In a Letter to B.F. Esq. at Sydney, Ne of a letter from t be to you in t strange one to ed, I feel some compunctious visitings at my long silence. But, indeed, it is no easy effort to set about a correspondence at our distance. ters betion. It is difficult to conceive retc. It is a sort of presumption to expect t ones ts s is like ing for posterity: and reminds me of one of Mrs. Roions, quot;Alcander to Strep; Co-Angel is no more t in sucercourse. One drops a packet at Lombard- street, and in ty-four s it as fres came in ice. It is only like . But suppose a tube let do one end, and t t o t of conversation, if you kne t interesting t ake tions of a s passage. Yet for aug primitive idea -- Platos man -- to reckon ourselves.
Epistolary matter usually comprisetopics; neiment, and puns. In tter, I include all non-serious subjects; or subjects serious in t treated after my fas, for ne desirable circumstance, I suppose, is t true. But y can I rut before you get it unaccountably turn into a lie? For instance, our mutual friend P. is at t ing -- my Noion. You are glad to . tural and friendly. But at t reading -- your Noo abate sometransport (i.e. at least considerably to modify it. I am going to to re, I told me, in your land of d---d realities. You naturally lick your lips, and envy me my felicity. t a moment, and you teful emotion. is Sunday morning enses, ts, is in a degree common to all postage. But if I sent you o Bat I ing treat t t you received telligence my full feast of fun ter, as you al palate, for you to foster a portion at least of t my intention to produce. But ten mont upon t only does trutervals, un-essence (ure a crude fiction for t it may ripen into a trut a er I put upon you some t-maid! I remember gravely consulting you o receive o be rejected; and your no less serious replication in tter; enderly you advised an abstemious introduction of literary topics before tion not to be too for matters more elligence; your deliberate judgment, or ratence, s, and mops, could y be introduced as subjects; aking of t manner ruer sense of respect for ills reating Becky omary cial civility paid to Becky as to a person of great te into a ation. ties, I remember, on boto state ed to tenderness of a friend. I laug your solemn pleadings, er my copy, ually instigated our friend (not to trimony, to take it in its truest sense, you ne become ory to you; e, nor indeed care muc of veracity conduct a correspondence at suc; ter (rue present time of t ts.
to sentiment. It fares little better . to be served up ; or sent off in er-plates, t your friend may almost as ime to cool, it is t tasteless of all cold meats. I en smiled at a conceit of te Lord C. It seems t travelling somety green spot, or nook, ically and invitingly over a stream -- ? or a rock ? -- no matter -- but tillness and ter a is likely, in a languid moment of restless life, so took of o lay ural and excusable as a sentiment, and ser in a very pleasing lig it came to be an act; and estamentary disposal, ually carried all t imentalists excepted, t did not ask tion, as solitary, a nook as romantic, a tree as green and pendent, ream as emblematic to , or in Devon? Conceive timent boarded up, freigered at tom artling tide-ers y), ed into a s pa and s of tarpaulin ruffians -- a ts delicate texture -- t bilge ting it till it became as vapid as a damaged lustring. Suppose it in material danger (mariners ition about sentiments) of being tossed over in a freso some propitiatory s of Saint Gotus so foreign to t it ion. trace it to its lucky landing -- at Lyons s tled upon four mens sing at toopping to refres toting a passport ion of tracy in trict, tics in t canton; till at lengt arrives at its destination, tired out and jaded, from a brisk sentiment, into a feature of silly ride or taation. iments, my dear F., I am afraid doe seahy.
Lastly, as to ties, ible in bulk, are ts are, I appreremely circumscribed in tion. ty of being packed up and sent beyond sea, to be transported by o t. tant of triment for tence is tellectual atmospanders or t, is tus, -- er to tion. A pun y ear-kissing smack ; you can no more transmit it in its pristine flavour, t tried in some instances to palm off a yesterdays pun upon a gentleman, and ans but it o it did not seem to come ne did not c a village ale- before, but you resent tale t. t of mercurn. A pun, and its recognitory laug be co-instantaneous. tning, ts interval, and ted from a friends face as from a mirror. visnomy, if tes (not to speak of ts copy?
I cannot image to myself o fix it, Peter ilkinss island comes across me. Sometimes you seem to be in tual fruitless lantern. must you be ime to give for t of an man! You must almost ten ell me, es do? are t property can stand against sucion! tive simplicity un-Europe-tainted, tle s fore-puds, looking like a lesson framed by nature to t! Marry, for diving into fobs t if ters as test loco-motor in t improbable tales at tance. Pray, is it true t tans among you are born must look very odd; but use reconciles. For t is less to be regretted, for if take it into to be poets, it is odds but turn out, ter art of ts. -- Is to see to betaint stop? Do you bleacions? -- I ions to put, but ten Delper time t ake to satisfy my scruples. -- Do you groaple trade, exclusive of tional profession, I mean? Your lock-smitake it, are some of your great capitalists.
I am insensibly cting to you as familiarly as iguous emple. quiet corner ? -- s complement of four poor elms, from s, I picked my first lady-birds! My is as dry as t spring sometimes proves in a ty August, o t is beto render obsolete tters before t s dallying h vain surmise -
Aye me! whe seas and sounding shores hold far away.
Come back, before I am groo a very old man, so as you s c crons, erday, an aged crone. Folks, deat, -- I stood ramparted about ure of J. ., ted my delusion. Since t make e to return, ttle left to greet you, of me, or mine.