'when we went to bed she [Sewell's mother] would go upstairs with us and read to us whilst we were being undressed, because she did not like us to run the risk of being frightened by ghost stories told by the nursery-maids, as she had been once frightened herself. I can recall now the pleasure with which (taking my turn with my sisters) I used to jump up into her lap and listen whilst she read to us "Anson's Voyages", or "Lemrier's Tour to Morocco", or the "History of Montezuma". When she had finished, we all, kneeling around her, said our prayers and went to bed happy.'