My dearest old Soul

I was exceedingly glad to get your letter, with so wonderfully good an account of your voyage & of the dear little souls happiness;² I am glad you took them. Do you not think you had better come back by land? & had you better not stay more than a fortnight, I propose it to you in bonâ fide & wish you to do so, though I do long to have mine own wife back again. Yesterday was gloomy & stormy; I was sick in middle of day, but two pills of opium righted me surprisingly afterwards: however I was extremely glad that Sulivan did not make his appearance.³ The house is getting on well,⁴ though Lewis⁵ had a quarrel & turned off all his carpenters: Lucy⁶ was very goodnatured & took keen interest about one man, whose wife has come from a distance with a Baby & is taken very ill— The poor man was crying with misery, but we have persuaded Lewis to take him back again.

At last the flower garden is looking gay.—

I have been getting on very badly with my work as it has been extremely difficult & I have had so many letters to write.—

Etty⁷ was very charming, though I did not see much of her yesterday; she is very affectionate to her dolls, but at last got tired of them, & declared with great emphasis, that “she would have a real live Baby” & “Mamma shall buy one for me”— I asked to send a message to you, “say A. B. S, say, big woman in little letter”

Give my very best love to all at Penailly I enclose A. Sarah’s⁸ letter; I have strongly recommended to bring Henry, but can not repeat all reasons: I have spoken doubtfully about Horse & Phaeton.⁹

Goodbye, my own old dearest. Kiss the children for me. Etty often talks about them. | Your affect. | C. D.