you were
there, with a Cough, which you were just going to take with you to Guy's
Cliff. That I thought not very prudent, in the weather we then had. Then
I was told by some one, in a letter (not from any Donne, I think--no,
Annie Ritchie, I believe) that Mrs. Sartoris was very ill; and so between
two probable troubles, I would not trouble you as yet again. I had to go
to London for a day three weeks ago (to see a poor fellow dying, sooner
or later, of Brain disease), and I ferreted out Mowbray Donne from
Somerset House and he told me you were in London, still ill of a Cough;
but not your Address. So I wrote to his Wife a few days ago to learn it;
and I shall address this Letter accordingly. Mrs. Mowbray writes that
you are better, but obliged to take care of yourself. I can only say 'do
not trouble yourself to write'--but I suppose you will--perhaps the more
if it be a trouble. See what an Opinion I have of you!--If you write,
pray tell me of Mrs. Sartoris--and do not forget yourself.

It has been such a mortal Winter among those I know, or know of, as I
never remember. I have not suffered myself, further than, I think,
feeling a few stronger hints of a constitutional sort, which are, I
suppose, to assert themselves ever more till they do for me. And that, I
suppose, cannot be long adoing. I entered on my 71st year last Monday,
March 31.

My elder--and now only--Brother, John, has been shut up with Doctor and
Nurse these two months--AEt. 76; his Wife AEt. 80 all but dead awhile
ago, now sufficiently recovered to keep her room in tolerable ease: I do
not know if my Brother will ever leave his house.

Oh dear! Here is enough of Mortality.

I see your capital Book is in its third Edition, as well it deserves to
be. I _see_ no one with whom to talk about it, except one brave Woman
who comes over here at rare intervals--she had read my Atlantic Copy, but
must get Bentley's directly it appeared, and she (a woman of remarkably
strong and independent Judgment) loves it all--not (as some you know)
wishing some of it away. No; she says she wants all to complete her
notion of the writer. Nor have I _heard_ of any one who thinks
otherwise: so 'some people' may be wrong. I know you do not care about
all this.

I am getting my 'Tales of the Hall' printed, and shall one day ask you,
and three or four beside, whether it had better be published. I think
you, and those three or four others, will like it; but they ma