those remembrances are fresh in my mind, as they often
are, and gave me an extraordinary interest in recalling the past. I
should have been grievously disappointed if you had not been pleased,
for I took aim at you with a most determined intention.

Let me congratulate you most heartily on your handsome Eddy having
passed his examination with such credit. I am sure there is a spirit
shining out of his eyes, which will do well in that manly and generous
pursuit. You will naturally feel his departure very much, and so will
he; but I have always observed within my experience, that the men who
have left home young have, many long years afterwards, had the tenderest
love for it, and for all associated with it. That's a pleasant thing to
think of, as one of the wise and benevolent adjustments in these lives
of ours.

I have been so hard at work (and shall be for the next eight or nine
months), that sometimes I fancy I have a digestion, or a head, or
nerves, or some odd encumbrance of that kind, to which I am altogether
unaccustomed, and am obliged to rush at some other object for relief; at
present the house is in a state of tremendous excitement, on account of
Mr. Collins having nearly finished the new play we are to act at
Christmas, which is very interesting and extremely clever. I hope this
time you will come and see it. We purpose producing it on Charley's
birthday, Twelfth Night; but we shall probably play four nights
altogether--"The Lighthouse" on the last occasion--so that if you could
come for the two last nights, you would see both the pieces. I am going
to try and do better than ever, and already the school-room is in the
hands of carpenters; men from underground habitations in theatres, who
look as if they lived entirely upon smoke and gas, meet me at unheard-of
hours. Mr. Stanfield is perpetually measuring the boards with a chalked
piece of string and an umbrella, and all the elder children are wildly
punctual and business-like to attract managerial commendation. If you
don't come, I shall do something antagonistic--try to unwrite No. 11, I
think. I should particularly like you to see a new and serious piece so
done. Because I don't think you know, without seeing, how good it is!!!

None of the children suffered, thank God, from the Boulogne risk. The
three little boys have gone back to school there, and are all well.
Katey came away ill, but it turned out that she had the whooping-cough
for the second time.