My dear Harrot

I can quite recommend Plathe and think he would do your work very well, so I will tell H^t.¹ to send his address as I have not got his new one. I know tho’ that he is near M^rs. Nassau Senior & I believe he teaches daily at her house, so a note to her care would reach him.² He is not my ideal master because I like a stupid well informed man to be a perfect tool in my hands when I am learn^g. a language, but such a one would have taught me nothing under 12 and I doubt whether any untrained mind can supply all the energy necessary to conquer a language. I mean that if I were now learning a language for the 1^st. time I think Plathe w^d. teach me better than the patient plod^r. for he who was content to unravel my difficulties in the order & shape in which I put them before him & from whom I learnt more in consequence than from any master I ever had. Plathe is over flowing with good nature & is clever energetic & often original—a great talker and keenly interested in every thing that comes before him & I fancy if he had time your’s is the sort of work he would take for love. He is blessed such good health & spirits that he is a most unflagging goer & I fancy is the kind of man to enliven men tired with their monotonous works. I hope Richard wont over do himself, but I believe you are right to let him try the works—one must not hoard one’s valuables tho’ it is such a temptation to do it that I think you very good for resisting.³

I wanted to write to you but have quite exhausted myself lately in Wedgwood, Whitaker & Clapham directions.⁴ I am so often asked for advice & I never have any to give, & even my opinions are a sort of inverted Descent of man & I can only shew their g^t.g^t. grandparents & let other people deduct their own dogmas. If I could but keep a stock of the latter ready to hand it would save me such a lot of trouble. Whether to marry & what on earth to do when you are married are subjects to drive an old maid mad when driven in a pair.⁵ It’s quite a relief to turn to Willie & write about pigeons & snipes, Scotch Collies and patent axles.⁶

I have been a good deal interested by Fawcett’s Brit^sh. labourer.⁷ Have you read it? A series of lectures written 8 or 10 years back & pub^d. then & foretelling some of the present difficulties to a curious extent it seems to me.

I dont think I told you how strongly I was reminded of one of my Cannes boatmen by the bit in the expression book about shewing the teeth in anger—⁸ I cannot fancy a stronger instance of it; we were talking of the war & I was drawing the men out & rather baiting them with a careless sort of pity for the exiled Emp^r., a dark Italian looking man got increasingly fierce & scowling & said it was his own fault he was an exile—why did he not return, the traitor! to answer for his deeds like a man?⁹ I said $\frac{1}{2}$ mockingly still, that was the last thing I blamed him for & I put it to the man what sort of a welcome he individually would give him? I declare tho’ I heard no word of his answer it frightened me out of all jesting, he drew back & up the corners of his mouth till I saw every tooth in his head and to illustrate what he was say^g. he clashed his teeth together so that my impression was he would fly at the Emp^r.’s throat like a bulldog. I was thoroughly frightened & yet so curious to know whether he really said what he acted, the whole boat was between us as he growled out the few words, that I asked him agⁿ. what he would do shew^g. I did not catch his meaning, he had been resting on his oars but then he pulled them in & using his hands to express his meaning with a savage grin “je lui torderais le cou comme ça”¹⁰ giving a twist with his hands & shew^d. his teeth, but not clashing them as before. Somehow that seemed more human & I did not mind it so much, but the 1^st. action with the teeth was appalling & I felt as if in danger from a wild beast. Even the milder edition expressed too much feeling for my taste & much as I like to study character I did not go out with my friends again. I felt as if I had played with edged tools & even at this time, after the lapse of a year to soften & sober impressions I cannot resist the conviction that I could chaff that man into drowning me, were he & I alone in a boat. I have often had to do with bad tempers & rough men but had no idea before how they might frighten me. I think that unconsciously both the man & I must have identified myself with the Emp^r. so that a portion of his wrath hit me as it were. So when I fancy myself tossing about in sunshine on the Med^r. or think how well it w^d. make me, it is with the light hearted brothers Lambert, etat 10 and 20, whose greatest excite^t. was racing a steamboat & their highest ambition to teach me to fish by torch light.¹¹ I am glad y^r. boys are better¹²   The Langtons are delayed here by the old man not being well but they hope to go in a few days—¹³

I am getting on very well, & am so glad H’s visit was so successful— Y^r. most affect | L M F.

M^rs N Senior’s address is Lavender Hill Clap^m. Comⁿ.— but I am writ^g a card to H^etta14