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for Stella's sake alone that they were penned。〃 Not so。 〃MD〃 never
stands for Stella alone。 And the editor does not yet live who shall
persuade one honest reader； against the word of Swift； that Swift
loved Stella only； with an ordinary love； and not； by a most
delicate exception； Stella and Dingley； so joined that they make the
〃she〃 and 〃her〃 of every letter。 And this shall be a paper of
reparation to Mrs。 Dingley。
No one else in literary history has been so defrauded of her
honours。 In love 〃to divide is not to take away；〃 as Shelley says；
and Dingley's half of the tender things said to MD is equal to any
whole； and takes nothing from the whole of Stella's half。 But the
sentimentalist has fought against Mrs。 Dingley from the outset。 He
has disliked her； shirked her； misconceived her； and effaced her。
Sly sentimentalisthe finds her irksome。 Through one of his most
modern representatives he has but lately called her a 〃chaperon。〃 A
chaperon！
MD was not a sentimentalist。 Stella was not so； though she has been
pressed into that character； D certainly was not； and has in this
respect been spared by the chronicler； and MD together were 〃saucy
charming MD；〃 〃saucy little； pretty； dear rogues；〃 〃little monkeys
mine；〃 〃little mischievous girls；〃 〃nautinautinautidear girls；〃
〃brats；〃 〃huzzies both；〃 〃impudence and saucy…face；〃 〃saucy noses；〃
〃my dearest lives and delights；〃 〃dear little young women；〃 〃good
dallars； not crying dallars〃 （which means 〃girls〃）； 〃ten thousand
times dearest MD；〃 and so forth in a hundred repetitions。 They are；
every now and then； 〃poor MD；〃 but obviously not because of their
own complaining。 Swift called them so because they were mortal； and
he； like all great souls； lived and loved； conscious every day of
the price； which is death。
The two were joined by love； not without solemnity； though man； with
his summary and wholesale ready…made sentiment； has thus obstinately
put them asunder。 No wholesale sentiment can do otherwise than
foolishly play havoc with such a relation。 To Swift it was the most
secluded thing in the world。 〃I am weary of friends； and
friendships are all monsters； except MD's；〃 〃I ought to read these
letters I write after I have done。 But I hope it does not puzzle
little Dingley to read； for I think I mend： but methinks；〃 he adds；
〃when I write plain； I do not know how； but we are not alone； all
the world can see us。 A bad scrawl is so snug； it looks like PMD。〃
Again： 〃I do not like women so much as I did。 MD； you must know；
are not women。〃 〃God Almighty preserve you both and make us happy
together。〃 〃I say Amen with all my heart and vitals； that we may
never be asunder ten days together while poor Presto lives。〃
〃Farewell； dearest beloved MD； and love poor； poor Presto； who has
not had one happy day since he left you； as hope saved。〃
With themwith herhe hid himself in the world； at Court； at the
bar of St。 James's coffee…house； whither he went on the Irish mail…
day； and was 〃in pain except he saw MD's little handwriting。〃 He
hid with them in the long labours of these exquisite letters every
night and morning。 If no letter came； he comforted himself with
thinking that 〃he had it yet to be happy with。〃 And the world has
agreed to hide under its own manifold and lachrymose blunders the
grace and singularitythe distinctionof this sweet romance。
〃Little； sequestered pleasure…house〃it seemed as though 〃the many
could not miss it；〃 but not even the few have found it。
It is part of the scheme of the sympathetic historian that Stella
should be the victim of hope deferred； watching for letters from
Swift。 But day and night Presto complains of the scantiness of MD's
little letters； he waits upon 〃her〃 will： 〃I shall make a sort of
journal； and when it is full I will send it whether MD writes or
not； and so that will be pretty。〃 〃Naughty girls that will not
write to a body！〃 〃I wish you were whipped for forgetting to send。
Go； be far enough； negligent baggages。〃 〃You； Mistress Stella；
shall write your share； and then comes Dingley altogether； and then
Stella a little crumb at the end； and then conclude with something
handsome and genteel； as ‘your most humble cumdumble。'〃 But Scott
and Macaulay and Thackeray are all exceedingly sorry for Stella。
Swift is most charming when he is feigning to complain of his task：
〃Here is such a stir and bustle with this little MD of ours； I must
be writing every night； O Lord； O Lord！〃 〃I must go write idle
things； and twittle twattle。〃 〃These saucy jades take up so much of
my time with writing to them in the morning。〃 Is it not a stealthy
wrong done upon Mrs。 Dingley that she should be stripped of all
these ornaments to her name and memory？ When Swift tells a woman in
a letter that there he is 〃writing in bed； like a tiger；〃 she should
go gay in the eyes of all generations。
They will not let Stella go gay； because of sentiment； and they will
not let Mrs。 Dingley go gay； because of sentiment for Stella。 Marry
come up！ Why did not the historians assign all the tender passages
（taken very seriously） to Stella； and let Dingley have the jokes；
then？ That would have been no ill share for Dingley。 But no；
forsooth； Dingley is allowed nothing。
There are passages； nevertheless； which can hardly be taken from
her。 For now and then Swift parts his dear MD。 When he does so he
invariably drops those initials and writes 〃Stella〃 or 〃Ppt〃 for the
one； and 〃D〃 or 〃Dingley〃 for the other。 There is no exception to
this anywhere。 He is anxious about Stella's 〃little eyes；〃 and
about her health generally； whereas Dingley is strong。 Poor Ppt； he
thinks； will not catch the 〃new fever；〃 because she is not well；
〃but why should D escape it； pray？〃 And Mrs。 Dingley is rebuked for
her tale of a journey from Dublin to Wexford。 〃I doubt； Madam
Dingley； you are apt to lie in your travels； though not so bad as
Stella； she tells thumpers。〃 Stella is often reproved for her
spelling； and Mrs。 Dingley writes much the better hand。 But she is
a puzzle…headed woman； like another。 〃What do you mean by my fourth
letter； Madam Dinglibus？ Does not Stella say you had my fifth；
goody Blunder？〃 〃Now； Mistress Dingley； are you not an impudent
slut to except a letter next packet？ Unreasonable baggage！ No；
little Dingley； I am always in bed by twelve； and I take great care
of myself。〃 〃You are a pretending slut； indeed； with your ‘fourth'
and ‘fifth' in the margin； and your ‘journal' and everything。 O
Lord； never saw the like； we shall never have done。〃 〃I never saw
such a letter； so saucy； so journalish； so everything。〃 Swift is
insistently grateful for their inquiries for his health。 He pauses
seriously to thank them in the midst of his prattle。 Both women
MDare rallied on their politics： 〃I have a fancy that Ppt is a
Tory； I fancy she looks like one； and D a sort of trimmer。〃
But it is for Dingley separately that Swift endured a wild bird in
his lodgings。 His man Patrick had got one to take over to her in
Ireland。 〃He keeps it in a closet； where it makes a terrible
litter； but I say nothing； I am as tame as a clout。〃
Forgotten Dingley； happy in this； has not had to endure the
ignominy； in a hundred essays； to be retrospectively offered to
Swift as an unclaimed wife； so far so good。 But two hundred years
is long for her to have gone stripped of so radiant a glory as is
hers by right。 〃Better； thanks to MD's prayers；〃 wrote the immortal
man who loved her； in a private fragment of a journal； never meant
for Dingley's eyes； nor for Ppt's； nor for any human eyes； and the
rogue Stella has for two centuries stolen all the credit of those
prayers； and all the thanks of that pious benediction。
SOLITUDE
The wild man is alone at will； and so is the man for whom
civilization has been kind。 But there are the multitudes to whom
civilization has given little but its reaction； its rebound； its
chips； its refuse； its shavings； sawdust and waste； its failures； to
them solitude is a right foregone or a luxury unattained； a right
foregone； we may name it； in the case of the nearly savage； and a
luxury unattained in the case of the nearly refined。 These has the
movement of the world thronged together into some blind by…way。
Their share in the enormous solitude which is the common； unbounded；
and virtually illimitable possession of all mankind has lapsed；
unclaimed。 They do not know it is theirs。 Of many of their
kingdoms they are ignorant； but of this most ignorant。 They have
not guessed that they own for every man a space inviolate； a place
of unhidden liberty and of no obscure enfranchisement。 They do not
claim even the solitude of closed corners； the narrow privacy of the
lock and key； nor could they command so much。 For the solitude that
has a sky and a horizon they know not how to wish。