Memoir of the Chisholm

228 HIS FEELINGS TOWARDS
ercise towards his Roman Catholic neighbours.
His mother, acting as his almoner during his
attendance upon Parliament, was in the habit
of distributing his weekly charities to the
poor, several of whom came from the adjoin-
ing estate of Lord Lovat, who is a Roman
Catholic. Information had been conveyed
to her of his Lordship's intention, — an inten-
tion arising, probably, from some mistake, or
else erroneously reported to her, — that no part
of his charities, distributed in the parish, should
be given to the poor on the Chisholm estate.
Upon hearing this, acting under the feelings
of the moment, and in a different spirit, as
she acknowledges, from that which afterwards
actuated her son, she wrote to Lord Lovat to
say that, in such case, she should withhold
her son's accustomed charities from the poor
of his lordship's property. On further reflec-
tion, however, she thought it right, before she
sent the letter, to send a copy of it to her son ;
— and the following is his reply.
" London, Feb. 19th, 1838.
" My dearest Mother, — I really wish
you not to send the letter, of which you have