hat_ does not signify; Martha comes, and a ball
there is to be. I think it will be too early in her mother's absence
for me to return with her.

'_Sunday Evening_.--We have had a dreadful storm of wind in the fore
part of this day, which has done a great deal of mischief among our
trees. I was sitting alone in the dining-room when an odd kind of
crash startled me--in a moment afterwards it was repeated. I then
went to the window, which I reached just in time to see the last of
our two highly valued elms descend into the Sweep!!!! The other,
which had fallen, I suppose, in the first crash, and which was the
nearest to the pond, taking a more easterly direction, sunk among our
screen of chestnuts and firs, knocking down one spruce-fir, beating
off the head of another, and stripping the two corner chestnuts of
several branches in its fall. This is not all. One large elm out of
the two on the left-hand side as you enter what I call the elm walk,
was likewise blown down; the maple bearing the weathercock was broke
in two, and what I regret more than all the rest is, that all the
three elms which grew in Hall's meadow, and gave such ornament to it,
are gone; two were blown down, and the other so much injured that it
cannot stand. I am happy to add, however, that no greater evil than
the loss of trees has been the consequence of the storm in this place,
or in our immediate neighbourhood. We grieve, therefore, in some
comfort.

'I am yours ever,
'J. A.'

The next letter, written four days later than the former, was addressed
to Miss Lloyd, an intimate friend, whose sister (my mother) was married
to Jane's eldest brother:--

'Steventon, Wednesday evening, Nov. 12th.

'MY DEAR MARTHA,

'I did not receive your note yesterday till after Charlotte had left
Deane, or I would have sent my answer by her, instead of being the
means, as I now must be, of lessening the elegance of your new dress
for the Hurstbourne ball by the value of 3_d_. You are very good in
wishing to see me at Ibthorp so soon, and I am equally good in wishing
to come to you. I believe our merit in that respect is much upon a
par, our self-denial mutually strong. Having paid this tribute of
praise to the virtue of both, I shall here have done with panegyric,
and proceed to plain matter of fact. In about a fortnight's time I
hope to be with y