204 A FEW MEMORIES
flight of time in his life of thought, are well illustrated by the following anecdote told me by Miss B. Her father had come over to the Church with Dr. Newman. A strong friendship existed between them. One of Miss B.'s sisters married and had a child. In his visits to the family Cardinal Newman never forgot to bring the little one a plaything of some kind. The mother, with her child, was called away to India to join her husband, who was stationed there. Many years passed. She died, and her daughter, then a young lady of sixteen, came back to England to stop with her aunt, Miss B. The latter had informed the cardinal of the girl's return; and when he next came to town they were astonished and touched to see him arrive with his pockets, as of old, filled with toys. He had forgotten the lapse of years, and only remembered with beautiful fidelity the old custom.
The number of plays submitted to artists is incredible. Generally they are absolutely un-suited to the person who is requested to read, and, if possible, produce them. Among the very few good ones I have received was one written for me by Mrs. Craik (Miss Mulock). The period she chose was that of the Diocletian persecutions,