ne or two to lie happily in. I
don't mind giving you this tease, for the throat will be better the
less you remember it. But for all of us, a dark sky is assuredly a
poisonous and depressing power, which neither surgery nor medicine can
resist. The difference to me between nature as she is now, and as she
was ten years ago, is as great as between Lapland and Italy, and the
total loss of comfort in morning and evening sky, the most difficult
to resist of all spiritual hostility.

* * * * *

_22d May, 1886._

Of course the little pyramid in crystal is a present. With that
enjoyment of Pinkerton,[40] you will have quite a new indoors interest,
whatever the rain may say.

How very lucky you asked me what basalt was! How much has come out of
it (written in falling asleep)! I've been out all the morning and am
_so_ sleepy.

But I've written a nice little bit of "Praeterita" before I went out,
trying to describe the Rhone at Geneva. I think Susie will like it, if
nobody else.

That "not enjoying the beauty of things" goes ever so much deeper than
mere blindness. It is a form of antagonism, and is essentially
Satanic. A most strange form of demonology in otherwise good people,
or shall we say in "good people"? You know _we_ are not good at all,
are we now?

I don't think you've got any green in your mica. I've sent you a bit
inclosed with some jealous spots in.

[Footnote 40: Pinkerton on "Petralogy."]

* * * * *

_26th November, 1886._

_Do_ you know how to make sugar candy? In my present abject state the
only way of amusing myself I can hit on is setting the girls of the
school to garden and cook! By way of beginning in cooking I offered to
pay for any quantity of wasted sugar if they could produce me a
crystal or two of sugar candy. (On the way to Twelfth cakes, you know,
and sugar animals. One of Francesca's friends made her a life-size
Easter lamb in sugar.) The first try this morning was brought me in a
state of sticky jelly.

And after sending me a recipe for candy, would you please ask Harry to
look at the school garden? I'm going to get the _boys_ to keep that in
order; but if Harry would look at it and order some mine gravel down
for the walks, and, with Mr. Brocklebank's authority (to whom I have
spoken already), direct any of the boys who are willing to form a
c