LETTER197

letter197

marylambtosarahhazlitt

[?endof1810orearly1811.]

mydearsarah,—ihavetakenalargesheetofpaper,asifiweregoingtowritealongletter;butthatisbynomeansmyintention,forionlyhavetimetowritethreelinestonotifywhatioughttohavedonethemomentireceivedyourwelcomeletter.namely,thatishallbeverymuchjoyedtoseeyou.everymorninglatelyihavebeenexpectingtoseeyoudropin,evenbeforeyourlettercame;andihavebeensettingmywitstoworktothinkhowtomakeyouascomfortableasthenatureofourinhospitablehabitswilladmit.imustworkwhileyouarehere;andihavebeenslavingveryhardtogetthroughwithsomethingbeforeyoucome,thatimaybequiteinthewayofit,andnotteizeyouwithcomplaintsalldaythatidonotknowwhattodo.

iamverysorrytohearofyourmischance.mrs.rickmanhasjustburiedheryoungestchild.iamgladiamanoldmaid;for,yousee,thereisnothingbutmisfortunesinthemarriagestate.

charleswasdrunklastnight,anddrunkthenightbefore;whichnightbeforewasatgodwin's,wherewewent,atashortsummonsfrommr.g.,toplayasolitaryrubber,whichwasinterruptedbytheentranceofmr.andlittlemrs.liston;andafterthemcamehenryrobinson,whoisnowdomesticatedatmr.godwin'sfireside,andlikelytobecomeaformidablerivaltotommyturner.wefinishedthereattwelveo'clock(charlesandlistonbrim-fullofginandwaterandsnuff):afterwhichhenryrobinsonspentalongeveningbyourfiresideathome;andtherewasmuchginandwaterdrunk,albeitonlyoneofthepartypartookofit.andh.r.professedhimselfhighlyindebtedtocharlesfortheusefulinformationhegavehimonsundrymattersoftasteandimagination,evenaftercharlescouldnotspeakplainfortipsiness.butstillheswallowedtheflatteryandthespiritsassavourilyasrobinsondidhiscoldwater.

lastnightwastobeanight,butitwasnot.therewasacertainsonofoneofmartin'semployers,oneyoungmr.blake;todowhomhonour,mrs.burneybroughtforth,firstrum,thenasinglebottleofchampaine,longkeptinhersecrethoard;thentwobottlesofherbestcurrantwine,whichshekeepsformrs.rickman,cameout;andcharlespartookliberallyofallthesebeverages,whilemr.youngblakeandmr.iretontalkedofhighmatters,suchasthemeritsofthewhipclub,andthemeritsofredandwhitechampaine.doispellthatlastwordright?rickmanwasnotthere,soiretonhaditallhisownway.

thealternatingwednesdayswillchopoffonedayintheweekfromyourjollydays,andidonotknowhowweshallmakeituptoyou;butiwillcontrivethebestican.phillipscomesagainprettyregularly,tothegreatjoyofmrs.reynolds.oncemoreshehearsthewell-lovedsoundsof,'howdoyoudo,mrs.reynolds?howdoesmisschambersdo?'

ihavespunoutmythreelinesamazingly.nowforfamilynews.yourbrother'slittletwinsarenotdead,butmrs.johnhazlittandherbabymaybe,foranythingiknowtothecontrary,forihavenotbeenthereforaprodigiouslongtime.mrs.holcroftstillgoesaboutfromnicholsontotuthil,andfromtuthiltogodwin,andfromgodwintotuthil,andfromtuthiltogodwin,andfromgodwintotuthil,andfromtuthiltonicholson,toconsultonthepublication,ornopublication,ofthelifeofthegoodman,herhusband.itiscalledthelifeeverlasting.howdoesthatsamelifegooninyourparts?goodbye,godblessyou.ishallbegladtoseeyouwhenyoucomethisway.

yoursmostaffectionately,

m.lamb.

iamgoingingreathastetoseemrs.clarkson,forimustgetbacktodinner,whichihavehardlytimetodo.iwishthatdear,good,amiablewomanwouldgooutoftown.ithoughtshewascleangone;andyesterdaytherewasaconsultationofphysiciansheldatherhouse,toseeiftheycouldkeepheramongthemhereafewweekslonger.

[thisletterisdatedbymr.hazlittnovember30,1810,butidoubtifthatcanberight.seeextractfromcrabbrobinsonabove,testifyingtolamb'ssobrietybetweennovember9anddecember23.

listonwasjohnliston(1776?-1846),theactor,whosemockbiographylambwrotesomeyearslater(seevol.i.ofthisedition).hiswifewasadiminutivecomedienne,famousasqueendollalollain"tomthumb."lambmayhaveknownlistonthroughtheburneys,forheissaidtohavebeenanusherindr.burney'sschool—dr.charlesburney,captainburney'sbrother.

"henryrobinson."crabbrobinson'sdiaryshowsusthathisdomesticationbygodwin'sfiresidewasnotoflongduration.idonotknowwhotommyturnerwas.mr.iretonwasprobablywilliamayrton,themusicalcritic,afriendandneighbouroftheburneys,andlaterafriendofthelambs,asweshallsee.

"thealternatingwednesdays."thelambsseemtohavegivenuptheirweeklywednesdayevening,whichnowbecamefortnightly.lateritwas:changedtothursdayandmademonthly.

mrs.reynoldshadbeenamisschambers.]