206 Mary Somerville. 



me, dear Mrs. Somerville, truly your obliged and truly 

 your affectionate friend, 



MARIA EDGEWORTH. 



I have persuaded your dear curly-headed friend, 

 Harriet, to add her own observations; she sends her 

 love to you; and I know you love her, otherwise I would 

 not press her to write her own say. 



FROM MISS JOANNA BAILLIE TO MRS. SOMERVILLE. 



HAMPSTEAD, February lt, 1832. 

 MY DEAR MRS. SOMERVILLE, 



I am now, thank God ! recovered from a very 

 heavy disease, but still very weak. I will not, however, 

 delay any longer my grateful acknowledgments for your 

 very flattering gift of your Preliminary Dissertation. 

 Indeed, I feel myself greatly honoured by receiving such 

 a mark of regard from one who has done more to remove 

 the light estimation in which the capacity of women is 

 too often held, than all that has been accomplished by 

 the whole sisterhood of poetical damsels and novel- 

 writing authors. I could say much more on this subject 

 were I to follow my own feelings ; but I am still so 

 weak that writing is a trouble to me, and I have nearly 

 done all that I am able. 



God bless and prosper you ! 



Yours gratefully and truly, 



J. BAILLIE. 



