s you. I wish I was where I could see green
fields. I am in miserable spirits, and would give "my kingdom for a
horse," and the world for an hour's gallop in the country.

Ever yours,
FANNY.

[My dear and excellent friend the Rev. William Harness refused from
conscientious motives to hold more than one Church benefice, though
repeated offers of livings were made to him by various of his
influential friends. Lord Lansdowne, who had a very affectionate
esteem for him, gave him the civil office I have alluded to in this
letter, and this not being open to Mr. Harness's scruples with
regard to sacred sinecures, he accepted. His means were always
small, his charities great, and his genial hospitality unfailing. He
was one of the simplest, most modest, unpretending, honorable,
high-minded, warm hearted human beings I have ever known. Goodness
appeared easy to him--the best proof how good he was.]

HARLEY STREET, February 5th, 1842.
DEAR HARRIET,

I did not care very much about the _fete_ itself at Apsley House, but I
was very glad to go to it upon the Duke of Wellington's invitation, and
felt as much honored and gratified by that as I could be by any such
sort of thing. My sister did sing for them, though, poor thing! not very
well. She had just gone through the new opera, and was besides laboring
under a terrible cough and cold, through which, I am sorry to say, she
has been singing for the last week. There was no particular reason for
her not taking money at _that_ concert. She does not intend to be paid
for singing in society at all.... Of course, her declining such
engagements will greatly diminish her income, popular singers making
nearly half their earnings by such means; but I am sure that, situated
as we all are, she is right, and will avoid a good many annoyances by
this determination, though her pocket will suffer for it....

I know nothing whatever, of course, about the statements in the papers,
which I never look at, about the financial disgraces and embarrassments
in America. The United States Bank (in which my father had put four
thousand pounds, which he could ill spare) is swept from the face of the
earth, and everybody's money put into it has been like something thrust
down a gaping mouth that had no stomach; it has disappeared i