COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 215 



"If Jack has not started when you get this pray 

 tell him that the hounds leave the kennels at half-past 

 eight, and that Mr. Harvey's horse shall join his, and 

 stay with them. 



" Yours faithfully, 



" ROSSLYN." 



" EvENLEY Hall, Brackley, 

 " igth September, 1857. 



" My Dear Rosslyn, — 



" Your letter (only) reached me yesterday, 

 and I did not reply by return of post, for, through 

 this house being full of guests, I could not go over to 

 Oxford yet, as I was engaged to go to Bicester, and 

 I thought that when there I might possibly get you 

 some account of S.'s ' black mare,' ' from information 

 that I received ' (as policemen say). I do not think 

 the black mare would be likely to suit you, and I do 

 not think my friend C.S. would be at all a safe card 

 to play ' unsight, unseen * with — at least I should be 

 loathe to trust him. I wish I could help you to 

 a nag, such as you describe, but, alas, I know of 

 none. 



" I regret that your harvest is so much hindered. 

 We have had heavy rains here, but as the corn was 

 nearly housed, and grass kept getting short, it was a 

 great boon to us. Our potatoes have got the small- 

 pox, and I fear it is spreading. 



" Pray remember me most kindly to Jack Thom- 

 son and his handsome wife. ' We ne'er shall look 

 upon their like again ' in this country, for she was the 



