432 MISCELLANEOUS, 1850-1860 



in their inner correspondence as Brown, Jones, and Eobinson 

 after Doyle's delightful Tourists. Brown was Harvey ; Jones, 

 Hooker ; and Eobinson, Thomson, then estabhshed at Kew with 

 the Hookers. Li the autumn after their return the first 

 letter to Harvey (November 4) opens : 



My dear Brown, — Your letter greeted us well and we 

 were greatly delighted to receive it. Eobinson says ' he 

 would not like to insure your scrag in Tipperary ' ; Jones 

 says he would, petikularly Mrs. Jones says so. 



And a few days later : 



Mrs. Jones begs to report that all at Kew are flourishing ; 

 Mr. Eobinson especially is in high feather, and evidently 

 much the better for his Swiss trip. Has Mr. Brown heard 

 that Auguste Balmat is expected in London next month ? 

 The Miss Martineaus informed Jones of the fact, hoping he 

 might be able to assist in finding some employment for him 

 during his stay in England — a difficult affair. 



A thick yellow fog necessitates the writing of these lines 

 by candle light ! Finally Mrs. Jones begs her kind regards, 

 and will be very glad to see Mr. Brown at Kew again some 

 day. 



Afterwards the nicknames were regularly kept up in per- 

 sonal messages about ' Mrs. Jones ' and ' the little Joneses,' or 

 in planning future trips, as in 1858, when Mrs. Hooker, after 

 drawing up a plan of campaign, adds : 



Now do, Mr. Brown, join your faithful friends the Joneses 

 on this beautiful little tour, which looks so charmingly 

 tempting on paper ; it would add so much to our pleasure 

 to have you with us. We don't mean to be away more than 

 a month, and I shall set to work soon to lay it out in days, 

 so as to get it all in- comfortably — and I'll keep all the 

 accounts, and you shall have no bother at all, but just 

 enjoy yourself, and I am sure it will do you a great deal of 

 good. Don't say no all in a hurry, but take time to con- 

 sider. Joe sends his love. 



It was a year when, owing to press of work, Hooker confessed 

 he grudged the very time for a hoHday, and suggested as a 



