BERTHA'S VISIT. 



H. M. S. Phaeton, June 1 7th. 

 MY DEAR MAMMA, 



THOUGH I wrote to you yesterday by the 

 Blossom, which " we spoke," I am tempted by 

 the delightful smoothness of the sea to begin 

 another letter, in order to tell you a little of what 

 I have seen and thought ; but how different 

 from being with you every day from being your 

 companion as well as your child ! I will not, 

 however, say another word about my sorrow at 

 leaving you ; I will try to show that I remember 

 your last words : " affection is best preserved by 

 not yielding to violent feelings." Indeed, I be- 

 lieve I said too much in yesterday's letter of the 

 misery I felt. I now try to console myself with 

 the hope that as your health has been so much 

 better for the last two years, you will soon, per- 

 haps, be able to follow your poor little daughter 

 to England ; and I repeat to myself all the 

 good reasons that you were so kind as to give 



VOL. I. B 



