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business, and a greater variety of domestic troubles 
than usually falls to one’s lot at one time. 
We were hindered coming down hither at first 
by the two servants whom we leave here in our ab- 
sence being seized with typhus fever: they could 
not join us for a considerable time after our arrival. 
This confused the regularity of our house, and 
gave us no small trouble, and some expense. As 
soon as we were all set to rights in this respect, my 
housekeeper’s husband, a healthy young active man, 
was suddenly seized with a swelling in his thigh and 
leg, so that his clothes were obliged to be cut away 
to free him from them: this makes her very un- 
easy, and paralyses her services. My coachman’s 
wife, who keeps our house in Berners Street, and 
has been expecting to be confined all this month; a 
person has come down from London and told him 
she is very ill, so that this keeps him upon the fret. 
Then the other night, Mrs. Goodenough’s maid, a 
nice delicate young woman, fell down suddenly in 
a fit, and has not been thoroughly herself or useful 
since. One of my labourers has just lost his cow, 
and he has a sonin arapid decline. To add to all, 
our letter-carrier is taken suddenly ill; so that I 
have nothing to hear but complaints, and nothing 
to see but moping figures. A pretty picture this 
of domestic inconveniences ! ; 
Lady Melville the other day gave me a very fine 
pot of Gloxinia speciosa. How like the flower was 
to Digitalis, at first sight. The cold begins to 
pinch it. Iam very much afraid that when I go 
away, it will go the way of all flesh, z. ¢. die. It is 
