196 LETTERS TO GILBERT WHITE 



I am very little of a Farmer this Year, having little to sell. 

 As a Gardener I am a Sufferer, having lost some new Peaches, 

 & (a much less Loss,) my forward Beans. My new Gardener 

 is industrious, but I cannot answer for his skill. I am happy 

 in ye Sobriety of him & my Footman. Kemember that I have 

 not one riding horse to accommodate you wth, I will keep your 

 Horse, but not find you one. If Mrs Woods is wth you, my 

 Comps. & good wishes attend her & her Beams. Your Descrip- 

 tion of your sitting in your dining room reminds me of your 

 old Situation in the Fens. For Shame, Gil ! this Vacuity ought 

 to have been filled up. Mrs Mulso's Love attends you. She 

 can hardly yet beleive She shall see you ; Five years gone ! & 

 a Batchelor, & find no Time ! I shall be impatient to hear 

 more of this Design, & do eagerly long to welcome you to ye 

 Mansion of, 



Dear Gil, Your old & affectionate Friend, 



J. Mulso. 



Letter 117. 

 To the Eeverend Mr White, Thornhill, 



at Selbourne, near Alton, Hants. May 19, [1765.] 



Dear Gil : 



The Spring is in full Glory, ye Year goes on, the Time 

 of my expecting you is every day nearer, & yet I linger in my 

 Answer to your last Letter, which I have had a good while 

 by me ; It seems unkind, it looks as if I cool'd in ye warmth 

 of my Invitation. It is all otherwise, & I am sure you think 

 I have another Keason, Good God, my dear Friend, what will 

 say, when I tell you that I have been kept in doubt whether 

 you would or would not have a kind Hostess to find at Thornhill ! 

 My dear Mrs Mulso has been excessively & dangerously ill ; and 

 indeed She is still very much so, tho' I hope on ye mending 

 hand & out of Danger ; and this, hot in a violent way, but by 

 a slow creeping feaver, which has wasted her flesh, demolish'd 

 her Spirits, & kept her in a State of Giddiness of head, violent 

 Sicknesses &c : 'till it took her off her Horse & off her Legs, 

 k almost off ye present Scene. If that dreadfuU Event had 

 happen'd, (which I can but just bear to put down on Paper, 

 tho' I thank God I seem past the present Fear of it) could 

 I for yotur Sake have ask'd you to Thornhill, whatever I might 

 have done for my own^ You see therefore that I have had 

 a terrible Eeason for my Silence. But now Mrs Mulso begins 

 to find Benefit from getting on Horseback, tho' her Eides are 

 very short, & come when you will, you will I hope find her 

 able to receive you with Pleasure & Satisfaction. She is still 

 taking medicine 4 Times pr day, & has not got over ye Hurry 



