330 THE JOURNEYMAN. 



me : Some of the best of my species do not disdain to 

 be connected to me by this tie ; and with the help of 

 God it is my purpose so to live that their kindness tome 

 shall be no sacrifice.' 



The speculations on the philosophy of evil in the 

 following letter are not without ingenuity, but we have 

 already seen that Miss Eraser, the lady who accompanied 

 Miss Smith in the walk described towards the close, 

 could put the needle-point of her woman's wit and logic 

 with rather startling effect into the prettily coloured 

 balloons which Miller used to fly upon that subject. It 

 seems probable that she pressed him closely on this 

 occasion, and -that the compliments to her sex into 

 which he launches may be viewed partly as a magnanim- 

 ous tribute to her victory. 



' Cromarty, May 21, 1833. 



'What exquisitely lovely evenings this month has 

 given us ! I have just been out among the woods en- 

 joying one of the finest sunsets I ever witnessed and a 

 very pleasing flow of thought besides. The clown in 

 Othello advises the musicians who were serenading his 

 master to put up their pipes unless they could play a 

 kind of music that could not be heard. The very best 

 kind I am acquainted with has this peculiarity ; and I 

 have been delighted with it this evening. The trees all 

 bursting into leaf, the sea, the distant hills, the sky 

 glowing with crimson and orange, a little quiet town, 

 nay, the very heath and moss, and the shapeless blocks 

 of stone that glimmered red to the light in the openings 

 of the wood ; all seemed to me the chords of an im- 

 mense instrument which had but to be awakened by the 

 soul to yield it a sweet music. And I was so happy as 

 to succeed in awakening them. I felt the tranquillity of 

 the scene infused into my mind, and (I may hazard the 



