286 THE JOURNEYMAN. 



could be happy enough -without it. So much for the 

 great disturbers of human life avarice and ambition, 

 and the thirst of praise. My desires were not tall 

 enough to penetrate into those upper regions which they 

 haunt ; I was too low for them, and for the inferior 

 petty disturbers of men's happiness I was as certainly 

 too high. Love, for instance, I could have nothing to 

 fear from. I knew myself to be naturally of a cool 

 temperament ; and, then, were not my attachments to 

 my friends so many safety-valves ! Besides, no woman 

 of taste could ever love me, for I was ugly and awkward ; 

 and as I could love only a woman of taste, and could 

 never submit to woo one to whom I was indifferent, my 

 being ugly and awkward was as an iron wall to me. 

 No, no, I had nothing to fear from love. My own dear 

 L , only see how much good philosophy you have 

 spoiled. I am not now indifferent to wealth or power 

 or place in the world's eye. I would fain be rich, that 

 I might render you comfortable ; powerful, that I might 

 raise you to those high places of society which you are 

 so fitted to adorn celebrated, that the world might 

 justify your choice. I never think now of building the 

 little house or of being happiest in solitude ; and if my 

 life is to be one of celibacy, it must be one of sorrow 

 also, of heart-wasting sorrow for but I must not 

 think of that/ 



One other letter upon this subject we must not omit. 

 It was addressed by Miller to Mrs Fraser. 



' Cromarty, Nov. 2, 1833. 



1 MY DEAR MADAM, 



c I trust ingratitude is not among the number 

 of my faults. But how render apparent the sense I 

 entertain of your kindness in so warmly interesting 



