TUESDAY

DEAREST,

I FEEL CERTAIN THAT I AM GOING MAD AGAIN: I FEEL WE CAN'T GO THROUGH ANOTHER OF THOSE TERRIBLE TIMES.  AND I SHAN'T RECOVER THIS TIME.  I BEGIN TO HEAR VOICES, AND I CAN'T CONCENTRATE.  SO I AM DOING WHAT SEEMS THE BEST THING TO DO.  YOU HAVE GIVEN ME THE GREATEST POSSIBLE HAPPINESS.  YOU HAVE BEEN IN EVERY WAY ALL THAT ANYONE COULD BE.  I DON'T THINK TWO PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN HAPPIER TILL THIS TERRIBLE DISEASE CAME.  I CAN'T FIGHT ANY LONGER.  I KNOW THAT I AM SPOILING YOUR LIFE, THAT WITHOUT ME YOU COULD WORK.  AND YOU WILL I KNOW.  YOU SEE I CAN'T EVEN WRITE THIS PROPERLY.  I CAN'T READ.  WHAT I WANT TO SAY IS I OWE ALL THE HAPPINESS OF MY LIFE TO YOU.  YOU HAVE BEEN ENTIRELY PATIENT WITH ME AND INCREDIBLY GOOD.  I WANT TO SAY THAT - EVERYBODY KNOWS IT.  IF ANYBODY COULD HAVE SAVED ME IT WOULD HAVE BEEN YOU.  EVERYTHING HAS GONE FROM ME BUT THE CERTAINTY OF YOUR GOODNESS.  I CAN'T GO ON SPOILING YOUR LIFE ANY LONGER.  

I DON'T THINK TWO PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN HAPPIER THAN WE HAVE BEEN.  

V.

- VIRGINIA WOOLF, IN HER FINAL LETTER TO HER HUSBAND LEONARD, 28TH MARCH 1941.

"...AS IF TO CATCH THE FALLING DROP, CLARISSA...PLUNGED INTO THE VERY HEART OF THE MOMENT, TRANSFIXED IT, THERE - THE MOMENT OF THIS JUNE MORNING ON WHICH WAS THE PRESSURE OF ALL THE OTHER MORNINGS, SEEING THE GLASS, THE DRESSING-TABLE, AND ALL THE BOTTLES AFRESH, COLLECTING THE WHOLE OF HER AT ONE POINT...SEEING THE DELICATE PINK FACE OF THE WOMAN WHO WAS THAT VERY NIGHT TO GIVE A PARTY; OF CLARISSA DALLOWAY; OF HERSELF."

- VIRGINIA WOOLF, 'MRS DALLOWAY' (1925)

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HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I FELT LIKE THIS?

MRS. WOOLF KNOWS HER STUFF.