[1]

Cambridge

Feb 16 or 15 (83)

My dear George

I believe you will have been some time now without a letter; but I have been baddish for a day or 2. but nothing to signify — It is v. provoking that you will not be able to see the thing at Hendaye — I suppose you find beautiful things to see near Pau — The Grasse party have driven over the Mts to Mentone — Bessy is sorry to leave Grasse as she

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does not feel it thoroughly explored yet — & the beauties seem endless — Laura who has such a power of taking care of people, found a sick young man on her hands, however to her great relief he moved to Cannes & a brother came to him ─ Then a half crazy man turned up in the Hotel & B. was afraid she wd some how get the charge of him — The Crosses have made their

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stay very pleasant, & also the Hamonds — The wet weather is depressing, tho' warm & pleasant. It is said that the autumn sowed corn is already perished & much land is under water — Wm has 5 in. of water in his cellar — Bernard had a souse in the ditch at the Grove (in a velvet suit too, like you at Barlaston) — Luckily Mrs Jackson was at the cottage & undressed him & wrapped him in a blanket, while Frank came home to fetch dry things. B. enjoyed it, especially as he wanted to spoil his velvet clothes (but that is not the case).

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Horace house is marked out & looks enormous on the ground. They will have hard work to manage Marshall [insertion:] (architect) who of course wants to do something creditable to himself & they want something not ornamental. The estimate is to be £2500 — We are to have Adam Sedgwick & Waldstein to dinner today — & Horaces & Ida — An odd report came to the Crosses that Mrs Jebb was at Pau —I don't know the channel. We are moved into the dining room – wh. oddly has more room, & is m

[from p. 1:] warmer—

Goodbye my dear old man your E. D