MY DEAR FRIEND,--Whether from the mere intensity of the heat, and the restless, almost sleepless, nights in consequence, or from incautious exposure to draughts; or whether simply the change of air and the sea bath was repairing the intestinal canal (and bad indeed must the road be which is not better than a _road a-mending_, a _hint which our revolutionary reformers_ would do well to attend to) or from whatever cause, I have been miserably unwell for the last three days--but last night passed a tolerably good night, and, finding myself convalescent this morning, I bathed, and now am still better, having had a glorious tumble in the waves, though the water is still not cold enough for my liking. The weather, however, is evidently on the change, and we have now a succession of flying April showers, and needle rains. My bath is about a mile and a quarter from the Lime Grove, a wearisome travail by the deep crumbly sands, but a very pleasant breezy walk along the top of the cliff, from which you descend through a deep steep lane cut through the chalk rocks. The tide comes up to the end of the lane, and washes the cliff, but a little before or a little after high-tide there are nice clean seats of rock with foot-baths, and then an expanse of sand, greater than I need; and exactly a hundred of my strides from the end of the lane there is a good, roomy, arched cavern, with an oven or cupboard in it, where one's clothes may be put free from the sand.... I find that I can write no more if I am to send this by the to-day's post. Pray, _if_ you can with _any sort_ of propriety, do come down to me--to us, I suppose I ought to say. We are all as should be [Greek: But monstrousli phormal]....
DEAR MADAM,--I wish from my very heart that you could teach me to express my obligations to you with half the grace and delicacy with which you confer them! But not to the Giver does the evening cloud indicate the rich lights, which it has received and transmits and yet retains. For _other_ eyes it must glow: and what it cannot _return_ it will strive to _represent_, the poor proxy of the gracious orb which is departing. I would that the simile were less accurate throughout, and with those of Homer's lost its likeness as it approached to its conclusion! This, I fear, is somewhat too selfish; but we cannot have attachment without fear or grief.