1785 MARY WHITE MARRIES 145 



Mrs. Etty expects Lady Young, and Mrs. Rashleigh this 

 afternoon. y^ loving uncle, 



Gil. White. 

 My cough is better. My Portugal laurels seem to be dead. 



To Miss White. Selborne, June 25, 1785. 



Dear Molly, — I am desirous to address you once more in 

 your maiden state, which, I now understand, is soon to be at 

 an end. 



I hope you received my long letter by Edmund, in which 

 I desired to know whether Smith had any success with my 

 old Succade melon-seeds, so as to make them grow : I wished 

 also to have enquired after the cuckow's nest, but, I think, 

 I forgot it. 



Mrs. J. White and I have made many enquiries about 

 a maid for you ; and one day I rode myself on that errand 

 as far as Kingsley. In consequence of my ride we had 

 a maid offered from that parish, of whom Mrs. J. White 

 has sent you some account by the post. Tell your father 

 I have taken up riding again, and mount my little horse 

 frequently. Inform him that we have also pulled down 

 part of his old cottage, and find it in a very bad state, most 

 of the timbers being worm-eaten beech. In the room 

 of what we have taken down I shall erect a fewel-house; 

 and will endeavour to put him to as little expence as 

 possible. The drought begins to be very serious and 

 stubborn, so that there will be very little grass, and less 

 spring-corn. We water, and water; but our annuals die 

 away." [The rest of this letter is missing.] 



On June 29th, 1785, Mary White married her 

 cousin Benjamin, the eldest son of her uncle Ben- 

 jamin White, and went to live at the *' Horace's 

 Head," No. 51, Fleet Street. 



VOL. II. — L 



