
VOLUMES 1-3
Georgiana Hare NaylorFrom a miniature
THE STORY OF
MY LIFE
BY
AUGUSTUS J. C. HARE
AUTHOR OF "MEMORIALS OF A QUIET LIFE,"
"THE STORY OF TWO NOBLE LIVES,"
ETC. ETC.
LONDON
GEORGE ALLEN, 156, CHARING CROSS ROAD
1896
[All rights reserved]
Printed by Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
At the Ballantyne Press
TABLE OF CONTENTS
| Contents of Volume 1 List of Illustrations Volume 1 Contents of Volume 2 List of Illustrations Volume 2 Contents of Volume 3 List of Illustrations Volume 3 Index to Volumes 1-3 Footnotes |
VOLUME 1
PREFACE
IN the autumn of 1878, the desire to comfort and amuse one of my kindestfriends during hours of wearing pain and sickness induced me to beginwriting down some of the reminiscences of my life. As almost all thosewho shared my earlier interests and affections had passed away, Ifancied at first that it would be impossible to rescue anything like aconnected story from "the great shipwreck of Time." But solitude helpsremembrance; and as I went on opening old letters and journals with theview of retracing my past life, it seemed to unfold itself to memory,and I found a wonderful interest in following once more the old track,with its almost forgotten pleasures and sorrows, though often remindedof the story of the old man who, when he heard for the first time thewell-known adage, "Hell is paved with good intentions," added promptly,"Yes, and roofed with lost opportunities."
Many will think mine has been a sad life. But, as A. H. Mackonochiesaid, "No doubt our walk through this little world is through much fogand darkness and many alarms, but it is wonderful, when one looks back,to see how little the evils of life have been allowed to leave realmarks upon our course, or upon our present state."
And besides this, Time is always apt to paint the long-ago in freshcolours, making what was nothing less than anguish at the time quitelight and trivial in the retrospect; sweeping over and effacing thegreater n