alk and song, a most brilliant woman,
and noble. She must be saddened since then, poor thing, by her father's
death. Tell me if it is true that Harriet Martineau has seceded again
from her atheism? We heard so the other day. Dearest Mrs. Martin, do
write to me; and do, both of you, remember me, and think of both of us
kindly. With Robert's true regards,

I am your as ever affectionate
BA.

Tell me dear Mr. Martin's mind upon politics--in the Austrian and
Prussian question, for instance. We have no fears, in spite of Dr.
Cumming and the prophets generally, of ultimate results.

* * * * *

_To Miss Mitford_

Florence: December 11, 1854.

I should have written long ago, my dearest Miss Mitford, to try to say
half the pleasure and gratitude your letter made for me, but I have
been worried and anxious about the illnesses, not exactly in my family
but nearly as touching to me, and hanging upon posts from England in a
painful way inevitable to these great distances....

I understand that literature is going on flaggingly in England just now,
on account of nobody caring to read anything but telegraphic messages.
So Thackeray told somebody, only he might refer chiefly to the fortunes
of the 'Newcomes,' who are not strong enough to resist the Czar. The
book is said to be defective in story. Certainly the subject of the war
is very absorbing; we are all here in a state of tremblement about it.
Dr. Harding has a son at Sebastopol, who has had already three horses
killed under him. What hideous carnage! The allies are plainly
numerically too weak, and the two governments are much blamed for not
reinforcing long ago. I am discontented about Austria. I don't like
handshaking with Austria; I would rather be picking her pocket of her
Italian provinces; and, while upon such civil terms, how _can_ we? Yet
somebody, who professes to know everything, told somebody at Paris, who
professes to tell everything, that Louis Napoleon and Lord Palmerston
talked much the other day about what is to be done for Italy; and here
in Italy we have long been all opening our mouths like so many young
thrushes in a nest, expecting some 'worme small' from your Emperor. Now,
if there's an Austrian alliance instead!...

Do you hear from Mr. Kingsley? and, if so, how is his wife? I am reading
now Mrs. Stowe's 'Sunny Memories,' and like the naturalness and
simplicity of the book much, in spite of the provincialism of the