iddrington Tower,
where there must be two or three sets of victims
already immured under a very fine villain.

* * * * *

_Wednesday._--Charles's rug will be finished
to-day, and sent to-morrow to Frank, to be
consigned by him to Mr. Turner's care; and I am
going to send _Marmion_ out with it--very generous
in me, I think.

Have you nothing to say of your little namesake?
We join in love and many happy returns.

Yours affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.

The Manydown ball was a smaller thing than I
expected, but it seems to have made Anna very
happy. At _her_ age it would not have done for
_me_.

Tuesday [January 17, 1809].

I hope you have had no more illness among you, and
that William will be soon as well as ever. His
working a footstool for Chawton is a most
agreeable surprise to me, and I am sure his
grandmamma will value it very much as a proof of
his affection and industry, but we shall never
have the heart to put our feet upon it. I believe
I must work a muslin cover in satin stitch to keep
it from the dirt. I long to know what his colours
are. I guess greens and purples.

* * * * *

To set against your new novel, of which nobody
ever heard before, and perhaps never may again, we
have got _Ida of Athens_,[197] by Miss Owenson,
which must be very clever, because it was written,
as the authoress says, in three months. We have
only read the preface yet, but her _Irish
Girl_[198] does not make me expect much. If the
warmth of her language could affect the body it
might be worth reading in this weather.

Adieu! I must leave off to stir the fire and call
on Miss Murden.

_Evening._--I have done them both, the first very
often. We found our friend as comfortable as she
can ever allow herself to be in cold weather.
There is a very neat parlour behind the shop for
her to sit in, not very light indeed, being _a la_
Southampton, the middl