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 CHAPTER VIII

Private Life in Government House

Besides the public career described in the last preceding chapter, Thomason had to lead a private and individual life in the Government House. He attended to everything in its place and in its season. He would care for duty all round, official, social, domestic, not permitting any one branch to interfere with or hide another.

The day of his assuming charge of the Government, December 12th (1843), was Montgomery's birthday, and he takes this occasion of writing to his brother-in-law, who was then in England. He begins by citing two texts from Proverbs: 'for the Lord giveth wisdom; out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding' — 'trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.' He declares his need of wisdom from above, as well as humility, 'on this great occasion and stirring crisis' of his life. After some remarks on the warlike events just then impending at Gwalior — with which his recent experience as Foreign Secretary rendered him familiar — he concludes by adverting to what was now his own