feel, however, to be in suspense, or only enough
to keep our plans to ourselves. We have been
obliged to explain them to our young visitors, in
consequence of Fanny's letter, but we have not yet
mentioned them to Steventon. We are all quite
familiarised to the idea ourselves; my mother only
wants Mrs. Seward to go out at Midsummer.

What sort of a kitchen garden is there? Mrs. J. A.
expresses her fear of our settling in Kent, and,
till this proposal was made, we began to look
forward to it here; my mother was actually talking
of a house at Wye. It will be best, however, as it
is.

* * * * *

I hope your sorrowing party were at church
yesterday, and have no longer _that_ to dread.
Martha was kept at home by a _cold, but I went
with my two nephews, and I saw Edward was much
affected by the sermon, which, indeed, I could
have supposed purposely addressed_ to the
afflicted, if the text had not naturally come in
the course of Dr. Mant's[185] observations on the
Litany: 'All that are in danger, necessity, or
tribulation,' was the subject of it. The weather
did not allow us afterwards to get farther than
the quay, where George was very happy as long as
we could stay, flying about from one side to the
other, and skipping on board a collier
immediately.

In the evening we had the Psalms and Lessons, and
a sermon at home, to which they were very
attentive; but you will not expect to hear that
they did not return to conundrums the moment it
_was over_.

While I write now, George is most industriously
making and naming paper ships, at which he
afterwards shoots with horse-chestnuts, brought
from Steventon on purpose; and Edward equally
intent over the _Lake of Killarney_, twisting
himself about in one of our great chairs.

* * * * *

_Tuesday._--The day began cheerfully, but it is
not likely to continue what it should, for them or
for us. _We had a little water party_ yesterday; I
and my two nephews went from the Itchen Ferry up
to