1817] Sarah on Friendship 107 



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more serious thing than it is to you ; with me, I may almost 

 say, it is the only thing. I must be happy in friendship or 

 do without happiness. I do not mean " or be unhappy," 

 because I have found more than once that by changing 

 myself from a feeling to a thinking being, I can go on 

 pretty well, but I am unfortunately subject to relapses. 

 What a friend I could make out of two of mine. If I could 

 add the agreeableness, the charming and interesting qualities 

 of Mrs S. 1 to the fine understanding and excellent and high 

 qualities of heart and soul of Anne Caldwell, and if this 

 superb creature would condescend to be my friend, I should 

 think I had found such a treasure as the world never saw. 

 But the gods are as likely to annihilate space and time to 

 make two lovers happy, as to work the miracle that I desire 

 at their hands. 



Anne has been spending some time with me lately, and 

 I have had a great deal of writing intercourse with her 

 besides. The result of a more thorough knowledge of her 

 has been an increased love and admiration of her. I don't 

 think people in general are aware of the very great superi- 

 ority of her understanding; I know you are, so I am not 

 afraid of saying to you what I think of her. Besides her 

 understanding, I have a great admiration of her wisdom. 

 I don't mean that she is able always to act wisely herself, 

 but she has a great deal of wisdom when she is not led astray 

 by her feelings, or nerves, or anything of that sort. One 

 thing that I value very particularly in her as a companion, 

 is that I have never any thought or feeling de trop in my 

 intercourse with her. With almost everybody one feels, 

 ' This part of my heart and mind and soul finds an answering 

 heart, mind and soul in this person, but there is another 



1 Mary Ann Schimmelpennick (1778 1856) was a daughter of 

 Samuel Galton, and cousin of Sir Francis Galton. As a girl she had 

 the character of a mischief-maker, and one of her relations declared 

 she had been the means of breaking off thirteen engagements. 

 She also made false statements about Dr Erasmus Darwin, which are 

 published in her Life, and contradicted in Charles Darwin's Life of 

 Erasmus Darwin. But she afterwards became a most virtuous, 

 religious, and learned lady. She wrote on the " Theory of Beauty," 

 and on the " History of Port Koyal." 



