tically and socially) cannot be considered
other than generous. It is not quite so by the 'North British,' where
another poet (Patmore), who knows more, is somewhat depreciatory, I
can't help feeling.

Now will you be sick of my literature; but you liked to hear, you said.
If you would see, besides, I would show you what George sent me the
other day, a number of the 'National Magazine,' with the most hideous
engraving, from a medallion, you could imagine--the head of a
'strong-minded' giantess on the neck of a bull, and my name underneath!
Penini said, 'It's not a bit like; it's too old, and _not half so
pretty_'--which was comforting under the trying circumstance, if
anything could comfort one in despair....

Your ever most affectionate
BA.

* * * * *

_To Miss Browning_

[Florence: February 1857.]

My dearest Sarianna,--I am delighted, and so is Robert, that you should
have found what pleases you in the clock. Here is Penini's letter, which
takes up so much room that I must be sparing of mine--and, by the way,
if you consider him improved in his writing, give the praise to Robert,
who has been taking most patient pains with him indeed. You will see how
the little curly head is turned with carnival doings. So gay a carnival
never was in our experience--for until last year (when we were absent)
all masks had been prohibited, and now everybody has eaten of the tree
of good and evil till not an apple was left. Peni persecuted me to let
him have a domino, with tears and embraces; he '_almost never_ in all
his life had had a domino,' and he would like it so. Not a black
domino--no; he hated black--but a blue domino, trimmed with pink! that
was his taste. The pink trimming I coaxed him out of; but for the rest I
let him have his way, darling child; and certainly it answered, as far
as the overflow of joy in his little heart went. Never was such delight.
Morning and evening there he was in the streets, running Wilson out of
breath, and lost sight of every ten minutes. 'Now, Lily, I do _pray_ you
not to call out "Penini! Penini!"' Not to be known was his immense
ambition. Oh, of course he thought of nothing else. As to lessons, there
was an absolute absence of wits. All Florence being turned out into the
streets in one gigantic pantomime, one couldn't expect people to be
wiser indoors than out. For my part, the universal madness reached me
sitting by the fire (whence I had not stirred f