sciples entertained angels unawares, so the later often miss
them haphazard.

Your description of La Font's acting is the complete truth in one short
sentence: Nature's triumph over art; reversing the copy-book axiom! But
the Lord deliver us from Plessy's mechanical ingenuousness!!

And your petitioner will ever pray.

And ever be,

Faithfully yours.

[Sidenote: Mrs. E. M. Ward.]

5, HYDE PARK PLACE, W., _Wednesday, May 11th, 1870._

MY DEAR MRS. WARD,

I grieve to say that I am literally laid by the heels, and incapable of
dining with you to-morrow. A neuralgic affection of the foot, which
usually seizes me about twice a year, and which will yield to nothing
but days of fomentation and horizontal rest, set in last night, and has
caused me very great pain ever since, and will too clearly be no better
until it has had its usual time in which to wear itself out. I send my
kindest regard to Ward, and beg to be pitied.

Believe me, faithfully yours always.

[Sidenote: Mr. William Charles Kent.]

5, HYDE PARK PLACE, W., _Tuesday, May 17th, 1870._

MY DEAR KENT,

Many, many thanks! It is only my neuralgic foot. It has given me such a
sharp twist this time that I have not been able, in its extreme
sensitiveness, to put any covering upon it except scalding fomentations.
Having viciously bubbled and blistered it in all directions, I hope it
now begins to see the folly of its ways.

Affectionately ever.

P.S.--I hope the Sun shines.

[Sidenote: Mrs. Bancroft.]

GAD'S HILL PLACE, HIGHAM BY ROCHESTER, KENT,
_Thursday, May 31st, 1870._

MY DEAR MRS. BANCROFT,[36]

I am most heartily obliged to you for your kind note, which I received
here only last night, having come here from town circuitously to get a
little change of air on the road. My sense of your interest cannot be
better proved than by my trying the remedy you recommend, and that I
will do immediately. As I shall be in town on Thursday, my troubling you
to order it would be quite unjustifiable. I will use your name in
applying for it, and will report the result after a fair trial. Whether
this remedy succeeds or fails as to the neuralgia, I shall always
consider myself under an obligation to it for having indirec