Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

TRIBULATIONS. 435
delay, but for despair, which are extremely charac-
teristic of the man :
—
T. JDe Quincey to W. Blackioood.
Nov. 20, Saturday Morning, 5 o'clock.
I am conscious that I do not stand in any very favourable
position for any request of any kind, as the writer of an article
still unfinished ; and I have but little time indeed to state the
case, and lastly, I am not even sure that it will be of any use
to me to succeed under circumstances apparently so hopeless.
But, however, considering that any delay at this moment will
bring two days more of delay (to-morrow being Sunday), and
also having some wish to discharge to the letter a promise that
I made some days ago, though holding out but little benefit to
anybody, I shall explain my situation briefly before I go for a
few hours to bed. Some days ago (and to that circumstance
almost entirely, though in a very small degree to the sudden
derangement of my plan by the resignation of Ministers, you
must ascribe my backwardness in my article) I received a
letter from my wife. . . . Now, if you inquire what there is
distressing in her situation, I answer not much, beyond what
is purely imaginary. The main grievance I suppose to be this
the person at whose house she and her children have lodgings
— a woman, and apparently coarse -minded and vulgar — has
children of her own. Disputes, such as occasionally arise
among children, have, I suppose, arisen. The mistress of the
house has taken part, as people of that rank, you know, always
do, with her own children—wrong or right. My servants, on
the other hand, have taken part with my children—no doubt
also whether wrong or right. I fear ill-blood ; and the woman,
having no other means of expressing her spite, and no doubt
expecting that her arrears cannot be paid on demand (though
in fact not much is due), has grown insolent, and perhaps has
said things that make it painful to continue in her house ; and
unfortunately there happens to be no other in that neighbourhood
where lodgings can be obtained. Such, according to my
impression collected from my Wife's letters, is the extent of the
evil. To combat her views and intentions I have for the last
three days—Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, precisely the
: