Letters of Lydia Maria Child, with a biographical introduction by John G. Whittier and an appendix by Wendell Phillips.

LETTERS. 3
effect upon the superstitious mind by being ltft entirely unaccounted for? I should be almost tempted
to leave sober history, and repair to these Scottish
novels for instruction, as well as amusement, were
not the historical views which they afford almost
entirely confined to Scotland. The author seems to
possess great versatility of talent. Almost all the
sciences seem to have had a share of his attention;
and his observations on- human nature seem to be
peculiarly accurate. I think I shall go to Scotland
(you see that my head is fall of rocks and crags and
dark blue lakes; however, you know that I mean-:
Portsmouth) very soon. I always preferred the im —
petuous grandeur of the cataract to the gentle meanderings of the rill, and spite of all that is said about
gentleness, modesty, and timidity in the heroine of a
novel or poem, give Ine the mixture of pathos and.
grandeur exhibited in the character of Meg Merrilies; or the Nwild dignity of Diana Vernon, with all
the freedom of a Highland maiden in her step and in
her eye; or the ethereal figure Annot Lyle, -" the
lightest and most fairy figure that ever trod the turtf
by moonlight;" or even the lofty contempt of life
and danger which, though not unmixed with ferocity,
throws such a peculiar interest around Helen MacGregor.
In life I am aware that gentleness and modesty
form the distinguished ornaments of our sex. But
in descriptiona they cannot captivate the imagination,
nor rivet the attention.
Do you know you have a great many questions to
answer me? Do not forget that I asked you about
the "flaming cherubims," the effects of distance,
horizontal or perpendicular, "Orlando Furioso," and
Lordl Byron.