Evening Hymn, and the awful joy of the Trinity hymn, “Holy, holy, holy.” ‘The books that we read most on Sunday—for no secular book was allowed—were Mant’s Bible with pictures, which were explained by my mother, and a book of Martyrs with dreadful pictures; Bunyan’s _Pilgrim’s Progress_, with the outline drawings, and a number of tracts, such as Parley the Porter, and stories of good and bad children. ‘An aunt, my godmother, lived with us, and was often my friend in my childish troubles. I shall not speak much of the governesses we had in succession, because they left but little impression on my inner life, nor need I speak of all my brothers and sisters, except so far as they come into my inner life. The strongest influence was that of my sister Eliza. We were constantly together. She had a very lively imagination, and on most nights would tell me stories that she had invented. Early in the mornings she would transform our bedroom into some wild magic scene, and we would play at Alexander the Great, and ride Pegasus on the foot of our four-post bedstead. I remember now how Mangnall furnished her with mental pictures of heathen gods, which were cut out in paper and painted. London children had no outdoor games.’[9] The elder daughters were at first educated by daily governesses. Dorothea said that among her earliest reminiscences about 1840 were those relating to the choice of a governess. ‘My mother advertised and hundreds of answers were sent. She began by eliminating all those in which bad spelling occurred (a proceeding which as a spelling reformer I must now condemn), next the wording and composition were criticised, and lastly a few of the writers were interviewed and a selection was made. But alas! an inspection of our exercise-books revealed so many uncorrected faults, that a dismissal followed, and another search resulted in the same way. I can remember only one really clever and competent teacher; she had been educated in a good French school and grounded us well in the language.’[10] Memory preserves the name—Miss Wright—of the lady who earned this word of praise. When she left, the girls were sent to school.