tionality.

Will you report the success here to Mr. Forster with my love, and tell
him he shall hear from me by next mail?

Dolby sends his kindest regards. He is just come in from our ticket
sales, and has put such an immense untidy heap of paper money on the
table that it looks like a family wash. He hardly ever dines, and is
always tearing about at unreasonable hours. He works very hard.

My best love to your aunt (to whom I will write next), and to Katie, and
to both the Charleys, and all the Christmas circle, not forgetting
Chorley, to whom give my special remembrance. You may get this by
Christmas Day. _We_ shall have to keep it travelling from Boston here;
for I read at Boston on the 23rd and 24th, and here again on the 26th.

[Sidenote: Miss Hogarth.]

WESTMINSTER HOTEL, IRVING PLACE, NEW YORK CITY,
_Monday, Dec. 16th, 1867._

We have been snowed up here, and the communication with Boston is still
very much retarded. Thus we have received no letters by the Cunard
steamer that came in last Wednesday, and are in a grim state of mind on
that subject.

Last night I was getting into bed just at twelve o'clock, when Dolby
came to my door to inform me that the house was on fire (I had
previously smelt fire for two hours). I got Scott up directly, told him
to pack the books and clothes for the readings first, dressed, and
pocketed my jewels and papers, while Dolby stuffed himself out with
money. Meanwhile the police and firemen were in the house, endeavouring
to find where the fire was. For some time it baffled their endeavours,
but at last, bursting out through some stairs, they cut the stairs away,
and traced it to its source in a certain fire-grate. By this time the
hose was laid all through the house from a great tank on the roof, and
everybody turned out to help. It was the oddest sight, and people had
put the strangest things on! After a little chopping and cutting with
axes and handing about of water, the fire was confined to a dining-room
in which it had originated, and then everybody talked to everybody else,
the ladies being particularly loquacious and cheerful. And so we got to
bed again at about two.

The excitement of the readings continues unabated, the tickets for
readings are sold as soon as they are ready, and the public pay treble
prices to the speculators who buy them up. They are a wonderfully fine
audience, even better than Edin