Papillon on Sunday. I shall be very glad when the first hearing is
over. It will be a nervous hour for our pew, though we hear that he
acquits himself with as much ease and collectedness, as if he had been
used to it all his life. We have no chance we know of seeing you
between Streatham and Winchester: you go the other road and are
engaged to two or three houses; if there should be any change,
however, you know how welcome you would be. . . . We have been
reading the "Poet's Pilgrimage to Waterloo," and generally with much
approbation. Nothing will please all the world, you know; but parts
of it suit me better than much that he has written before. The
opening--_the proem_ I believe he calls it--is very beautiful. Poor
man! one cannot but grieve for the loss of the son so fondly
described. Has he at all recovered it? What do Mr. and Mrs. Hill
know about his present state?
'Yours affly,
'J. AUSTEN.
'The real object of this letter is to ask you for a receipt, but I
thought it genteel not to let it appear early.
Pages:
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208