“Dr. Livingstone was very simple and unpretending, and used to be annoyed when he was made a lion of.  Once a well-known gentleman, who was advertised to deliver a lecture next day, called on him to pump him for material.  The Doctor sat rather quiet, and, without being rude, treated the gentleman to monosyllabic answers.  He could do that—­could keep people at a distance when they wanted to make capital out of him.  When the stranger had left, turning to my mother, he would say, ‘I’ll tell you anything you like to ask.’

“He never liked to walk in the streets for fear of being mobbed.  Once he was mobbed in Regent street, and did not know how he was to escape, till he saw a cab, and took refuge in it.  For the same reason it was painful for him to go to church.  Once, being anxious to go with us, my father persuaded him that, as the seat at the top of our pew was under the gallery, he would not be seen.  As soon as he entered, he held down his head, and kept it covered with his hands all the time, but the preacher somehow caught sight of him, and rather unwisely, in his last prayer, adverted to him.  This gave the people the knowledge that he was in the chapel, and after the service they came trooping toward him, even over the pews, in their anxiety to see him and shake hands[50].

     [Footnote 50:  A similar occurrence took place in a church at
     Bath during the meetings of the British Association in 1864]

“Dr. Livingstone usually conducted our family worship.  On Sunday morning he always gave us a text for the day.  His prayers were very direct and simple, just like a child asking his Father for what he needed.

“He was always careful as to dress and appearance.  This was his habit in Africa, too, and with Mrs. Livingstone it was the same.  They thought that this was fitted to secure respect for themselves, and that it was for the good of the natives too, as it was so difficult to impress them with proper ideas on the subject of dress.

“Dr. and Mrs. Livingstone were much attached, and thoroughly understood each other.  The doctor was sportive and fond of a joke, and Mrs. Livingstone entered into his humor.  Mrs. Livingstone was terribly anxious about her husband when he was in Africa, but before others she concealed her emotion.  In society both were reserved and quiet.  Neither of them cared for grandeur; it was a great trial to Dr. Livingstone to go to a grand dinner.  Yet in his quiet way he would exercise an influence at the dinner-table.  He told us that once at a dinner at Lord ——­’s, every one was running down London tradesmen.  Dr. Livingstone quietly remarked that though he was a stranger in London, he knew one tradesman of whose honesty he was thoroughly assured; and if there was one such in his little circle, surely there must be many more.

     “He used to rise early:  about seven he had a cup of tea or
     coffee, and then he set to work with his Writing.  He had not
     the appearance of a very strong man.”