ve done. "Tell Murray," he said,
"I am very much obliged to him." It is long since he has sent a message
to friend or relation.

Now let me say for myself that I am very thankful to _you_--very
thankful to my indulgent reviewer--and that if I could yet feel interest
about anything of my own writing, I should be pleased and encouraged by
his encomium--as well as grateful for it. But if it did _not sound
thanklessly_, I should say, "too late--too late--it comes too late!"
and that bitter feeling came upon me so suddenly, as my eyes fell upon
the passage in question, that they overflowed with tears before it was
finished.

But he _did take interest in_ it, at least for a few moments, and so it
was not _quite_ too late; and (doing as I _know he would have me)_, I
shall act upon your most _kind_ and _friendly_ advice, and transmit it
to Blackwood, who will, I doubt not, be willingly guided by it.

It was one of my husband's pleasant visions before our marriage, and his
favourite prospect, to publish a volume of poetry conjointly with me,
not weighing the disproportion of talent.

I must tell you that immediately on receiving the _Review_, I should
have written to express my sense of your kindness, and of the flattering
nature of the critique; but happening to _tell_ Miss Southey and her
brother that you had sent it me, as I believed, as an obliging personal
attention, they assured me I was mistaken, and that the numbers were
only intended for "their set." Fearing, therefore, to arrogate to myself
more than was designed for me, I kept silence; and now expose _my
simplicity_ rather than _leave_ myself _open_ to the imputation of
unthankfulness. Mr. Southey desires to be very kindly remembered to you,
and I am, my dear Sir,

Very thankfully and truly yours, Car. Southey.

P.S.--I had almost forgotten to thank you for so kindly offering to send
the _Review_ to any friends of mine, I may wish to gratify. I _will_
accept the proffered favour, and ask you to send one addressed to Miss
Burnard, Shirley, Southampton, Hants. The other members of my family and
most of my friends take the _Q.R._, or are sure of seeing it. This last
number is an excellent one.

Southey died on March 21, 1843. The old circle of friends was being
sadly diminished. "Disease and death," his old friend Thomas Mitchell,
one of the survivors of the early contributors to the _Quarterly_, wrote
to Murray, "seem to be making no small havoc among our litera