WINGED MINDS AND CLIMBING MINDS. 417 



They can but climb upwards ; and, resting in succession 

 on every one of the thousand ledges which lie between 

 the summit and the plain below, gain only half a footstep 

 at each advance. How many miserable lines did I not 

 write before I became sufficiently skilful to produce 

 merely tolerable ones ! Favour me at your earliest op- 

 portunity with your critical opinion, and write it in such 

 a way, though freely and with sincerity, that I may show 

 your letter to the fair authoress, with whom I am suffi- 

 ciently intimate to know that she has too much good 

 sense to be offended with truths, however severe, which 

 tend to her improvement. I dare say I ought not to tell 

 you, for fear of biassing your judgment, that you are 

 much a favourite with her, and that when she waited oji 

 you at Torres it was less on my account, the ostensible 

 reason, than in consequence of an interest awakened in 

 her on your own. I trust that in your present season of 

 leisure you will occasionally think of me, and that your 

 interesting autobiographical memoir is still incomplete. 

 Shall I return you the first part, or have you recovered 

 your own copy of it ? ' 



The lines enclosed to Mr Strahan were addressed by 

 Miss Eraser to her friend Miss Smith, on the occasion 

 of the departure of the latter from this country for 

 America. 



* Bella, we part ; between us two 

 A desert ocean soon shall lie ; 

 From childhood's home and love you go, 

 The stranger's love and home to try. 



' Oh ! it is hard to sunder us, 



So tenderly, so closely twined, 

 From all that's dear to turn the eyes, 

 And leave the spirit's joys behind. 

 VOL. i. 27 



