COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 163 



me '. I drove the old black horse down to Black 

 Torrington (sixty miles) with Mary by my side 

 yesterday, and he is fit to jump out of his skin this 

 morning. 



" My love to all. Just off to So. Molton to see 

 my lawyer. 



" Yours ever affectionately, 



" J. RUSSELL." 



"ToRDowN, BARNSTAPLE, 

 " Wednesday Morning, i$th August, 1879. 



" Mv DEAR JACK, 



" Mary will square everything for your re- 

 ception here on Monday by the five something train, 

 and I will meet you with a trap at the station, and 

 shall be delighted to welcome you all here. On 

 Tuesday we can have a quiet day here. I was 

 yesterday particularly requested, by Mrs. Luttrell, 

 to go to Dunster, I suppose to give them a little 

 insight into the ways of Royalty before the Prince's 

 arrival. 



" Just going into the Barnstaple Flower Show with 

 an ' up country man ' who is staying here. 



" We had no sport yesterday, did not find till four 

 o'clock, ran to Dunkerry Hill Gate two miles and 

 then and there, I was told by one of the field, 

 the hounds were whipped off scent very bad- 

 thousands of people on the Ball and in the Field. 

 We did not get home till near ten o'clock rode all 

 the way there and back. A jovial sportsman, named 



Arnold, was at Cloutsham, asked particularly when 



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