LETTER LXXIX 135 



got a little Girl, who already assumes an Apartment to her- 

 self : but if You will give up the White Boom, & take up with 

 such accommodations as our neighbourhood can afford You, Miss 

 White may pass her Criticisms on Mr Eayner's Garden out 

 of the back windows. But You will be so good as to let Us 

 know more punctually the Time You intend to be with Us ; 

 because as We have many acquaintances that do Us the Favour 

 to take a Bed with Us, We may be full at a Time that You make 

 a chance Visit. 



I have been looking over that Copy of Verses which I have 

 in my Possession under the Title of the Invitation, in Order to 

 insert the beautifull Lines which You have added in Honour of 

 your Hermitage, & to alter the two Rhimes which I thought 

 abominable, but I can find no such Lines as begin wth " Oft on 

 some Ev'ning — &e : and I beleive that You sent some to Miss 

 Mulso that are different from what I have by me, which came out 

 of the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The Alteration is exceedingly 

 good, & pleases me more than the last two Lines of the Hermi- 

 tage, because they are more of Nature. 



I met Mr Garrick coming to see me. He thanked me much 

 for my Hints, for there were two : but as I did not like ye last, I 

 beleive I did not mention it to You. He told me he had a Hint 

 of the first from another Gentleman ; but he seems to intend to 

 use but a Part of the Citation, & does not seem to be taken wth 

 what You think is descriptive of his Situation, & which I think 

 so too. 



Our Swallows & Bank Martins have long been dashing into 

 the Aights, as if they had called their Convocation to debate 

 upon departing from so ungenial a Climate as our's has been this 

 Summer. You know You was struck with this Sight last Year.* 

 We have fared but indifferent in the Fruit Way this Season, it 

 has been a wretched one for wall Fruit : However Mrs Mulso 

 has not had such urgent claims upon it as She had then, & we 

 have had enough to satisfy reasonable Creatures. Jenny is 

 already weaned being six months old, but I cannot answer that 

 She will be good Company, as the Affair of Teeth will soon come 

 on ; as yet, She is as quiet a Baby as ever was born, and that is 

 her only Beauty. Her Mother is certainly fond of her, & I hope 

 You will bring Cotton for your Ears, for there is a blessed 

 Tintamar wth them every day. I also behave very like a Fool 

 about her, but it makes for me in the Opinion of my Wife, which 

 is a material Consideration. I am very sorry that You like to 

 lose your good neighbour Mrs Bristow ; She has cost Mrs Mulso 

 and Me more Uneasiness than She thinks for; for no Body 

 could have a greater value for her in so short an Acquaintance, & 



* See the 'Selborne' Letters 12 and 13 to Pennant. 



