[Postmark: April 28, 1846]
Now bless you, my dearest, best Ba, for this letter that
comes at the eleventh hour, — which means, at 3 o’clock.
Was not I frightened ! I made sure you would write. Why,
our Post emulates the Italian glory . . nay, that is too savage
a saying — for in Venice or Rome I should have to go for this
to the office, and only get it at last through the forbearing
honesty of every other applicant for letters during the day,
or week — since to every man and woman who thrusts his
or her head in at the window at Venice, the clerk hands
coolly over the whole odd hundred, and turns to his rest
again till as many are taken as may be thought necessary.
But, Ba, dear dearest Ba, do you really mean to tell me I
said ‘ that ‘ . . of ‘ transferring feelings ‘ etc ? I hope I did, —
though I cannot imagine how I ever could — say so — for so
the greater fault will be Ba’s — who drives me from one Scylla
(see my critic’s account) into a worse Charybdis through pure
fear and aversion, — and then cries ‘ See where you are now ! ‘
I was retreating as far as possible from that imaginary
‘ woman who called out those feelings,’ — might have called
them out, — just as this April sun of ours makes date-palms
grow and bear — and because I said, of the two hypotheses,
the one which taught you the palms might be transplanted
and live on here, — that was the more rational . . you turn
and ask ‘ So your garden will rear palms.’ Now, I tell
Ba, — no, I will kiss Ba and so tell her.
How happy Miss Bayley’s testimony makes me ! One
never can be too sure of such a happiness. She has no
motive for thus confirming it. You ‘ look so well ‘ — and
she not merely sees it, but acts upon it, — is for deriving a
practical benefit from it, and forthwith. Then, Miss Bayley,
let me try and ‘ transfer ‘ . . ah, the palm is too firmly rooted
in my very heart, — I can but sprinkle you over with yellow
dust !
Oh, Ba ; not to tell me of the League ; the number ! —
will you please tell me ? One letter more I get, do I not ?
Then comes Thursday — my Thursday.
What you style ‘ impertinence ‘ in your Brother, is very
kind and good-natured to my thinking. Well, now —
see the way a newspaper criticism affects one, nearly the
only way ! If this had been an attack — how it would
affect you and me matters nothing — it might affect others dis-
agreeably — and through them, us. So I feel very much
obliged to Forster in this instance.
I kiss you with perfect love, my sweetest best Ba. May
God bless you.
R