1785 TOETWOETH EECTOEY 149 



will he live to be as good as his word ? I hear, poor man, 

 of a dangerous state of health that he is in. 



"I am not going to wish you joy of Tortworth living:* 

 I am sure you will never think of it ; for if everything went 

 quite smooth there, neither the country, nor the modes of 

 collecting your income are at all to your mind. Get some 

 pretty little sinecure tenable with your Fellowship. Live 

 on at Selborne and be cotemporary with Jack Mulso 

 still. . . . The winter has been so severe that I am glad 

 that you do not trot to Faringdon on a Sunday." 



Mr. Churton came to pay his usual Christmas 

 visit at Selborne. 



To Mrs. B. White. Seleburne, Deer. 26, 1785. 



Dear Mrs. Mary White, — I thank you for your kind 

 letter respecting raisins, and salt-fish. Concerning the 

 former I shall say nothing just at present: but must 

 desire you to procure me, as soon as conveniently you can, 

 five good Iceland cod-fishes; two for Edmund White, and 

 three for myself, to be sent down by Findon, the Faringdon 

 Carrier. If your husband has an account with Edm^ please 

 to desire him to charge two to him, and three to me: or 

 else let me hear, and charge all to me, and I will settle with 

 Edm^. 



You know of course, as well as I, how the matter stands 

 between nephew John,-]- and Mrs. Kemp. He left proposals 

 behind him, which I much suspect will be accepted. If he 

 does settle among us, I sincerely wish the undertaking may 

 answer his expectations. 



We had very mild weather 'til Friday last : on Saturday 



* In Gloucestershire, an Oriel living. 



t "Gibraltar Jack." Mrs. Kemp appears to have been widow of a doctor 

 at Alton, whose practice he was proposing to acquire. The next letter shows 

 that he did settle in the neighbourhood. 



