set in Virginia, and begged me to convey
his respectful compliments to my lady-mother. Mr. R. is a short fat man,
with little of the fire of genius visible in his eye or person.

"My aunt and my cousin, the Lady Maria, desire their affectionate
compliments to you, and with best regards for Mountain, to whom I
enclose a note, I am,--Honoured madam, your dutiful son, H. ESMOND
WARRINGTON."

Note in Madam Esmond's Handwriting,

"From my son. Received October 15 at Richmond. Sent 16 jars preserved
peaches, 224 lbs. best tobacco, 24 finest hams, per Royal William of
Liverpool, 8 jars peaches, 12 hams for my nephew, the Rt. Honourable
the Earl of Castlewood. 4 jars, 6 hams for the Baroness Bernstein, ditto
ditto for Mrs. Lambert of Oakhurst, Surrey, and 1/2 cwt. tobacco.
Packet of Infallible Family Pills for Gumbo. My Papa's large silver-gilt
shoe-buckles for H., and red silver-laced saddle-cloth."

II. (enclosed in No. I.)

"For Mrs. Mountain.

"What do you mien, you silly old Mountain, by sending an order for your
poor old divadends dew at Xmas? I'd have you to know I don't want your
7l. 10, and have toar your order up into 1000 bitts. I've plenty of
money. But I'm obleaged to you all same. A kiss to Fanny from--Your
loving HARRY."

Note in Madam Esmond's Handwriting

"This note, which I desired M. to show to me, proves that she hath a
good heart, and that she wished to show her gratitude to the family, by
giving up her half-yearly divd. (on L500 3 per ct.) to my boy. Hence
I reprimanded her very slightly for daring to send money to Mr. E.
Warrington, unknown to his mother. Note to Mountain not so well spelt as
letter to me.

"Mem. to write to Revd. Mr. Sampson desire to know what theolog. books
he reads with H. Recommend Law, Baxter, Drelincourt.--Request H. to say
his catechism to Mr. S., which he has never quite been able to master.
By next ship peaches (3), tobacco 1/2 cwt. Hams for Mr. S."

The mother of the Virginians and her sons have long long since passed
away. So how are we to account for the fact, that of a couple of letters
sent under one enclosure and by one packet, one should be well spelt,
and the other not entirely orthographical? Had Harry found some
wonderful instructor, such as exists in the present lucky times, and
who would improve his writing in six lessons? My view of the case, after
deliberately examining the two notes, is this: No. 1, in which there
appears a trifling grammatical sl