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Southall, Eliza

"A Brief Memoir with Portions of the Diary, Letters, and Other Remains, of Eliza Southall, Late of Birmingham, England"

It was growing dark, but we
could just read on the plain slate head-stone the sole
inscription, "William Wordsworth."
* * * But I cannot make you fully imagine these
scenes, so varied, so picturesque. How little pleasure I
had in anticipating this journey, while those formidable
things lay between! The thought of the mountains
seemed not worth a straw, and now looking back to only
this day week is wonderful. Home still smiles upon
me like a lake that catches a sunbeam; and sometimes
I feel truly thankful that the way that I knew not has
led me here. * * *
The thought of seeing you is bright indeed.
Thy loving daughter,
ELIZA.
To her Sister.
LODORE INN, 5th of 9th Month, 1851.
MY BELOVED M.:--
* * * I am glad to say that we still have very fine
weather. At Keswick we were planning how we could
see Frederick Myers, but that evening his widow was
returning to the parsonage with her three fatherless
children, and we could only look on the family vault in
the lovely churchyard, the school-room, library, etc.,
and think of his anticipations, now no doubt so happily
realized, of the "'well done,' which it will be heaven to
hear." A fine black storm hung over Skiddaw and
Saddleback, and _such_ a rainbow spanned it. The western
sky was full of the sunset, and the lake lay in lovely
repose beneath.


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