1885-1888] The Grandchildren at Cambridge 



CAMBRIDGE, Feb. 2nd [1886]. 



I enjoyed my outing and walked all about. All the 

 children were a long time in the field flying such a good kite 

 that I could not look high enough for it for some time. We 

 had them to tea and hide-and-seek. Rasmus (set. 3) asked 

 me " Grandmama, did your little children have kites ?" I 

 wonder whether he knows who my little children are. 



THE GROVE, Ap. 30, 1886. 



I am a good deal charmed by Jeffrey's letters; they have 

 some of the taste of Lamb's. The life is dull, as Lord 

 Cockburn cannot resist giving a long character of every 

 one he mentions, and there is that weary Edinburgh Review 

 again. 



CAMBRIDGE, Spring, 1886. 



The oxlips were quite lovely in masses in the wood, 

 and with such variety that they seemed of quite different 

 species. How F. would have liked to see such variation 

 going on. A gamekeeper tried to dislodge them, and after 

 the manner of men, Horace was for packing up and going 

 home at once. But some fair words and H.'s card mollified 

 him and he let them stay, " but they must never come 

 again." 



Every summer my mother used to invite the daughter 

 of her cook, a blind girl, for a month's visit. There were 

 many visitors of this kind, old servants, or the children of 

 present servants. 



[Spring, 1886]. 



The poor blind girl is come and I shall make Mrs Brom- 

 wich bring her up to me see and get to have her a little at 

 ease with me. I should like to hear about her life at the 

 Asylum. . . . 



I shall very soon be fixing my day to come to you, my 

 dear. I have been so " awfully used ' to you lately that I 

 miss you sadly, but I have got through these two days 



