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 a good dinner, a good glass of wine, and revelled in the delights of fine Havana cigars. Indeed, even when Rich- mond was in a state of siege he was never without them." S'* Right beside this I do not think it cruel to put his own letter to soldiers who were starving on half rations and to whom a crust was luxury [italics mine]. by our troops, but this is war, and we cannot hope to conquer our liberties or secure our rights by ease and
 * ' Hardship and exposure will undoubtedly be suffered

On this very point of good eating, however, we must at the same time note the man's kindliness and gentle heart. What he liked he thought others would like and was glad to get it for them, if he could. Thus Mrs. Davis records that at a very good dinner Benjamin seemed ill at ease and confessed that he was thinking how much his brother-in-law, left alone at home, would enjoy some of the delicacies ; whereupon he received a share to take with him and went away contented.

Undeniably, in the matter of relatives Benjamin ap- pears at his best, and his affection and thought for them — thoroughly racial attributes — are pleasant to read about. With his French Catholic wife he did not indeed wholly agree. There was no formal separation or quar- rel. But for the greater part of the time, she lived in Paris and her husband in America. Benjamin's biographer at- tributes this largely to faults of her disposition. Perhaps he is right. But I would give a good deal for Mrs. Ben-

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