286 LETTER FROM REUBEN. 
short letters from home the other day. They were 
dated January 27th, and everything seemed to 
be going on favourably. Father, mother, and 
the rest of our friends were all well. Please 
remember both myself and Francis to all your 
kind family, and to Captain Chads ; and with 
grateful remembrances of past and continued 
favours, believe me, dear Admiral, 
" Your obedient and very humble Servant, 
" REUBEN E. NOBBS. 
" P. S. I have been obliged to let Francis 
write the greater part of this." 
" April 29, 1854. 
" During the last fortnight, or since the 
former part of this letter was written, my health 
appears to have improved a little; but in my 
opinion, very little. I sit up nearly all day in 
a rocking-chair, and can walk for a few minutes 
at a time about my room or in the corridor. 
What a blessing it is to have Francis with me 
to attend to my numerous wants! And very 
attentive and good has he been ; I do not know 
what would have become of me had he not been 
here. For the first three weeks, Dr^ Ancrum 
would not allow me to say a single word to any 
one. Everything was done by signs : and no 
one but Francis, and one or two of the servants, 
was allowed to enter my room or see me. 
" This, dear Admiral, may seem very dreary; 
but it is an excellent school for weaning the 
affections from things temporal, and fixing 
them on those more abiding realities of heaven. 
