The sun., 1899-03-12

| might You may force me to feel: but
you cannot force me TO think contrary to my
FIRST thought ~ that IL were better for you
to forget me at once In one relation. And. II bet
ter for vou, can IL be bad for me7 which fiinGs
me down on the stone pavement OF the To-
gicians,"
It is in a letter postmarked Nov IL. 1S45.
that Browning reviews the whole story OF his
love. which. as lie frankly owns. had not been
| awakened by the reading OF her poetry. but
rather by his correspondence with her. Such
had been the effect OF this correspondence that
his love. as we have seen. was full grown before
he had once seen her. Always remember
mover wrote to you, all the years. on the
strength OF your poetry. though constantly
heard OF you through Mr.. X. and was near
seeing you once. and might have easily
availed myself OF his Intervention to
commend any letter to your notice. so
as to reach you out of the foolish
| crowd OF rushers-in upon genius who
| come and eat their bread and cheese on the
high altar. and talk of reverence without one
OF its surest instincts-never quiet till they cut
| their initials on the cheek OF the Medicean
| Venus to prove they worship her. My admira-
ton. rs said. went Its natural way In silence;
| but when. on my return to England In Decem-
| Der. late In the month. Mr.. X. sent those Poems
to my sister. and l read my name there: and
when. day or two after. met him and began
to speak my mind on them. and getting on no
| better than should now, said. quite naturally:
III were to torite this now p And he insured me
with his perfect kindness. you would be even
| 'pleased to hear from mo under those circum
| stances nay for will tell you all In
this. in everything-when he wrote me q note
! soon after TO reassure me on this point
Then did write, on account Of rnv purely per-
| sonat obligation, though. OF course. taking that
| occasion to allude to the general and customary
| delight In your works: / did write. on the
| whole. unwilngly with conscious
ness of having to speak on subject which I
felt thoroughly concerning. and could not
| be satisfied with imperfect expression
| Of" Browning even acknowledges that. at
| that time. he was scheming how to get
| done with England and 20 to Italy. whittier
his heart drew him. But" he continues.
now. my love. am round you. My
whole life is wound up and down and over you
feel you stir everywhere. l am not
conscious OF thinking or feeling but about you
with some reference to you-so l will live. SO
| may diel And you have blessed me beyond
\ the bond. in more than in giving me yourself
| to love: inasmuch as you believed me from the
| first What you called dream work
| teas real Of its kind. did you not think? And
now you believe me- believe, and am
happy in what write with my heart full
| OF love for you. Why do you tell me OF
| doubt. as now. and bid me not clear II up. not
| answer you? Have I done wrong In thus an
| swering? Never never do me direct nrono and
| hide for moment from me what a word can
| explain. as now. You see. you thought II but
| for moment. l loved your intellect-or what
| predominates in your poetry and is most dis
| tinct from your heart-better. or as well as you
did you not? And I have told you every
| thing-explained everything. have mott And
| now will dare; yes. dearest. kiss YOU back to
| my heart again; my own. There-and there"
| There is a legend that. in every love affair.
| there comes moment when the lover sues for
a lock OF hair. The moment came to Browning
| on Nov. "a. 1S45. What. Miss Barrett had
| queried. did not a love like his deserve? "I'll
| toll you," he answers. what II does deserve.
| and what 1t shall get Give me. dearest beyond
| expression. what have always dared to think
| would ask you for one day! Give me-wait-
| for your own sake. not mine. who never.
never dream OF being worth such a gift,
but for your own sense OF justice. and 10
| say. so as my heart shall hear. that you were
wrong and are no longer SO. give me SO
much Of you-all precious that you areas
may be given in lock OF your hair-I will
live and die with It. and with the memory OF
you-this at the iCorSH II you give me what
beg-shall say next Tuesday when leave
you. will not speak word II you do not.
will not think you unjust for all my light words.
but will pray you to wait and remember me
| one day-when the power to deserve moro
may be greater = *never the will. God sup
plies all things: may He bless you. beloved!
So can but pray. kissing your hand" The
boon was not denied to the petitioner. But
he did not get it the next day; another day
Moreover. it had to be paid for-paid for in
kind. as the following extracts from two
OF Miss Barretts letters show. The first
is dated Nov. "A: II never gave away
what you ask me to give vou to a human be-
ing, except my nearest relatives and once or
twice or thrice to female friends. never.
though reproached for 1t; and it is Just three
weeks since said last to an asker that was
too great prude for such thing' 1t was
| best to anticipate the accusation land. prude
or not. / could not-I never could-son,ethino
would not let me- And now what am to do,
for my own sake and not yours?' Should you
have it or notp Why. suppose yes. suppose
that for my own sense Of justice and In order
toshow that was wrong (which Ia wronG-you
wrote a wrong word there right you ]
| meantl to show that was right and am no
| longer So suppose you must have it. oh,
! You.' who have your way In everything
| Which does not mean-Oh. rous qui arpx
to,Jours raison-far from it, Also which does
| not mean that I shall give you what you ask
ior, ,to-morTon-Decause L snail not-and one
| OF my conditions Is with all others to follow
| that not ,oord be said tomorrow. you under
stand. Some day will send it. perhaps. as you
kne,c should-ah. as you knew should not
| withstandinR that getting up. that imitation
OF humility: as you knew too we'll should!"
| The next letter is postmarSed three
days later: Now you must not blame
| me-you must not. To make a prom
ise Is one thing and to keep it quite
another: and the conclusion you see as from
tower Suppose l had an oath In heaven
somewhere near to coma Berenices.' never
| To give you what you ask forl Would not
| such an oath be stronger than mere half
| promise such as / sent you few days ago Ad-
| init that 1t would-and that am not to blame
for saying now asten y that nerer can nor ,oiu
0ire you this hin0:-only that I will. II you
| please. exchange 1t for another thIng-you
understand l. too will avoid beinp asanm