shed letters, which, I think, add little
to Forster's Account, unless in the way of showing what a good Fellow
Dickens was. Surely it does not seem that his Family were not fond of
him, as you supposed?

I have been to Lowestoft for a week to see my capital Nephew, Edmund
Kerrich, before he goes to join his Regiment in Ireland. I wish you
could see him make his little (six years old) put him through his Drill.
That is worthy of Dickens: and I am always yours sincerely--and I do hope
not just now very illegibly--

LITTLEGRANGE.

LXX.

WOODBRIDGE: _Febr_: 12/80.

MY DEAR MRS. KEMBLE:

A week ago I had a somewhat poor account of Donne from Edith D.--that he
had less than his usually little Appetite, and could not sleep without
Chloral. This Account I at first thought of sending to you: but then I
thought you would soon be back in London to hear [of] him yourself; so I
sent it to his great friend Merivale, who, I thought, must have less
means of hearing about him at Ely. I enclose you this Dean's letter:
which you will find worth the trouble of decyphering, as all this Dean's
are. And you will see there is a word for you which you will have to
interpret for me. What is the promised work he is looking for so
eagerly? {173} Your Records he 'devoured' a Year ago, as a letter of his
then told me; and I suppose that his other word about the number of your
Father's house refers to something in those Records. I am not surprised
at such an Historian reading your Records: but I was surprised to find
him reading Charles Mathews' Memoir, as you will see he has been doing. I
told him I had been reading it: but then that is all in my line. Have
you? No, I think: nor I, by the way, quite half, and that in Vol.
ii.--where is really a remarkable account of his getting into Managerial
Debt, and its very grave consequences.

I hear that Mr. Lowell is coming Ambassador to England, after a very
terrible trial in nursing (as he did) his Wife: who is only very slowly
recovering Mind as well as Body. I believe I wrote all this to you
before, as also that I am ever yours

E. F.G.

I cannot remember Pangloss in Candide: only a Pedant Optimist, I think,
which became the _soubriquet_ of Maupertuis' _Akakia_ Optimism; but I
have not the book, and do not want to have it.

LXXI.

WOODBRIDGE, _March_ 1, [1880.]

MY DEAR LADY,

I am something like my good old friend Bernard Barton, who would
begin--and end--a