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Dumbola Lodge Freshwater I. of W.

[date added later:] Summer 68

Saturday Evening [18 July 1868]

Dear George –

Here we are – We left London at 8.15 on Friday - & owing to Papa's having done the journey up so well he was very little nervous.

We had a carriage to ourselves & he really did not need it at all – I am quite sure if he was not nervous he cd. get to the Lake quite well - & I hope next year we shall make a longer move

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He saw Dr. B. Jones who said that he must take a rest much oftener than he usually did – every 3 months he said.

Well, just after Yarmouth we thought it very pretty – but afterwards as we got towards Frshw. as Anne said it got "higher & higher" till it reached its climax in the mean little valley with half a dozen sordid red brick

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houses in which we are placed. […]

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walk on one down & I've got to go no more in the other side & there I shall sit down eventually at the bottom till Tommy & the Pony come & choose to drag me up. […]

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[…] Today has been amusing as regards people

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at 10 oclk Papa Mama & I went to call on Longfellow who is here visiting Tennyson & Tom Appleton who is their Barnum as he says, was most amusing – He says he has had "spirits on the brain – but he has got thro' now & is waiting for something more wonderful to believe" […]

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[…] – then our landlady Mrs Cameron who was quite as queer in her way as Tom Appleton just now she has sent in her maid

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with her love & she was feeling so depressed without a photograph of her son Harry, wd. we send it our. She'll do my Pa of course –

Well goodbye – I have not [illeg] anything to you – but we don't abuse it to William. We hope for Uncle Ras. yours H.E.D.

Papa has been v. well

This ink is too bad to write.