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<p>I was struck by the quotation on Drew Shannon's e-mail: "I meant
to write about death, only life came breaking in as usual." --
Virginia Woolf, Diary, 17 February 1922. <br>
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<p>It reminded me of Boswell's account of a conversation between
Samuel Johnson and his "old fellow-collegian" Edwards, in 1778,
given in the <i>Life</i>. In the conversation Edwards remarks:</p>
<p>"You are a philosopher, Dr. Johnson. I have tried too in my time
to be a philosopher; but, I don't know how, cheerfulness was
always breaking in."</p>
<p>Has anyone remarked on this before? Incidentally, in <i>Mrs
Dalloway</i>, it is death that breaks in on the life of the
party . . .<br>
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<p>Jeremy H.<br>
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