His wife and daughter were about to rejoin him in the autumn, and he
looked forward to settling them at a hired house in York before going
up to town to publish his new volumes. On the 1st of October the two
ladies arrived at York, and the next day the reunited family went on
to Coxwold. The meeting with the daughter gave Sterne one of the
few quite innocent pleasures which he was capable of feeling; and
he writes next day to Mr. and Mrs. James in terms of high pride
and satisfaction of his recovered child. "My girl has returned,"
he writes, in the language of playful affection, "an elegant,
accomplished little slut. My wife--but I hate," he adds, with
remarkable presence of mind, "to praise my wife. 'Tis as much as
decency will allow to praise my daughter. I suppose," he concludes,
"they will return next summer to France. They leave me in a month to
reside at York for the winter, and I stay at Coxwold till the 1st
of January." This seems to indicate a little longer delay in the
publication of the _Sentimental Journey_ than he had at first
intended; for it seems that the book was finished by the end of
November. On the 28th of that month he writes to the Earl of ---- (as
his daughter's foolish mysteriousness has headed the letter), to thank
him for his letter of inquiry about Yorick, and to say that Yorick
"has worn out both his spirits and body with the _Sentimental
Journey_. 'Tis true that an author must feel himself, or his reader
will not" (how mistaken a devotion Sterne showed to this Horatian
canon will be noted hereafter), "but I have torn my whole frame into
pieces by my feelings. I believe the brain stands as much in need of
recruiting as the body; therefore I shall set out for town the 20th of
next month, after having recruited myself at York." Then he adds the
strange observation, "I might, indeed, solace myself with my wife (who
is come from France), but, in fact, I have long been a sentimental
being, whatever your Lordship may think to the contrary. The world