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

LETTERS. 95
She could not stand being taken no notice of. So she
swung her little fat person over the back of her seat,
to the imminent peril of falling, and began to poke
at him, calling out, "BBoy! boy! " HIe completely
withdrew her attention from me. But I could n't
help watching her, she was such a funny little impersonation of human nature. I fell to moralizing,
thinking to myself what a cheerful world it would
be if we all ignored ranks and sexes and sects and
barriers of all sorts, and went about with open palin
outstretched to everybody, saying, "How do?" If
we could only do that, the world's answer would
always be, 1" Mart."
TO SISS LUJCY OSGOOD.
WAYLAND, 1858.
I was just about answering your welcome letter,
when that overwhelming blow 1 came suddenly, and
for a time seemed to crush all life and hope out of
me. Nothing but the death of my kind husband
could have caused me such bitter grief. Then came
your. precious letter of sympatlly and condolence. I
thanked you for it, from the depths of my suffering
heart; but I did not feel as if I could summon energy
to write to any but the bereaved ones of his own
household. You know that he was a valuable friend
to me, but no one but myself could know how valuable. For thirty years he has been my chief reliance. In moral perplexities I always went to him
for counsel, and he never failed to clear away every
cloud. In all worldly troubles I went to him, and
always found a judicious adviser, a sympathizing
friend, a generous helper. He was only two months
1 Death of Ellis Gray Loring.