s, the old Brooks and Houses, are still there;
but the Population has marched away, almost all; it is not there
any more. I cannot enter into light talk with the survivors and
successors; I withdraw into silence, and converse with the old
dumb crags rather, in a melancholy and abstruse manner.--Thank
God, my good old Mother is still there; old and frail, but still
young of heart; as young and strong _there,_ I think, as ever.
It is beautiful to see affection survive where all else is
submitting to decay; the altar with its sacred fire still
burning when the outer walls are all slowly crumbling; material
Fate saying, "_They_ are mine!"--I read some insignificant Books;
smoked a great deal of tobacco; and went moping about among the
hills and hollow water-courses, somewhat like a shade in Hades.
The Gospel which this World of Fact does preach to one differs
considerably from the sugary twaddle one gets the offer of in
Exeter-Hall and other Spouting-places! Of which, in fact, I am
getting more and more weary; sometimes really impatient. It
seems to me the reign of Cant and Spoonyism has about lasted long
enough. Alas, in many respects, in this England I too often feel
myself sorrowfully in a "minority of one";--if in the whole
world, it amount to a minority of two, that is something! These
words of Goethe often come into my mind, _"Verachtung ja Nicht-
achtung."_ Lancashire, with its Titanic Industries, with its
smoke and dirt, and brutal stupor to all but money and the five
mechanical Powers, did not excite much admiration in me;
considerably less, I think, than ever! Patience, and shuffle
the cards!

The Book on Cromwell is not to come out till the 22d of this
month. For many weeks it has been a real weariness to me; my
hope, always disappointed, that now is the last time I shall have
any trade with it. Even since I began writing, there has been an
Engraver here, requiring new indoctrination,--poor fellow! Nay,
in about ten days it _must_ be over: let us not complain. I
feel it well to be worth _nothing,_ except for the little
fractions or intermittent fits of pious industry there really
were in it; and my one wish is that the human species would be
pleased to take it off my hands, and honestly let me hear no more
about it! If it please Heaven, I will rest awhile still, and
then try something better.

In three days hence, my Wife and I are off to the Hampshire coast
for a winter visit to kind