Part 20 (1/2)

I wrote to you to Dr Parr's; you take no notice of my letter

Previous to your departure, I requested you not to tor the day of your return undecided But whatever tenderness you took aith you seems to have evaporated on the journey, and new objects and the hoar minds restored you to your icy philosophy

You tell me that your journey could not take less than three days, therefore, as you were to visit Dr D[arwin] and Dr P[arr], Saturday was the probable day You saw neither, yet you have been a week on the road I did not wonder, but approved of your visit to Mr Bage But a _shohich you waited to see, and did not see, appears to have been equally attractive I auess how you could have been fro froht, and the chance of your not co, shows so little consideration, that unless you suppose ot to think, as well as to feel, since you have been on the wing I aht

Thisduration The ”little rift” in their case never widened to make their life-music mute Godwin returned to London, his love in nowise di and doubts were cos were after all not due to any change in his affections, nor to the slightest suspicion of satiety By writing long letters with careful description of everything he saw and did, he was treating Mary as he would have desired to be treated himself His ”icy philosophy,” which , but it was incomparably better than the warmth of a man like Imlay, as too indifferent as to the individuality of the object of his dehtness of Godwin precluded all possibility of infidelity, and once Mary's first disappointn of his coldness was over, her confidence in him was unabated After this short interruption to their semi-domestic life, they both resumed their old habits Their separate establishments were still kept up, their social ah Mary, because of the condition of her health, could not now enter into thean to pass between them These were as a, the familiar friendly style of this curious correspondence is not in the least i how far she was fro her husband's opinion when her own reason was opposed to it, and also in giving an idea of the esteem in which she was held socially:--

June 25, 1797

I know that you do not like ht in the principle, but a little wrong in the present application

When I lived alone, I always dined on a Sunday with co, if not at dinner, at St P[aul's with Johnson], generally also of a Tuesday, and some other day at Fuseli's

I like to see new faces as a study, and since my return from Norway, or rather since I have accepted of invitations, I have dined every third Sunday at Twiss's, nay, oftener, for they sent for o, becausewas noisy of a Sunday, and Mr S's house and spirits were so altered, thatme

I am, then, you perceive, thrown out of my track, and have not traced another But so far fro to obtrude on yours, I had written to Mrs Jackson, and mentioned Sunday, and am now sorry that I did not fix on to-day as one of the days for sitting for o without ceremony, but it is not convenient for me at present to make haphazard visits

Should Carlisle chance to call on you this , send him to me, but by himself, for he often has a companion with him, which would defeat my purpose

The second note is even _, July 3, 1797

Mrs Reveley can have no doubt about to-day, so we are to stay at ho to keep you quite to myself--I hope nobody will call!--andof a favorite song of my poor friend fanny's: ”In a vacant rainy day, you shall be whollyyour accusto to say to you

But a short period of happiness now remained to theust, and she awaited that event with noand hen fanny was born

She considered woinative than to physical causes, and her health through the past fewailood

There was really no reason for her to fear the consequences Both she and Godwin looked forith pleasure to the arrival of their first son, as they hoped the child would prove to be

She was taken ill early on Wednesday ust, and sent at once for Mrs Blenkinsop, -in Hospital Godwin says that, ”influenced by ideas of decoruht to have no place, at least in cases of danger, she determined to have a woman to attend her in the capacity ofwith her character that the engagement of Mrs Blenkinsop was due, not so much to motives of decorum as to her desire to uphold women in a sphere of action for which she believed them eminently fitted Godent as usual to his roos Mary specially desired that he should not remain in the house, and to reassure hi the course of theThese have no counterpart in the whole literature of letters They are, in their way, unique:

Aug 30, 1797

I have no doubt of seeing the aniuess at the hour I have sent for her Pray send me the newspaper I wish I had a novel or some book of sheer amusement to excite curiosity and while away the ti 30, 1797

Mrs Blenkinsop tellsis in a fair way, and that there is no fear of the event being put off till another day Still _at present_ she thinks I shall not immediately be freed from my load I am very well Call before dinner-tie fro 30, 1797

Mrs Blenkinsop tells me I am in the most natural state, and can promise me a safe delivery, but that I ht at twenty minutes after eleven, the child--not the Williahter, afterwards to be Mrs

Shelley--was born Godas now sitting in the parlor beloaiting the, as he never doubted, happy end But shortly after two o'clock he received the alarer He went inard, physician to the Westminster Hospital, who hastened to the assistance of Mrs Blenkinsop, and by eight o'clock the nextexpressed a wish to see Dr Fordyce, as her friend as well as a prominent physician, Godwin sent for hi on the part of Dr Poignard Dr Fordyce was very well satisfied with her condition, and later, in the afternoon,advocate, that Mrs Godwin ”had had a wo extremely well” For a day or two Godas so anxious that he did not leave the house; but Mary's progress seehly satisfactory, and on Sunday he ith a friend to pay soton, and did not return until dinner-ti was a sad one Mary had beenillness had worried because of his long absence He did not leave her again, for fro Sunday, the physicians could give him but the faintest shadow of a hope

The week that intervened was long and suffering for the sick wo for the watcher Every possible effort was made to save her; and if medical skill and the devotion of friends could have availed, she must have lived Dr Fordyce and Dr Clarke were in constant attendance Mr--afterwards Sir--Anthony Carlisle, who had of his own accord already called once or twice, was su, September 6, and remained by her side until all was over Godwin never left her rooht be better able to attend to her slightest wants His loving care during these miserable days could not have been surpassed Mary, had she been the nurse, and he the patient, could not have been more tender and devoted But his curious want of sentiment, and the eminently practical bent of his mind, manifested theiven an anodyne to quiet her wellnigh unendurable pain, the relief that folloas so great that she exclaimed to her husband, ”Oh, Godwin, I aan Paul says, ”even at that moment Godwin declined to be entrapped into the admission that heaven existed” His immediate reply was, ”You mean, my dear, that your physical sensations are soood true friends, nursed her and took charge of the sick-rooue, Mr Marshal, and Mr Dyson established theht be ready and on hand for any eency It is in the hour of trouble that friendshi+p receives its strongest test Mary's friends, when it ca,” Godwin says, ”could exceed the equanimity, the patience, and affectionateness of the poor sufferer I entreated her to recover; I dith tre fondness on every favorable circumstance; and, as far as it was possible in so dreadful a situation, she, by her smiles and kind speeches, rewarded ht of her illness she told hiony had she not been deterhout her sickness she was considerate of those around her Her ruling passion was strong in death