Letter from Katherine Mansfield to Arnold Trowell, dated Sunday July 2, 1907

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“Beloved—

Though I do not see you, know that I am yours—every thought—every feeling in me belongs to you—I wake in the morning and have been dreaming of you—and all through the day, while my outer life is going on steadily—monotonously, even drearily—my inner life I live with you—in leaps and bounds. I go through with you every phase of emotion that is possible—loving you. To me you are man, lover, artist, husband, friend—giving me all— and I surrendering you all—everything—And so this loneliness is not so terrible to me—because in reality my outer life is but a phantom life—a world of intangible, meaningless grey shadow—my inner life pulsates with sunshine and music and happiness— unlimited, vast unfathomable wells of happiness and you. One day we shall be together again and then— and then, only, I shall realise myself—shall come to my own—because I feel—I have always felt—that you hold in your hands—just those closing, final bars which leave my life song incomplete—because you are to me more necessary than anything else. Nothing matters—nothing is while you usurp my life—O—let it remain as it is. Do not suddenly crush out this, the beautiful flower—I am afraid—even while I am rejoicing….

“Kath Schönfeld.”

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Title: Letter from Katherine Mansfield to Arnold Trowell, dated Sunday July 2, 1907

Author: Katherine Mansfield

Quoted in: The Life of Katherine Mansfield

Publication details: Constable and Company Limited, 1933

Part of: New Zealand Texts Collection

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence