oydon and
Kingston, which will be much pleasanter than any
other way; but he is decidedly for Clapham and
Battersea. God bless you all!

Yours affectionately,
J. A.

I flatter myself that _itty Dordy_[80] will not
forget me at least under a week. Kiss him for me.

Steventon: Saturday [October 27, 1798].

We arrived here yesterday between four and five,
but I cannot send you quite so triumphant an
account of our last day's journey as of the first
and second. Soon after I had finished my letter
from Staines, my mother began to suffer from the
exercise or fatigue of travelling, and she was a
good deal indisposed.

* * * * *

James called on us just as we were going to tea,
and my mother was well enough to talk very
cheerfully to him before she went to bed. . . . They
[James and Mary] were to have dined here to-day,
but the weather is too bad. I have had the
pleasure of hearing that Martha is with them.
James fetched her from Ibthorp on Thursday, and
she will stay with them till she removes to
Kintbury.

I am very grand indeed; I had the dignity of
dropping out my mother's laudanum last night. I
carry about the keys of the wine and closet, and
twice since I began this letter have had orders to
give in the kitchen. Our dinner was very good
yesterday and the chicken boiled perfectly tender;
therefore I shall not be obliged to dismiss Nanny
on that account.

* * * * *

Your letter was chaperoned here by one from Mrs.
Cooke, in which she says that _Battleridge_[81] is
not to come out before January, and she is so
little satisfied with Cawthorn's dilatoriness that
she never means to employ him again.

Mrs. Hall, of Sherborne, was brought to bed
yesterday of a dead child, some weeks before she
expected, owing to a fright. I suppose she
happened unawares to look at her husband.

There has been a great deal of rain here for this
last fortnig