Her imagination is painfully active; I'm afraid it causes her a great deal of misery.

The other day I found her in tears, and what do you think was the reason ?--she had been reading in some history about a poor fellow who was persecuted for his religion in Charles the First's time--some dissenter who got into the grip of Laud, was imprisoned, and then brought to destitution by being forbidden to exercise each calling that he took to in hope of earning bread.

The end was, he went mad and died.

Lilian was crying over the story; it made her wretched for a whole day." "Rather morbid, that, I'm afraid." "I don't know; most of us would be better for a little of such morbidness.

You mustn't suppose that fiction would have the same effect on her--not at all.