Ixx MEMOIR 



do very well for Protestants in some parts. Then I made a 

 little nursery of Borecole and Enfield market cabbage, grubbing 

 in wet earth with leggings and gray coat on. Then I tidied up 

 the coach-house to my own and Christine's admiration. Then 

 encouraged by bouts-rimes I wrote you a copy of verses ; high 

 time I think ; I shall just save my tenth year of knowing my 

 lady love without inditing poetry or rhymes to her. 



' Then I rummaged over the box with my father's letters and 

 found interesting notes from myself. One I should say my first 

 letter, which little Austin I should say would rejoice to see and 

 shall see with a drawing of a cottage and a spirited " cob." 

 What was more to the purpose, I found with it a paste-cutter 

 which Mary begged humbly for Christine and I generously gave 

 this morning. 



' Then I read some of Congreve. There are admirable scenes 

 in the manner of Sheridan ; all wit and no character, or rather 

 one character in a great variety of situations and scenes. I 

 could show you some scenes, but others are too coarse even for 

 my stomach hardened by a course of French novels. 



* All things look so happy for the rain. 



1 Nov. 16. Verbenas looking well. ... I am but a poor 

 creature without you ; I have naturally no spirit or fun or enter- 

 prise in me. Only a kind of mechanical capacity for ascertaining 

 whether two really is half four, etc. ; but when you are near me 

 I can fancy that I too shine, and vainly suppose it to be my 

 proper light ; whereas by my extreme darkness when you are 

 not by, it clearly can only be by a reflected brilliance that I 

 seem aught but dull. Then for the moral part of me : if it 

 were not for you and little Odden, I should feel by no means 

 sure that I had any affection power in me. . . . Even the 

 muscular me suffers a sad deterioration in your absence. I 

 don't get up when I ought to, I have snoozed in my chair after 

 dinner ; I do not go in at the garden with my wonted vigour, and 

 feel ten times as tired as usual with a walk in your absence ; so 

 you see, when you are not by, I am a person without ability, 

 affections or vigour, but droop dull, selfish and spiritless ; can 

 you wonder that I love you ? 



