I comfort myself with the belief that your nature is less rebellious under trouble than mine—less craving and discontented.
Resignation to trial, which can never have a personal compensation, is a part of our life task which has been too much obscured for us by unveracious attempts at universal consolation. I think we should be more tender to each other while we live, if that wretched falsity which makes men quite comfortable about their fellows' troubles were thoroughly got rid of.
Letter to Miss Sara Hennell, 22d Jan. 1864.
I often imagine you, not without a little longing, turning out into the fields whenever you list, as we used to do in the old days at Rosehill. That power of turning out into the fields is a great possession in life—worth many luxuries.
Here is a bit of news not, I think, too insignificant for you to tell Cara. The other day Mr. Spencer, senior (Herbert Spencer's father), called on us, and knowing that he has been engaged in education all his life, that he is a man of extensive and accurate knowledge, and that, on his son's showing, he is a very able teacher, I showed him Cara's "British Empire." Yesterday Herbert Spencer came, and on my inquiring told me that his father was pleased with Cara's book, and thought highly of it. Such testimonies as this, given apart from personal influence and by a practised judge, are, I should think, more gratifying than any other sort of praise to all faithful writers.
Journal, 1864.
Jan. 30.—We had Browning, Dallas, and Burton to dine with us, and in the evening a gentlemen's party.
Feb. 14.—Mr. Burton dined with us, and asked me to let him take my portrait.
Letter to Mrs. Peter Taylor, 3d March, 1864.
It was pleasant to have news of you through the fog, which reduces my faith in all good and lovely things to its lowest ebb.