She was not in sympathy
with a good deal of it, and her way of expressing her opinions was
delightfully frank and original. Despite her abiding sense of her
loss, there was nothing morbid about Lady Burton. She was bright
and cheerful, full of interest in things, and perfectly happy in
the society of her dearly loved sister.
I think that here one might mention a few characteristics of Lady Burton.
She was always very generous, but her generosity was not of the kind
which would commend itself to the Charity Organization Society. For
instance, she had an incurable propensity of giving away to beggars in
the street. She never let one go. The result was that she frequently
returned home with an empty purse; indeed, so aware was she of her
weakness, she took out little money with her as a rule, so that she
might not be tempted too far. When people remonstrated with her on this
indiscriminate almsgiving, she used to say, "I would rather give to ten
rogues than turn one honest man away; I should be amply repaid if there
were one fairly good one amongst them." She was very fond of children
--that is, _en bloc_; she did not care to be troubled with them at too
close quarters. She often took out the poor children of the Roman
Catholic schools to treats on Wimbledon Common. She would hire drags,
and go up there for the afternoon with them. She never forgot them at
Christmas, and she would always set aside a day or two for buying them
toys.
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