y well with your MS. when not crossed. {94}

Donne, I hear, is fairly well. Mowbray has had a Lift in his Inland
Revenue Office, and now is secure, I believe, of Competence for Life.
Charles wrote me a kindly Letter at Christmas: he sent me his own Photo;
and then (at my Desire) one of his wife:--Both of which I would enclose,
but that my Packet is already bulky enough. It won't go off to-night
when it is written--for here (absolutely!) comes my Reader (8 p.m.) to
read me a Story (very clever) in All the Year Round, and no one to go to
Post just now.

Were they not pretty Verses by Hood? I thought to make you a little
miserable by them:--but you take no more notice than--what you will.

Good Night! Good Bye!--Now for Mrs. Trollope's Story, entitled 'A
Charming Fellow'--(very clever).

XXXVI.

WOODBRIDGE: _Febr_: 2/76.

Now, my dear Mrs. Kemble, I have done you a little good turn. Some days
ago I was talking to my Brother John (I dared not show him!) of what you
had said of my Family in your Gossip. He was extremely interested: and
wished much that I [would] convey you his old hereditary remembrances.
But, beside that, he wished you to have a Miniature of your Mother which
my Mother had till she died. It is a full length; in a white Dress, with
blue Scarf, looking and tending with extended Arms upward in a Blaze of
Light. My Brother had heard my Mother's History of the Picture, but
could not recall it. I fancy it was before your Mother's Marriage. The
Figure is very beautiful, and the Face also: like your Sister Adelaide,
and your Brother Henry both. I think you will be pleased with this: and
my Brother is very pleased that you should have it. Now, how to get it
over to you is the Question; I believe I must get my little Quaritch, the
Bookseller, who has a great American connection, to get it safely over to
you. But if you know of any surer means, let me know. It is framed: and
would look much better if some black edging were streaked into the Gold
Frame; a thing I sometimes do only with a strip of Black Paper. The old
Plan of Black and Gold Frames is much wanted where Yellow predominates in
the Picture. Do you know I have a sort of Genius for Picture-framing,
which is an Art People may despise, as they do the Milliner's: but you
know how the prettiest Face may be hurt, and the plainest improved, by
the Bonnet; and I find that (like the Bonnet, I suppose) you can only
judge of the Frame, by