judgment gave me. The truth is that I have been very unwell, and delayed answering it immediately until the painful physical feeling went away to make room for the pleasurable moral one -- and this I fancied it would do every hour, so that I might be able to tell you at ease all that was in my thoughts. The fancy was a vain one. The pain grew worse and worse, and Dr. Chambers has been here for two successive days shaking his head as awfully as if it bore all Jupiter's ambrosial curls; and is to be here again to-day, but with, I trust, a less grave countenance, inasmuch as the leeches last night did their duty, and I feel much better -- God be thanked for the relief. But I am not yet as well as before this attack, and am still confined to my bed -- and so you must rather imagine than read what I thought and felt in reading your wonderful note. Of course it pleased me very much, very very much -- and, I dare say, would have made me vain by this time, if it had not been for the opportune pain and the sight of Dr. Chambers's face.
I sent a copy of my book to Nellie Bordmanbefore I read your suggestion. I knew that her kind feeling for me would interest her in the sight of it.
Thank you once more, dear Mr. Boyd! May all my critics be gentle after the pattern of your gentleness!
Believe me, affectionately yours,
E. B. BARRETT.
50 Wimpole Street: June 17 [1838].
My dear Friend, -- I send you a number of the 'Atlas' which you may keep. It is a favorable criticism, certainly -- but I confess this of my vanity, that it has not altogether pleased me. You see what it is to be spoilt.
As to the 'Athenæum,' although I am not conscious of the quaintness and mannerism laid to my charge, and am very sure that I have always written too naturally (that is,
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