LETTER181

letter181

marylambtosarahhazlitt

[june2,1809.]

youmaywritetohazlitt,thatiwillcertainlygotowinterslough,asmyfatherhasagreedtogiveme5l.tobearmyexpences,andhasgivenleavethatimaystoptillthatisspent,leavingenoughtodefraymycarriageonthe14thjuly.

sofarmartinhaswritten,andfurtherthanthaticangiveyounointelligence,foridonotyetknowphillips'sintentions;norcanitellyoutheexacttimewhenwecancome;norcanipositivelysayweshallcomeatall;forwehavescruplesofconscienceabouttherebeingsomanyofus.martinsays,ifyoucanborrowablanketortwo,hecansleeponthefloor,withouteitherbedormattress,whichwouldsavehisexpencesatthehut;for,ifphillipsbreakfaststhere,hemustdosotoo,whichwouldswallowupallhismoney.andheandihavecalculatedthat,ifhehasnoinnexpences,hemayaswellsparethatmoneytogiveyouforapartofhisroastbeef.

wecanspareyoualsojustfivepounds.youarenottosaythistohazlitt,lesthisdelicacyshouldbealarmed;butitellyouwhatmartinandihaveplanned,that,ifyouhappentobeemptypursedatthistime,youmaythinkitaswelltomakehimupabedinthebestkitchen.

ithinkitveryprobablethatphillipswillcome;and,ifyoudonotlikesuchacroudofus,fortheybothtalkofstayingawholemonth,tellmeso,andwewillputoffourvisittillnextsummer.

the14thjulyisthedaymartinhasfixedforcoming.ishouldhavewrittenbefore,ificouldhavegotapositiveanswerfromthem.

thankyouverymuchforthegoodworkyouhavedoneforme.mrs.stoddartalsothanksyouforthegloves.howoftenmustitellyounevertodoanyneedleworkforanybodybutme?

martinburneyhasbeenveryill,andstillisveryweakandpale.mrs.holcroftandallherchildren,andallherscholars,havehadthemeasles.youroldfriend,mrs.fenwick,isintown.

wearegoingtoseemrs.martinandherdaughter,mrs.fulton(sarahmartin),andiexpecttoseetherethefuturehusbandoflouisa.itwillbeacharmingevening,doubtless.

icannotwriteanymore,forwehavegotanoblelifeoflordnelsonlentusforashorttimebymypoorrelationthebookbinder,andiwanttoreadasmuchofitasican.

yoursaffectionately,

m.lamb.

onreadingmartin'snoteoveragain,weguessthecaptainmeanshimtostayonlyafortnight.itismostlikelyweshallcomethebeginningofjuly.saturday[?june3].

[thelambswereproposingtospendtheirholidayswiththehazlitts,injuly,andtotakecolonelphillipsandhisnephewmartinburneywiththem.(orpossiblyitwastheotherphillips.)asithappened,however,marylambwastakenillalmostimmediatelyafterwritingthisletter,andthevisithadtobepostponeduntilseptemberandoctober.

thehutwasthewinterslowinn.

"mypoorrelationthebookbinder."seethelettertobarronfield,oct.4,1827.]