22 A Century of Family Letters [CHAP, i 



can see. I have been trying the plan of working for an hour 

 before breakfast, and find it succeeds admirably. I jump 

 up (following Sir W. Scott's rule, for, as he says, once turn 

 on your side and all is over), at 8, and breakfast at 10, so 

 that I get rather more than an hour, and begin again at 11 

 quite fresh. You see I quote Sir W. Scott. I am reading 

 in the evenings at the Athenaeum his life, and am in the 

 sixth volume. I never read anything so interesting as his 

 diary, and yet somehow I do not feel much reverence, or 

 even affection towards him, excepting to be sure, when he 

 is talking about Johnnie, his grandson. I am well off for 

 books, for I have a second in hand there almost more in- 

 teresting, and that is poor Mungo Park's travels, which I 

 never read before. It is enough to make one angry to 

 think that having escaped once, he would return again: 

 and yet to a man possessing the coolness under danger 

 which Park had, I can fancy nothing so intensely inter- 

 esting as exploring such a wonderful country : it is a strange 

 mixture our love of excitement and tranquillity. . . . 



I wish the awful day was over. I am not very tranquil 

 when I think of the procession: it is very awesome. By 

 the bye, I am glad to say the 24th is on a Thursday, so we 

 shall not be married on an unlucky day. I have been very 

 extravagant and ordered a great many new clothes. Mr 

 Stewart wanted me to have a blue coat and white trousers, 

 but I vowed I would only put on clothes in which I could 

 travel away decently. I want you very much to come and 

 take charge of the purse strings as I have already bought 

 several things which I do not much want. . . . 



You tell me to mention when I received your last letter : 

 it came on Friday, the day after it was written. Good night 

 and good-bye, my dearest. 



Monday morning. Fanny has just called. She has made 

 enquiries about the cook, whom Sarah recommended, and 

 has decided she is the best, and therefore has agreed to take 

 her at 14. 14. 0. per year with tea and sugar. 



The Hensleighs have strongly urged me to send the odious 

 yellow curtains to the dyers at once, and have them stained 



