ating his bump of destructiveness. I sketch the idea
because (if the present story fails) if you think the _idea_ good I
would try to recast it again. If I send it as it is, it is pretty sure
to come by the Halifax mail next week.... I do miss poor dear old Dr.
Fisher, so! I very much wanted some statistics about toy-making. You
never read anything about the making of common Dutch toys did you?...

_Fredericton_, December 8, 1868.

* * * * *

Tell Mother I think she ought to get _Henry_ Kingsley to write for
_Aunt Judy's Magazine_. The _children_ and the _dogs_ in his novels
are the best part of them. They are utterly first rate! I am sure he
would make a hit with a child and dog story.

I told you that Bishop Ewing had written me such a charming letter,
and sent me a sermon of his? This mail he sent us a number of the
_Scottish Witness_ with "Jerusalem the Golden" in Gaelic in it....

To MRS. GATTY.

_Fredericton, N.B._

Easter Monday, 1869,

* * * * *

You are very dear and good about our ups and downs, and it makes me
doubly regret that I cannot reward you by conveying a perfectly
truthful _impression_ of our life, etc. here to your mind, I trace in
your very dearness and goodness about it, in your worrying more about
discomfort for me in our moves than about your own hopes of our
meeting at Home, how little able one is to do so by mere letters, I
wish it did not lead you to the unwarrantable conclusion that it is
because you are "weak and old" that you do not appreciate the
uncertainties of our military housekeeping, and can only "admire" the
coolness with which I look forward to breaking up our cosy little
establishment, just when we were fairly settled down. You can hardly
believe how well I understand your feelings for me, _because I have so
fully gone through them for myself_. I never had D.'s "spirit" for a
wandering life, and it is out of the fulness of my experience that I
_know_ and wish unspeakably that I could convey to you, how very much
of one's shrinking dread has all the _unreality_ of fear of an
_unknown_ evil. When I look back to all I looked forward to with fear
and trembling in reference to all the strangenesses of my new life, I
understand your feelings better than you think. I am too much your
daughter not to be strongly tempted to "beat my future brow," much
more so than to be over-hopeful. Rex is given that way too in hi