John Stuart Mill: A Criticism with Personal Recollections

BAD ILLNESS OF 1836. 43
the face. Of the inner consciousness corresponding, we have
suggestive indications in the family letters of the time. The
earliest allusion to his state is contained in his father s first
letter to James in India.
"
John is still in a rather pining way ;
though, as he does not choose to tell the cause of his pining, he
leaves other people to their conjectures." This shows that
he had ceased to give his father his confidence both in bodily
and in mental matters. His medical adviser sent him, in the
first instance, to Brighton. A letter from thence addressed to
Henry at home date not given, but probably near the time
of his father s letter says :
"
There seems to be a change
considerably for the better in my bodily
state within the last
three days ; whether it will last, I cannot yet tell ; nor do I
know whether the place has contributed towards it, as the more
genial weather of yesterday and to-day is probably
the chief
cause." He then says that he will continue his stay if the
improvement goes on, but is reluctant to be long absent, partly
on account of his father s illness and partly on account of his
Mary and George". He trusts to Henry to keep
tutoring
"
him informed on the state of matters, and if he can be of any
use to his father, he will forego the present advantages and
trust to getting well as the summer advances. In a letter,
dated yth May, from Henry to James in India, occurs a further
"
allusion. There is a new visitor added to the list of young
men who come here, a Dr. King, whom John consults about
his
"
health (he afterwards married the eldest daughter, but
soon left her a widow). John
"
is certainly ill, but nothing,
every one assures us, to be frightening himself about". The
father s death occurred soon after (23rd June), and, on the 2pth
"
of July, Henry wrote : We are all well in health, except
George
John and myself John from his old complaint."
"
and I are going to the continent with John, who has got leave
of absence from the India House for three months, on plea of
ill-health." In this letter is a postscript
"
John has honoured
me with the present of a watch that was given to my father by