"That," replied I, "is only one of many evils to which a solitary life exposes us."" - Meaning and context.">
Ch. VII : The Excursion; Helen and Gilbert
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"I have often wished in vain," said she, "for another's judgment to appeal to when I could scarcely trust the direction of my own eye and head, they having been so long occupied with the contemplation of a single object as to become almost incapable of forming a proper idea respecting it."
"That," replied I, "is only one of many evils to which a solitary life exposes us."

— Anne Brontë

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets ""I have often wished in vain," said she, "for another's judgment to appeal to when I could scarcely trust the direction of my own eye and head, they having been so long occupied with the contemplation of a single object as to become almost incapable of forming a proper idea respecting it."
"That," replied I, "is only one of many evils to which a solitary life exposes us."" in the context of "Ch. VII : The Excursion; Helen and Gilbert" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Anne Brontë" (Quotes, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848): Full text at Wikisource) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Anne Brontë

About Anne Brontë

Anne Brontë (17 January 1820 – 28 May 1849) was a British novelist and poet, the youngest sibling of Charlotte and Emily Brontë, who published her works under the pseudonyms Acton Bell. The three women collectively became known as the Brontë sisters.