THE FAREWELL. 37 



balance anxiety we have the blessings of Hope. The 

 bliss of reunion with those we love, after long absence, 

 has been experienced by most people, and even 

 separation has an occasional charm : — Was it not 

 the very parting with thee, fair Solacer, that made 

 me know I loved thee ? There was a something 

 allied to happiness — (a sad sweetness, I grant,) 

 which I experienced on bidding thee adieu — It was 

 the very luxury of melancholy — I had a sanction to 

 evince my feelings, and an opportunity of observing 

 thine. 



— Not that any thing was brought to a positive 

 conclusion: — I might have married one of the Calais 

 fishwomen, on the following day, without breaking 

 a vow. No declaration was verbally made — not a 

 soft speech uttered. We took a kiss under the 

 sanction of custom ; and wished one another a simple 

 " good bye,'' as ordained by common civility. But, 

 then, (as you well know, Madam,) there is a certain 

 way of doing things — or rather, instinct does them 

 for us in such a manner, as to leave no doubts con- 

 cerning the proper inference to be drawn. 



For mine own part, I could not persuade myself 

 that I was wrong in suffering my wishes to go hand 

 in hand with my hopes — I summoned up my modesty 

 to accuse my demerits — I called forth her charms to 

 arraign my presumption — 'Twas evident I was guilty 

 on both points ; and yet I felt assured that I was 

 condemned on neither : — 



"Then,'' said I, "she must be a weak, indiscrimi- 

 nating, thoughtless creature, to bestow her affections 

 on so unworthy an object as myself ! " — Every iota 

 of the charge was substantiated against her : — but 

 was it for me, who had just benefitted by an unac- 

 countable stretch of mercy, to withhold it in the 

 present instance ? Though palpably guilty, I had 

 been acquitted myself— It was but fair I should acquit 

 her likewise. 



We parted on the deck of the Calais steam boat ; 

 and never surely was a purer flame elicited in so 

 smoky an atmosphere ! — 



