Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 2-5 July 1861.

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                <title>Letter from <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Dinah Mulock
                        Craik</persName> to <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockBen">Benjamin
                        Mulock</persName>, <date from="1861-07-02" to="1861-07-05">2-5 July
                        1861.</date>                  
                </title>
                <author ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Dinah Mulock Craik</author>
                <editor ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BourrierKaren">Karen Bourrier</editor>
                <sponsor>
                    <orgName>Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive</orgName>
                </sponsor>
                <sponsor>University of Calgary</sponsor>
                <principal>Karen Bourrier</principal>
                <respStmt>
                    <resp>Transcription <date when="2017-04">April 2017</date> by</resp>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FukushimaKailey">Kailey Fukushima</persName>
                </respStmt>
                <respStmt>
                    <resp>Proofing of transcription <date when="2017-05">May 2017</date> by </resp>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ParkerJanice">Janice Parker</persName>
                </respStmt>
                <respStmt>
                    <resp>TEI encoding <date when="2017-04">April 2017</date> by</resp>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FukushimaKailey">Kailey Fukushima</persName>
                </respStmt>
                <respStmt>
                    <resp>Proofing of TEI encoding <date when="2017-05">May 2017</date> by </resp>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ParkerJanice">Janice Parker</persName>
                </respStmt>
            </titleStmt>
            <editionStmt>
                <edition> First digital edition in TEI, date: <date when="2017-05">May 2017.</date>
                    P5. </edition>
            </editionStmt>
            <publicationStmt>
                <authority>Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive</authority>
                <pubPlace>Calgary, Alberta, Canada</pubPlace>
                <date>2017</date>
                <availability>
                    <p>Reproduced by courtesy of the <placeName>University of California at Los
                            Angeles </placeName>.</p>
                    <licence>Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
                        Unported License</licence>
                </availability>
            </publicationStmt>
            <seriesStmt>
                <title>Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive</title>
            </seriesStmt>
            <sourceDesc>
                <msDesc>
                    <msIdentifier>
                        <institution>University of California at Los Angeles</institution>
                        <repository>Charles E. Young Research Library</repository>
                        <collection>Mulock Family Papers</collection>
                        <idno>846</idno>
                    </msIdentifier>
                    <head>Letter from <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Dinah Mulock
                            Craik</persName> to <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockBen"
                            >Benjamin Mulock</persName>, <date from="1861-07-02" to="1861-07-05">2-5
                            July 1861.</date>
                    </head>
                    <physDesc>
                        <p>The final pages of this letter have holes and tears that affect their
                            legibility. There is a small hole in the middle of page 9/10. The bottom
                            corner of page 11/12 is completely torn off, and part of the bottom edge
                            is also missing. </p>
                    </physDesc>
                    <additional>
                        <adminInfo>
                            <note>Box 1, Folder 8</note>
                        </adminInfo>
                    </additional>
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        <encodingDesc>
            <editorialDecl>
                <p> Our aim in this edition has been to transcribe the content of the letters as
                    accurately as possible without reproducing the physical appearance of the
                    manuscript. Craik’s spelling, punctuation, underlining, superscripts,
                    abbreviations, additions and deletions are retained, except for words which are
                    hyphenated at the end of a line, which we have silently emended. Where Craik
                    uses a non-standard spelling, we have encoded both her spelling and the standard
                    Oxford English Dictionary spelling to facilitate searching. The long s is not
                    encoded. </p>
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                <opener>
                    <dateline><date when="1861-07-02">July 2:<hi rend="superscript">nd</hi> – </date><lb/>
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wildwood">Wildwood</placeName></dateline>
                    <salute>My dearest boy</salute>
                </opener>
                <p>The mail is telegraphed – so I expect my letter on <date when="1861-07-04"
                        >Thursday</date> morning. The Oneida is certainly a quick &amp; satisfactory
                        animal.<anchor xml:id="n1"/> – There is hardly anything to tell you –
                    however I will tell it: – seeing I only wait for your letter to start North.
                    &amp; if it comes all right in <date when="1861-07-04">Thursday</date> morning
                    shall despatch packet &amp; letter &amp; be off on <date when="1861-07-04"
                        >Thursday</date> night: – not sorry! for I have done a month's good work –
                    &amp; feel that it is time to stop unless I would have my head bad again. Also I
                    am being painted out of house &amp; home – driven from room to room to get out
                    of the way of it – &amp; finally into the garden – I did part of the last
                    chapter among the raspberry bushes with my feet on a hot bottle. – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsEarl">Mrs. Earl</persName> has actually painted
                    the whole outside of <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wildwood"
                        >Wildwood</placeName> – windows &amp; doors included. We look horridly fresh
                    &amp; new. – glaring white with oak doors. You can imagine. – </p>
                <p>My last letter was sent off on the <date when="1861-06-22" precision="medium"
                            >22:<hi rend="superscript">nd</hi></date>. – the night of that awful
                    fire. <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#HerfordLaura">Laura</persName> &amp; I
                    first saw it from the top of the <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ClockHouse"
                        >Clock house</placeName> – lighting up the whole dome of <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#StPaulsCathedral">St. Pauls</placeName>. – It was
                    visible two days &amp; nights from <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#HampsteadHeath">Hampstead</placeName> – smoke in the
                    day – &amp; coloring all the sky to the zenith at night – such an awful sight. –
                    but you will see it all in the papers: – on the <date when="1861-06-24"
                        >Monday</date> being <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellMinna"
                        >Minna</persName>'s birthday I went in to dinner &amp; found them terribly
                    grieved – <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellGeorge">Mr. Lovell</persName>
                    had been very fond of <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BraidwoodJames"
                        >Braidwood</persName> – I never saw <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellMaria">Mr. Lovell</persName> so cut up in my
                    life – he looked quite white &amp; hardly spoke – He had been
                    off<pb/><!--End page 1--> before 8 A. M. to the source of the fire – &amp; only
                    just came back. He said the Brigade men at <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#WatlingStreet">Watling St.</placeName> could hardly
                    speak for crying after poor <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BraidwoodJames"
                        >Braidwood.</persName> Nothing for a long time has made such a universal
                    talk as this fire – they say nothing has been like it since the <rs type="event"
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#GreatFire">great fire of London. – </rs> The
                        <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#PhoenixInsurance">Phoenix</orgName> loses
                    nearly <measure type="currency">£200.00</measure> by it. &amp; the awful row the
                    different affairs are making is something indescribable – How <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellGeorge">Mr. Lovell</persName> is worried out
                    of his life with work owing to it – says he never shall be able to get from Town
                    at all this summer. It is burning still – &amp; the number of people killed in
                    it will never be known – The hospitals are all quite full with people injured
                    day by day, now the firemen just throw on water &amp; stand &amp; look on –
                    leaving it to burn itself out. They were very much afraid of <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LondonBridgeStation">London Bridge
                        Station.</placeName> – &amp; with a slight wind all <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Bermondsey">Bermondsey</placeName> would have been
                    burnt down. – the dreadful thing is that if people would only have had the sense
                        <hi rend="underline">at first</hi> to that the fire-proof door between the
                    warehouses, all would have been safe – &amp; the fire put out in no time. As it
                    was, the draught spread it in all directions. I don't know if this is
                    interesting – it's quite a new form of my letters – they are becoming
                    anti-personal – like <rs type="person" ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockThomas">my
                        parent</rs>'s. who sends me a splendid political essay once a month. He
                    seems very mild &amp; comfortable – People write to him for my autographs –
                    &amp; he sends back my envelopes! No doubt he might drive a thriving trade at
                        <measure type="currency">six pence</measure> a pair!! –
                    <pb/><!--End page 2--> He expresses himself still on the way for <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Ireland">Ireland</placeName> – but never goes. – On
                    the whole it is a wonderful look of comfort. The dear <orgName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockAunts">little Aunts</orgName> have written
                    several times – &amp; sent me a parcel of under-clothes that they have been
                    making for me – in great regret that they were only mine &amp; not a baby's. –
                        <unclear>Mlle</unclear>
                    <persName>Wright</persName> is better – Aunts <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockAnn">Anne</persName> &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockJane">Jane</persName> are staying with
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#WrightRichard" cert="high"
                        >Richard</persName> &amp; looking after his children: – very great
                        <unclear>victims</unclear>. – the usual destiny of <orgName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockAunts">ancient aunts:</orgName> – But it's
                    wonderful how the <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockAunts">aunts</orgName>
                    have been shaken up – one never hears a word about <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wallinger">Wallinger.</persName> They have a <mod
                        type="subst"><del rend="strikethrough">large</del>
                        <add place="above">small</add></mod> portrait of <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Spurgeon">Spurgeon,</persName> hanging beside ours.
                    – <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Spurgeon">Spurgeon</persName> preached a
                    sermon entitled "<title>Fire – fire – fire</title>" on the late event – &amp;
                    then put a notice in the paper that he wished his friends &amp; the public would
                    let alone – as he was ordered quiet – &amp; went off to <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LakesDistrict">the Lakes.</placeName> – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissJames">Marian</persName> &amp; I dined at
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ValeLodge">Vale Lodge</placeName> on
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellMinna">Minna</persName>'s birthday
                    &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MarstonWestland">Mr. Marston</persName> –
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MarstonNelly">Nelly</persName> – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsJames">Mrs. James</persName> &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissCoates">Miss Coates</persName>
                    <add place="above"> &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#HerfordLaura"
                            >Laura</persName></add> came to tea. It was heavy – I think everybody
                    was dull – as one is at all anniversaries – &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BraidwoodJames">Braidwood</persName>'s death threw
                    quite a gloom over people. – <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellMaria">Mrs.
                        Lovell</persName> cried considerably. – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#HerfordLaura">Laura</persName> did her best – also
                    the <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Ziepel">Ziepels</orgName> – but nobody was
                    very lively – for <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissMontgomery">Miss
                        Montgomery</persName> has been in a sad lone way – their only hope was
                    getting her abroad &amp; they were afraid she wouldn't go – however happily
                    yesterday we saw them – all shipped off. – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#HerfordLaura">Laura</persName>, <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissMontgomery">Miss M.</persName>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MontgomeryHugh">Hugh</persName>, <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#SmithPriestly">Priestly Smith</persName> (<persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#HerfordLaura">Laura</persName>'s cousin) &amp; her
                    brother <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#HerfordWilliam">William
                        Herford</persName>. – <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrGarlick"
                        >Garlick</persName> &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsGarlick">Mrs.
                        Garlick</persName><pb/><!--End page 3--> to the <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LordWarden">Lord Warden</placeName> at <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Dover">Dover</placeName> – whence they go
                    indefinitely "abroad." – to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Switzerland"
                        >Switzerland</placeName> most likely.</p>
                <p>There is to be a change for <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Ziepel">the
                        Ziepels</orgName> shortly – his is so mild – he can't manage <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MontgomeryHugh">Hugh</persName> – &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissMontgomery">Miss M.</persName> has commissioned
                    me to let her know if I can hear of any <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Cambridge">Cambridge</placeName> man who would
                    really take him in hand &amp; do for him. – She is rather frightened for him –
                    in 4 years the lad will have <measure type="currency">£5000</measure> a year
                    &amp; not a soul to control him in any way. – It seems very grand – but when I
                    think of all the other nice lads I have known – with not a penny to bless
                    themselves – <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Craik">Craik boys</orgName> –
                    &amp; <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Paton">Patons</orgName> – &amp; <orgName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Dobell">Dobells</orgName> – I am sure they are
                    better off than <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MontgomeryHugh"
                        >Hugh.</persName> I never can get up the smallest interest in <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MontgomeryHugh">Hugh.</persName> He has bothered
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrZiepel">Mr. Ziepel</persName> so
                    extremely that I should think he would not miss him much. – except for the
                        "tin"<anchor xml:id="n2"/> – But I'm afraid you will not find this
                    "interesting." – Well – there's a comet.<anchor xml:id="n3"/>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellMaria">Mrs. Lovell</persName> met it on
                    the staircase windows on <date when="1861-06-30">Sunday</date> night – as round
                    as the moon – she thought at first it was the moon – &amp; then she thought the
                    world was coming to an end. according to <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DrCumming">Dr. Cumming.</persName> It stared in at
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellMinna">Minna</persName>'s window the
                    whole night – quite awful. I have not seen it yet. – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MarstonNelly">Nelly Marston</persName> was here the
                    other day: she has been a fortnight at <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#UpperTerraceLodge">Upper Terrace</placeName> &amp;
                    goes home much better. They have taken a new house – &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsSingleton">Mrs. Singleton</persName> is to live
                    with them when she comes back from <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Geneva"
                        >Geneva.</placeName>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#GarnettRichard">Mr. Richard Garnett</persName>
                    – whom you see in <title corresp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MacmillansMagazine"
                        >Macmillan</title> – spends a good many <date>Sundays</date> there.
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MarstonNelly">Nell</persName> seems to
                    admire him a<pb/><!--End page 4--> little. She told me he had taken to
                    astrological studies – just for curiosity – &amp; was quite horrified to find
                    how true they were – just like you – For a test I sent him the hour of my birth
                    – to find out all about the "native" until now: – but I did not wish him to go
                    on any further. I had rather not have any idea of the future. If good I should
                    not believe it – if bad I certainly should – &amp; be worried by it. It is best
                    to "wait patiently" – &amp; believe in the next world for one's "heart's
                    desire." – </p>
                <p><persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsMott">Mrs. Mott</persName> – your ancient
                    enemy – came to see me – &amp; fearfully interrupted work – this morning.
                    However being only once in a way I took it calmly. – She is a good soul though
                    you don't like her. <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottAlbert"
                        >Albert</persName> has been terribly ill – &amp; is still. – He and
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottClara">Clara</persName> are going by
                    &amp; by to the Forest near <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Leicester"
                        >Leicester</placeName> – &amp; the children are to be sent to <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Detmore">Detmore.</placeName> – He has very hard
                    work – but he can't do it – poor <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottAlbert"
                        >Albert</persName>! I sometimes think with a certain compunction how
                    completely you have let go <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottAlbert"
                        >Albert</persName> &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MottClara"
                        >Clara</persName> – your own particular friends of your own making – but you
                    must go &amp; see them when you come home &amp; it will be all right. Still
                    there is a certain reason in your eulogiums on the advantage of new friends –
                    anybody so erratic in their movements as you must take a certain amount of
                    trouble to keep the old ones, – or they drop off – &amp; you have to make a new
                    set wherever you go. – </p>
                <p>I am going this afternoon to try &amp; see <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MartinFrances">Fanny Martin</persName> – they are
                    staying at <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsReid">Mrs. Reid</persName>'s –
                    She is terribly grieved by the sudden death of her friend <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissBathurst">Miss Bathurst</persName> – at
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Bruges">Bruges</placeName>. – a <hi
                        rend="underline">fine</hi> friend: but a good woman who has
                    stuck<pb/><!--End page 5--> to <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MartinFrances"
                        >Fanny</persName> through thick &amp; thin for 10 or 12 years – she used to
                    come to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CamdenStreet">Camden St</placeName>.
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MartinFrances">Fanny</persName> &amp;
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BensonJane">Jane</persName> are both well:
                    they think of going to the sea as soon as their holidays begin. – my absence
                    will be longer than I thought: <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikGeorge"
                        >George</persName> has been so much worse that it is impossible he can get
                    his leg by in <date when="1861-08">August</date> – indeed they are so anxious
                    about him they hardly know what to do – He is very good &amp; patient – but his
                    health seems to have quite given away – &amp; the stump is not healed yet.
                    Possible there may have to be more surgical means used. – &amp; then moving
                    about from place to place must be tried: – at least that is the idea now – that
                    he &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikJane">Jane</persName> &amp; I
                    should just go about together – &amp; get him strong if we can. They say they
                    "can't do without me." – so I shall just go: – for probably two months. – It may
                    be a weakness – but it goes to my heart their all being so fond of me. – besides
                    I have such an intense respect for them all. &amp; the more I find out of them
                    the more I respect them. – <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Tomlinson">The
                        Tomlinsons</orgName> will occupy <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.mxl#Wildwood">Wildwood</placeName> – rent free – but
                    keeping the house – for three weeks – then I believe I shall get a tenant
                        <measure type="currency">3 guineas</measure> per week: – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsSimpson">Mrs. Simpson</persName> of <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Edinburgh">Edinburgh</placeName> – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsStorrar">Mrs. Storrar</persName>'s friend – who
                    will settle it all for me – She is <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DrSimpson"
                        >Dr. Simpson</persName>'s wife – &amp; a <hi rend="underline">tidy</hi> woman
                    – who would take the house &amp; servants just as they are – for six weeks. –
                    which will make my mind easy. – Truly never had any old maid a more happy life –
                    thank God for it! – <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsLaing">Mrs.
                        Laing</persName> &amp; <rs type="person" ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LaingDavid"
                        >her boy</rs> dined at <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Lovell">the
                        Lovells</orgName> yesterday &amp; I went to meet them. – poor <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsLaing">Mrs. Laing</persName> –
                    she<pb/><!--End page 6--> has lost <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LaingRevDavid">her husband</persName> &amp; two
                    brothers in ten months – She lives in half a house – on about <measure
                        type="currency">£120</measure> a year – with <rs type="person"
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LaingDavid">the boy</rs> too. – &amp; is so cheerful
                    &amp; brave – not a bit borne down by her poverty – She has promised when I come
                    home to come &amp; stop here a bit with the boy. – she says she shall so enjoy
                    the garden – Certainly a good many people do that, besides me – &amp; I do,
                    unutterably, you did a good thing when you compelled me to take <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wildwood">Wildwood.</placeName> – I must stop now
                    till the mail. This letter says nothing but home news – I am waiting for yours.
                    – </p>
                <p><date when="1861-07-03">Wednesday</date> afternoon. I write a bit more while
                    waiting for tea. – I went yesterday to say goodbye to various people. <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MartinFrances">Fanny Martin</persName> – whom I
                    missed – <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Marston">the Marstons</orgName> –
                    &amp; <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Will">Wills</orgName> finally going down
                    to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ValeLodge">Vale Lodge</placeName> for
                    supper &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellGeorge">Mr.
                        Lovell</persName> walking home with me. The comet was magnificent – half
                    over the sky the tail swept – nearly as large as the old one – &amp; the head
                    much bigger – It was as grand a sight as that night with Arcturus in his tail. –
                    He popped suddenly out on <date when="1861-06-30">Sunday</date> night last in
                    the middle of the sky – nobody had an idea of him before. – The <rs type="event"
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#TooleyStreetFire"><placeName
                            ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#TooleyStreet">Tooley St.</placeName> fire</rs>
                    is still blazing – of nights we can see it from <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#HampsteadHeath">Hampstead</placeName> – &amp; there
                    was another fire visible last night so it was a lively evening – people walking
                    in throngs on the terrace <choice>
                        <abbr>till</abbr>
                        <expan>until</expan>
                    </choice> 11. P.M. – Today I finished &amp; put off my writing – for two months
                    I suppose – my head aching so that<pb/><!--End page 7--> I feel I have done my
                    possible &amp; may rest. Then I went in to dinner with <orgName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Jameses">the James</orgName> &amp; walked with
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissJames">Marian</persName> part way to
                        <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Marston">the Marstons.</orgName> She is so
                    exceedingly good now – quite affectionate – like the old days before <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DobellSydney">Sydney</persName> came up – it is a
                    real pleasure to me to have her family back again like as when she was a little
                    girl. – We make no explanations or anything – just "come to." – &amp; are quite
                    happy &amp; comfortable. – I have been much shocked this afternoon to hear of
                    the death of <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ChambersMary">Mary
                        Chambers</persName> – she died "quite suddenly" – inflammation – was well a
                    week ago. She leaves a husband &amp; three little babies. Poor <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ChambersMary">Mary!</persName> how soon people slip
                    away into the other world. It is an awful grief for <orgName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ChambersFamily">the Chambers family</orgName> – the
                    first they have ever had. <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ChambersRobert">Mr.
                        Chambers</persName> &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#WillsJanet"
                        >Janet</persName> were here last week – We little thought what trouble was
                    coming to them – I got a letter from <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikMargaret">Mrs. Craik</persName> today. – she
                    &amp; <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikGeorge">George</persName> are in
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Glasgow">Glasgow</placeName> now –
                    waiting to see if another operation will be needed. – it will be very hard if it
                    is so. – &amp; I shall be glad to be with them. – It will be two very anxious
                    months I know – but if that poor boy can only get well it would be nothing. – I
                    think if anything went wrong with him now it would almost kill his <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikJames">father</persName> &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikMargaret">mother.</persName></p>
                <p><date when="1861-07-05">Friday</date> – <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Manchester">Manchester</placeName>. I brought your
                    letter &amp; this in my pocket to finish here at <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikWilliam">Willie Craik</persName>'s lodgings –
                    where I slept last night. – your letter came on <date when="1861-07-03"
                        >Wednesday</date> evening: so at 7. A.M. yesterday I went over to <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellGeorge">Mr. Lovell</persName> to get out the
                        <measure type="currency">£100</measure><pb/><!--End page 8--> from the
                        <orgName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#JointStockBank">Joint Stock Bank</orgName>.
                    – &amp; wrote to <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#SpringfieldGeorge"
                        >Springfield</persName> saying I would pay it to him on your account in a
                    fortnight. Of course he will send me an acknowledgment of some sort – for though
                    he is "safe as the Bank" he is in business &amp; has a partner. – It would never
                    do to sell out the funds are so low. I shall take your two next <measure
                        type="currency">£50</measure> – &amp; then we shall be all straight. – </p>
                <p>I went to say goodbye to <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissJames"
                        >Marian</persName> en route to <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#EatonSquare">Eaton Square</placeName> &amp; told her
                    your news with which she was much pleased. She is <hi rend="underline">very</hi>
                    good &amp; kind – <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellMinna"
                        >Minna</persName> met me – in pouring rain – &amp; went down with me to
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#EustonStation">Euston Station</placeName>
                    – she asked your news &amp; I read her bits of your letter – about the party
                    &amp; the robbery. – we made no comments of any kind – I did not tell her the
                    chance of you coming home – but I told <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MissJames">Marian</persName>: – who was glad &amp;
                    did not anticipate so much difficulty in <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ValeLodge">Vale Lodge.</placeName> – she says she
                    thinks it would be much better to meet casually – have it out &amp; have it
                    over. – But I know quite well you cannot stay at <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wildwood">Wildwood.</placeName> – nobody expects
                    that – I have taken care they should not: by saying "accidentally" – that I knew
                    after your <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Brazil">Brazil</placeName> life
                    you will find it so dull, you will never be able to stand it for more than a few
                    days. – I also refused <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Detmore"
                        >Detmore</placeName> this summer on the plea that I hoped you were coming
                    home before <rs type="event" ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Christmas"><choice>
                            <abbr>xmas</abbr>
                            <expan>Christmas</expan>
                        </choice></rs> – &amp; that as soon as you came we would both start off to
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Detmore">Detmore</placeName> together.
                    This you see makes all plain-sailing for you – you need not be in the least
                    afraid to come home. As for my "friends." – goodness knows they are nothing to
                    be frightened of – there are none of them "fine." chiefly people in trouble who
                    to come to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wildwood">Wildwood</placeName> as
                    a refuge – but they can all be stopped out for the time being if you desire it.
                    – <pb/><!--End page 9--></p>
                <p>Of course <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrWatson">Mr. Watson</persName> must
                    either send you the third year's work – or transfer you to <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#VignolesCharles">Mr. Vignoles</persName> – &amp; in
                    either case you would be away somewhere almost immediately. – If you &amp; O go
                    on a visit to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Detmore">Detmore</placeName> no
                    one will notice that you do not stay at <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#HampsteadHeath">Hampstead.</placeName> – and the
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#ValeLodge">Vale Lodge</placeName> visiing
                    is so desultory that it can easily leave. Sometimes <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LovellMinna">Minna</persName> does not come to
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wildwood">Wildwood</placeName> for 3
                    weeks – &amp; at <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#UpperTerraceLodge">Upper
                        Terrace</placeName> I dined on <date when="1861-07-03">Wednesday</date> for
                    the first time in my life! – So you see, no <foreign xml:lang="fr"
                        >rencontres</foreign> need be feared. – I feel strongly that if <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrWatson">Mr. Watson</persName> does not object, you
                    ought to come home. – Probably as your year ends in <date when="1861-10"
                        >October</date> by the <date when="1861-11">November</date> mail? – you must
                    tell me as soon as you know. – I was very glad to hear about the party &amp;
                    your visit – I was sure it was all right with <orgName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Ogilvie">the Ogilvies</orgName> – you were just
                    getting your old "suspicious notions." – which will be got rid of in time. – I
                    think in every relation except falling in love – the one rule holds – Love
                    people, &amp; they'll love you. – your letter altogether was exceedingly
                    comfortable – except for the robbery. – which is unpleasant – I hope they won't
                    come again – one fears a <hi rend="underline">fight</hi> more than robbery – but
                    you will of course take all reasonable precautions. – &amp; you will not be long
                    at <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Mapelle">Mapelle</placeName> maybe. – It
                    must be so awfully solitary just say what precautions you are taking – for I
                            <del><gap quantity="1" unit="word"
                        /><!--KF: There is a hole in the paper here--></del> feel easy – I am afraid
                    of them hurting you. – much more that even portable property. – you &amp;
                        <persName>Wilson</persName> ought to sleep within reach of one another. – </p>
                <pb/>
                <!--End page 10-->
                <p>I like to hear what you think of your books always – I packed up the last two
                    with the <choice>
                        <abbr>mags</abbr>
                        <expan>magazines</expan>
                    </choice> – &amp; sent them off yesterday – also the <title
                        corresp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#LloydsList">Lloyds</title>: – so I cleared
                    everything off safe before going on my travels. – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MiersAnnie">Annie Miers</persName> took your
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Brazil">Brazil</placeName> book home with
                    her to keep until I come back – her parents enjoy the <choice>
                        <abbr>Phos</abbr>
                        <expan>Photos</expan>
                    </choice> so much. – I shall be looking out for the next packet. also my watch.
                    – Inside a <choice>
                        <abbr>mag</abbr>
                        <expan>magazine</expan>
                    </choice> is a lovely chart which I copied for you from <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrsTomlinson">Mrs. Tomlinson</persName>
                </p>
                <p>I feel rather tired today – that horrid riding journey – &amp; very so even
                    before starting. – but I made a struggle to get off – as otherwise I must have
                    stayed in <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Glasgow">Glasgow</placeName> all
                        <date when="1861-07-07">Sunday</date> – as is I shall get there tonight
                    &amp; go down to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Arran">Arran</placeName>
                    tomorrow. – <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikMargaret">Mrs.
                        Craik</persName> wanted <mod type="subst"><del rend="overwrite"
                            >the</del><add place="inline">me</add></mod> so to stop a night here
                    &amp; see <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikWilliam">Willie</persName> – he
                    is so lonely, poor lad – lives hard upon his <measure type="currency"
                        >£80</measure> a year – &amp; actually makes it do – He is off to business
                    at 9 a.m. – indefinitely <choice>
                        <abbr>till</abbr>
                        <expan>until</expan>
                    </choice> 11 p.m. – &amp; hardly ever gets a holiday. – By &amp; by he will be
                    away to <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Bombay">Bombay</placeName> – &amp;
                    doubtless will come back in ten years a professors man – but it's some work now
                    – He almost cried last night because he could not get home to see <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikGeorge">George.</persName> – said he was a
                    perfect <unclear>work</unclear>-slave – body &amp; soul – &amp; it was awfully
                    hard – however I have started a plan for his meeting <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikJane">Jane</persName> &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikGeorge">George</persName> &amp; me somewhere in
                        <placeName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wales">Wales</placeName> for a week by
                    &amp; by – if he possibly can get holiday – &amp; that brightened him a good
                    deal – I brought him a piece of ham &amp; a lot of fruit from <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Wildwood">Wildwood</placeName> – Certainly whatever
                    may be said – there's something
                            <!--KF: The bottom right corner of this page is torn off. Each of the last five lines on this page is missing approximately 2-3 words where the paper was torn.--><del><gap
                            quantity="2" unit="word"/></del> Scotch endurance which always goes to
                            <del><gap quantity="2" unit="word"/></del> what a contract between this
                    lad &amp; Ch<del><gap quantity="2" unit="word"/></del> However it's not only
                    Scotch – for <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DobellClarence"
                        >Clarence</persName>
                    <del><gap quantity="2" unit="word"/></del> such another. They were so glad at
                            <del><gap quantity="2" unit="word"/></del> there is a chance of you
                    turning off <del><gap quantity="2" unit="word"/></del><pb/><!--End page 11--> we
                    will have a grand time there whenever it is – </p>
                <p> – You must not go &amp; fall in love with <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DobellMary">Alice</persName> However for I'm certain
                    almost she is fond of <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#RiviereBriton">Briton
                        Rivière</persName>. – though whether he cares for her is very doubtful. –
                    Last <date when="1861-06-29">Sunday</date>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BrowningElizabethBarrett">Mrs.
                        Browning</persName> died.<anchor xml:id="n4"/> – She now knows the other
                    world – that she wrote of so grandly in the last <title
                        corresp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Cornhill">Cornhill.</title> – I think the world
                    is growing very small – &amp; the troubles of it seem so many that one is always
                    expecting something to be endured – I go to <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Glasgow">Glasgow</placeName> more easy – as the
                    operation that they thought <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikGeorge"
                        >George</persName> would require is not at present necessary. It is a great
                    relief. – After all this dreadful experience I shrink for anything more – though
                    of course I would have stood it &amp; helped them all as much as I could.
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikMargaret">Mrs. Craik</persName> writes
                    that I shall be "such a comfort to her &amp; such a blessing to <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#CraikGeorge">George</persName>" when I come tonight.
                    – which there's no denying, is pleasant to hear – after you have lived with
                    people for months &amp; found out all their weaknesses &amp; they yours. – This
                    is a good long letter – I wonder if you get tired of them &amp; skip them – But
                    you must take what you don't care for with what you do – your last was
                    especially interesting &amp; comfortable. – How do you mean that Spanish offer
                    did not come in tangible form. I thought it did. – <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrWatson">Mr. Watson</persName> told me <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#VignolesCharles">Mr. Vignoles</persName> would have
                    you whenever you were obliged to come home – but that he <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrWatson">Watson</persName> &amp; <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Ogilvie">Ogilvie</persName> noted you would not be
                    obliged to come as they should miss you so much. – I hope you have written
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrWatson">Mr. Watson</persName> &amp; got
                    some definite understanding. – In spite of its <!--KF: The bottom left corner of this page is torn off. Each of the last five lines on this page is missing approximately 2-3 words where the paper was torn.-->
                    <del>
                        <gap quantity="2" unit="word"/>
                    </del> like Saturn's ring. – Remember to say <del>
                        <gap quantity="2" unit="word"/>
                    </del> your health keeps. – I am well considering <del>
                        <gap quantity="2" unit="word"/>
                    </del> – &amp; writing: – but happily the latter will be <del>
                        <gap quantity="2" unit="word"/>
                    </del> two months now. – Goodbye my dearest</p>
                <closer> Ever your affectionate<lb/>
                    <signed>
                        <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Sister</persName><anchor xml:id="n5"
                        />
                    </signed>
                    <lb/>
                </closer>
            </div>
        </body>
        <back>
            <div type="notes">
                <note target="#n1" resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FukushimaKailey"><persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Dinah</persName>'s brother <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MulockBen">Ben</persName> sailed from <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Liverpool">Liverpool</placeName> to <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Brazil">Brazil</placeName> on the Oneida in <date
                        when="1859-10">October of 1859.</date> The Oneida was also was also a mail
                    ship at the time.<lb/> Robert E. Forrester and Professor Derek H. Aldcroft,
                    "1851: Across the South Atlantic," British Mail Steamers to South America,
                    851-1965, online ed. (Taylor &amp; Francis, 2014), 40-41, 9781472416629.</note>
                <note target="#n2" resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FukushimaKailey">"Tin" was a
                    nineteenth-century slang term for money. <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MrZiepel">Dr. Ziepel</persName> was a scholar of
                    Classics, French, German, and Mathematics, and it seems that he might have been
                    tutoring <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#MontgomeryHugh">Hugh
                        Montgomery.</persName><lb/> "Tin," Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial
                    English, eds. John S. Farmer and W. E. Henley (London: George Routledge &amp;
                    Sons, 1905), 477,
                    https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofslan00farmuoft.<lb/></note>
                <note target="#n3" resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FukushimaKailey">The comet <persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Dinah</persName> describes here became known as
                    the Great Comet of 1861 (C/1861 J1). It was first sighted in <placeName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#Australia">Australia</placeName> on <date
                        when="1861-05-13">13 May 1861</date> and became visible in the northern
                    hemisphere on <date when="1861-06-29">29 June 1861.</date><lb/> "The Discovery of
                    the Great Comet of 1861 by John Tebbutt," Observations Blog, Museum of Applied
                    Arts &amp; Sciences (16 November 2010),
                    https://maas.museum/observations/2010/11/16/the-discovery-of-the-great-comet-of-1861-by-john-tebbutt/. </note>
                <note target="#n4" resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FukushimaKailey"><persName
                        ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#BrowningElizabethBarrett">Elizabeth Barrett
                        Browning</persName> died on <date when="1861-06-29">29 June 1861</date>,
                    which was actually a <date>Saturday.</date>
                    <persName ref="CraikSiteIndex.xml#DMC">Dinah</persName> might have heard about
                    her death on the <date>Sunday.</date><lb/> ODNB.</note>
                <note target="#n5" resp="CraikSiteIndex.xml#FukushimaKailey">The postscript to this
                    letter has been almost completely torn off. The only legible bits read:<lb/>
                    <unclear>[pos]-sible in my wanderings<lb/> to do next March<lb/> might miss. –
                    </unclear></note>
            </div>
        </back>
    </text>
</TEI>
Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 2-5 July 1861. Dinah Mulock Craik Karen Bourrier Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive University of Calgary Karen Bourrier Transcription April 2017 by Kailey Fukushima Proofing of transcription May 2017 by Janice Parker TEI encoding April 2017 by Kailey Fukushima Proofing of TEI encoding May 2017 by Janice Parker First digital edition in TEI, date: May 2017. P5. Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive Calgary, Alberta, Canada 2017

Reproduced by courtesy of the University of California at Los Angeles .

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive University of California at Los Angeles Charles E. Young Research Library Mulock Family Papers 846 Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 2-5 July 1861.

The final pages of this letter have holes and tears that affect their legibility. There is a small hole in the middle of page 9/10. The bottom corner of page 11/12 is completely torn off, and part of the bottom edge is also missing.

Box 1, Folder 8

Our aim in this edition has been to transcribe the content of the letters as accurately as possible without reproducing the physical appearance of the manuscript. Craik’s spelling, punctuation, underlining, superscripts, abbreviations, additions and deletions are retained, except for words which are hyphenated at the end of a line, which we have silently emended. Where Craik uses a non-standard spelling, we have encoded both her spelling and the standard Oxford English Dictionary spelling to facilitate searching. The long s is not encoded.

July 2:nd Wildwood My dearest boy

The mail is telegraphed – so I expect my letter on Thursday morning. The Oneida is certainly a quick & satisfactory animal. – There is hardly anything to tell you – however I will tell it: – seeing I only wait for your letter to start North. & if it comes all right in Thursday morning shall despatch packet & letter & be off on Thursday night: – not sorry! for I have done a month's good work – & feel that it is time to stop unless I would have my head bad again. Also I am being painted out of house & home – driven from room to room to get out of the way of it – & finally into the garden – I did part of the last chapter among the raspberry bushes with my feet on a hot bottle. – Mrs. Earl has actually painted the whole outside of Wildwood – windows & doors included. We look horridly fresh & new. – glaring white with oak doors. You can imagine. –

My last letter was sent off on the 22:nd . – the night of that awful fire. Laura & I first saw it from the top of the Clock house – lighting up the whole dome of St. Pauls. – It was visible two days & nights from Hampstead – smoke in the day – & coloring all the sky to the zenith at night – such an awful sight. – but you will see it all in the papers: – on the Monday being Minna's birthday I went in to dinner & found them terribly grieved – Mr. Lovell had been very fond of Braidwood – I never saw Mr. Lovell so cut up in my life – he looked quite white & hardly spoke – He had been off before 8 A. M. to the source of the fire – & only just came back. He said the Brigade men at Watling St. could hardly speak for crying after poor Braidwood. Nothing for a long time has made such a universal talk as this fire – they say nothing has been like it since the great fire of London. – The Phoenix loses nearly £200.00 by it. & the awful row the different affairs are making is something indescribable – How Mr. Lovell is worried out of his life with work owing to it – says he never shall be able to get from Town at all this summer. It is burning still – & the number of people killed in it will never be known – The hospitals are all quite full with people injured day by day, now the firemen just throw on water & stand & look on – leaving it to burn itself out. They were very much afraid of London Bridge Station. – & with a slight wind all Bermondsey would have been burnt down. – the dreadful thing is that if people would only have had the sense at first to that the fire-proof door between the warehouses, all would have been safe – & the fire put out in no time. As it was, the draught spread it in all directions. I don't know if this is interesting – it's quite a new form of my letters – they are becoming anti-personal – like my parent's. who sends me a splendid political essay once a month. He seems very mild & comfortable – People write to him for my autographs – & he sends back my envelopes! No doubt he might drive a thriving trade at six pence a pair!! – He expresses himself still on the way for Ireland – but never goes. – On the whole it is a wonderful look of comfort. The dear little Aunts have written several times – & sent me a parcel of under-clothes that they have been making for me – in great regret that they were only mine & not a baby's. – Mlle Wright is better – Aunts Anne & Jane are staying with Richard & looking after his children: – very great victims. – the usual destiny of ancient aunts: – But it's wonderful how the aunts have been shaken up – one never hears a word about Wallinger. They have a large small portrait of Spurgeon, hanging beside ours. – Spurgeon preached a sermon entitled "Fire – fire – fire" on the late event – & then put a notice in the paper that he wished his friends & the public would let alone – as he was ordered quiet – & went off to the Lakes.Marian & I dined at Vale Lodge on Minna's birthday & Mr. MarstonNellyMrs. James & Miss Coates & Laura came to tea. It was heavy – I think everybody was dull – as one is at all anniversaries – & Braidwood's death threw quite a gloom over people. – Mrs. Lovell cried considerably. – Laura did her best – also the Ziepels – but nobody was very lively – for Miss Montgomery has been in a sad lone way – their only hope was getting her abroad & they were afraid she wouldn't go – however happily yesterday we saw them – all shipped off. – Laura, Miss M. Hugh, Priestly Smith (Laura's cousin) & her brother William Herford. – Garlick & Mrs. Garlick to the Lord Warden at Dover – whence they go indefinitely "abroad." – to Switzerland most likely.

There is to be a change for the Ziepels shortly – his is so mild – he can't manage Hugh – & Miss M. has commissioned me to let her know if I can hear of any Cambridge man who would really take him in hand & do for him. – She is rather frightened for him – in 4 years the lad will have £5000 a year & not a soul to control him in any way. – It seems very grand – but when I think of all the other nice lads I have known – with not a penny to bless themselves – Craik boys – & Patons – & Dobells – I am sure they are better off than Hugh. I never can get up the smallest interest in Hugh. He has bothered Mr. Ziepel so extremely that I should think he would not miss him much. – except for the "tin" – But I'm afraid you will not find this "interesting." – Well – there's a comet. Mrs. Lovell met it on the staircase windows on Sunday night – as round as the moon – she thought at first it was the moon – & then she thought the world was coming to an end. according to Dr. Cumming. It stared in at Minna's window the whole night – quite awful. I have not seen it yet. – Nelly Marston was here the other day: she has been a fortnight at Upper Terrace & goes home much better. They have taken a new house – & Mrs. Singleton is to live with them when she comes back from Geneva. Mr. Richard Garnett – whom you see in Macmillan – spends a good many Sundays there. Nell seems to admire him a little. She told me he had taken to astrological studies – just for curiosity – & was quite horrified to find how true they were – just like you – For a test I sent him the hour of my birth – to find out all about the "native" until now: – but I did not wish him to go on any further. I had rather not have any idea of the future. If good I should not believe it – if bad I certainly should – & be worried by it. It is best to "wait patiently" – & believe in the next world for one's "heart's desire." –

Mrs. Mott – your ancient enemy – came to see me – & fearfully interrupted work – this morning. However being only once in a way I took it calmly. – She is a good soul though you don't like her. Albert has been terribly ill – & is still. – He and Clara are going by & by to the Forest near Leicester – & the children are to be sent to Detmore. – He has very hard work – but he can't do it – poor Albert! I sometimes think with a certain compunction how completely you have let go Albert & Clara – your own particular friends of your own making – but you must go & see them when you come home & it will be all right. Still there is a certain reason in your eulogiums on the advantage of new friends – anybody so erratic in their movements as you must take a certain amount of trouble to keep the old ones, – or they drop off – & you have to make a new set wherever you go. –

I am going this afternoon to try & see Fanny Martin – they are staying at Mrs. Reid's – She is terribly grieved by the sudden death of her friend Miss Bathurst – at Bruges. – a fine friend: but a good woman who has stuck to Fanny through thick & thin for 10 or 12 years – she used to come to Camden St. Fanny & Jane are both well: they think of going to the sea as soon as their holidays begin. – my absence will be longer than I thought: George has been so much worse that it is impossible he can get his leg by in August – indeed they are so anxious about him they hardly know what to do – He is very good & patient – but his health seems to have quite given away – & the stump is not healed yet. Possible there may have to be more surgical means used. – & then moving about from place to place must be tried: – at least that is the idea now – that he & Jane & I should just go about together – & get him strong if we can. They say they "can't do without me." – so I shall just go: – for probably two months. – It may be a weakness – but it goes to my heart their all being so fond of me. – besides I have such an intense respect for them all. & the more I find out of them the more I respect them. – The Tomlinsons will occupy Wildwood – rent free – but keeping the house – for three weeks – then I believe I shall get a tenant 3 guineas per week: – Mrs. Simpson of EdinburghMrs. Storrar's friend – who will settle it all for me – She is Dr. Simpson's wife – & a tidy woman – who would take the house & servants just as they are – for six weeks. – which will make my mind easy. – Truly never had any old maid a more happy life – thank God for it! – Mrs. Laing & her boy dined at the Lovells yesterday & I went to meet them. – poor Mrs. Laing – she has lost her husband & two brothers in ten months – She lives in half a house – on about £120 a year – with the boy too. – & is so cheerful & brave – not a bit borne down by her poverty – She has promised when I come home to come & stop here a bit with the boy. – she says she shall so enjoy the garden – Certainly a good many people do that, besides me – & I do, unutterably, you did a good thing when you compelled me to take Wildwood. – I must stop now till the mail. This letter says nothing but home news – I am waiting for yours. –

Wednesday afternoon. I write a bit more while waiting for tea. – I went yesterday to say goodbye to various people. Fanny Martin – whom I missed – the Marstons – & Wills finally going down to Vale Lodge for supper & Mr. Lovell walking home with me. The comet was magnificent – half over the sky the tail swept – nearly as large as the old one – & the head much bigger – It was as grand a sight as that night with Arcturus in his tail. – He popped suddenly out on Sunday night last in the middle of the sky – nobody had an idea of him before. – The Tooley St. fire is still blazing – of nights we can see it from Hampstead – & there was another fire visible last night so it was a lively evening – people walking in throngs on the terrace till until 11. P.M. – Today I finished & put off my writing – for two months I suppose – my head aching so that I feel I have done my possible & may rest. Then I went in to dinner with the James & walked with Marian part way to the Marstons. She is so exceedingly good now – quite affectionate – like the old days before Sydney came up – it is a real pleasure to me to have her family back again like as when she was a little girl. – We make no explanations or anything – just "come to." – & are quite happy & comfortable. – I have been much shocked this afternoon to hear of the death of Mary Chambers – she died "quite suddenly" – inflammation – was well a week ago. She leaves a husband & three little babies. Poor Mary! how soon people slip away into the other world. It is an awful grief for the Chambers family – the first they have ever had. Mr. Chambers & Janet were here last week – We little thought what trouble was coming to them – I got a letter from Mrs. Craik today. – she & George are in Glasgow now – waiting to see if another operation will be needed. – it will be very hard if it is so. – & I shall be glad to be with them. – It will be two very anxious months I know – but if that poor boy can only get well it would be nothing. – I think if anything went wrong with him now it would almost kill his father & mother.

FridayManchester. I brought your letter & this in my pocket to finish here at Willie Craik's lodgings – where I slept last night. – your letter came on Wednesday evening: so at 7. A.M. yesterday I went over to Mr. Lovell to get out the £100 from the Joint Stock Bank. – & wrote to Springfield saying I would pay it to him on your account in a fortnight. Of course he will send me an acknowledgment of some sort – for though he is "safe as the Bank" he is in business & has a partner. – It would never do to sell out the funds are so low. I shall take your two next £50 – & then we shall be all straight. –

I went to say goodbye to Marian en route to Eaton Square & told her your news with which she was much pleased. She is very good & kind – Minna met me – in pouring rain – & went down with me to Euston Station – she asked your news & I read her bits of your letter – about the party & the robbery. – we made no comments of any kind – I did not tell her the chance of you coming home – but I told Marian: – who was glad & did not anticipate so much difficulty in Vale Lodge. – she says she thinks it would be much better to meet casually – have it out & have it over. – But I know quite well you cannot stay at Wildwood. – nobody expects that – I have taken care they should not: by saying "accidentally" – that I knew after your Brazil life you will find it so dull, you will never be able to stand it for more than a few days. – I also refused Detmore this summer on the plea that I hoped you were coming home before xmas Christmas – & that as soon as you came we would both start off to Detmore together. This you see makes all plain-sailing for you – you need not be in the least afraid to come home. As for my "friends." – goodness knows they are nothing to be frightened of – there are none of them "fine." chiefly people in trouble who to come to Wildwood as a refuge – but they can all be stopped out for the time being if you desire it. –

Of course Mr. Watson must either send you the third year's work – or transfer you to Mr. Vignoles – & in either case you would be away somewhere almost immediately. – If you & O go on a visit to Detmore no one will notice that you do not stay at Hampstead. – and the Vale Lodge visiing is so desultory that it can easily leave. Sometimes Minna does not come to Wildwood for 3 weeks – & at Upper Terrace I dined on Wednesday for the first time in my life! – So you see, no rencontres need be feared. – I feel strongly that if Mr. Watson does not object, you ought to come home. – Probably as your year ends in October by the November mail? – you must tell me as soon as you know. – I was very glad to hear about the party & your visit – I was sure it was all right with the Ogilvies – you were just getting your old "suspicious notions." – which will be got rid of in time. – I think in every relation except falling in love – the one rule holds – Love people, & they'll love you. – your letter altogether was exceedingly comfortable – except for the robbery. – which is unpleasant – I hope they won't come again – one fears a fight more than robbery – but you will of course take all reasonable precautions. – & you will not be long at Mapelle maybe. – It must be so awfully solitary just say what precautions you are taking – for I feel easy – I am afraid of them hurting you. – much more that even portable property. – you & Wilson ought to sleep within reach of one another. –

I like to hear what you think of your books always – I packed up the last two with the mags magazines – & sent them off yesterday – also the Lloyds: – so I cleared everything off safe before going on my travels. – Annie Miers took your Brazil book home with her to keep until I come back – her parents enjoy the Phos Photos so much. – I shall be looking out for the next packet. also my watch. – Inside a mag magazine is a lovely chart which I copied for you from Mrs. Tomlinson

I feel rather tired today – that horrid riding journey – & very so even before starting. – but I made a struggle to get off – as otherwise I must have stayed in Glasgow all Sunday – as is I shall get there tonight & go down to Arran tomorrow. – Mrs. Craik wanted the me so to stop a night here & see Willie – he is so lonely, poor lad – lives hard upon his £80 a year – & actually makes it do – He is off to business at 9 a.m. – indefinitely till until 11 p.m. – & hardly ever gets a holiday. – By & by he will be away to Bombay – & doubtless will come back in ten years a professors man – but it's some work now – He almost cried last night because he could not get home to see George. – said he was a perfect work-slave – body & soul – & it was awfully hard – however I have started a plan for his meeting Jane & George & me somewhere in Wales for a week by & by – if he possibly can get holiday – & that brightened him a good deal – I brought him a piece of ham & a lot of fruit from Wildwood – Certainly whatever may be said – there's something Scotch endurance which always goes to what a contract between this lad & Ch However it's not only Scotch – for Clarence such another. They were so glad at there is a chance of you turning off we will have a grand time there whenever it is –

– You must not go & fall in love with Alice However for I'm certain almost she is fond of Briton Rivière. – though whether he cares for her is very doubtful. – Last Sunday Mrs. Browning died. – She now knows the other world – that she wrote of so grandly in the last Cornhill. – I think the world is growing very small – & the troubles of it seem so many that one is always expecting something to be endured – I go to Glasgow more easy – as the operation that they thought George would require is not at present necessary. It is a great relief. – After all this dreadful experience I shrink for anything more – though of course I would have stood it & helped them all as much as I could. Mrs. Craik writes that I shall be "such a comfort to her & such a blessing to George" when I come tonight. – which there's no denying, is pleasant to hear – after you have lived with people for months & found out all their weaknesses & they yours. – This is a good long letter – I wonder if you get tired of them & skip them – But you must take what you don't care for with what you do – your last was especially interesting & comfortable. – How do you mean that Spanish offer did not come in tangible form. I thought it did. – Mr. Watson told me Mr. Vignoles would have you whenever you were obliged to come home – but that he Watson & Ogilvie noted you would not be obliged to come as they should miss you so much. – I hope you have written Mr. Watson & got some definite understanding. – In spite of its like Saturn's ring. – Remember to say your health keeps. – I am well considering – & writing: – but happily the latter will be two months now. – Goodbye my dearest

Ever your affectionate Sister
1 Dinah's brother Ben sailed from Liverpool to Brazil on the Oneida in October of 1859. The Oneida was also was also a mail ship at the time. Robert E. Forrester and Professor Derek H. Aldcroft, "1851: Across the South Atlantic," British Mail Steamers to South America, 851-1965, online ed. (Taylor & Francis, 2014), 40-41, 9781472416629. 2 "Tin" was a nineteenth-century slang term for money. Dr. Ziepel was a scholar of Classics, French, German, and Mathematics, and it seems that he might have been tutoring Hugh Montgomery. "Tin," Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English, eds. John S. Farmer and W. E. Henley (London: George Routledge & Sons, 1905), 477, https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofslan00farmuoft. 3 The comet Dinah describes here became known as the Great Comet of 1861 (C/1861 J1). It was first sighted in Australia on 13 May 1861 and became visible in the northern hemisphere on 29 June 1861. "The Discovery of the Great Comet of 1861 by John Tebbutt," Observations Blog, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (16 November 2010), https://maas.museum/observations/2010/11/16/the-discovery-of-the-great-comet-of-1861-by-john-tebbutt/. 4 Elizabeth Barrett Browning died on 29 June 1861, which was actually a Saturday. Dinah might have heard about her death on the Sunday. ODNB. 5 The postscript to this letter has been almost completely torn off. The only legible bits read: [pos]-sible in my wanderings to do next March might miss. –

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Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 2-5 July 1861. Dinah Mulock Craik Karen Bourrier Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive University of Calgary Karen Bourrier Transcription April 2017 by Kailey Fukushima Proofing of transcription May 2017 by Janice Parker TEI encoding April 2017 by Kailey Fukushima Proofing of TEI encoding May 2017 by Janice Parker First digital edition in TEI, date: May 2017. P5. Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive Calgary, Alberta, Canada 2017

Reproduced by courtesy of the University of California at Los Angeles .

Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
Dinah Mulock Craik: A Digital Archive University of California at Los Angeles Charles E. Young Research Library Mulock Family Papers 846 Letter from Dinah Mulock Craik to Benjamin Mulock, 2-5 July 1861.

The final pages of this letter have holes and tears that affect their legibility. There is a small hole in the middle of page 9/10. The bottom corner of page 11/12 is completely torn off, and part of the bottom edge is also missing.

Box 1, Folder 8

Our aim in this edition has been to transcribe the content of the letters as accurately as possible without reproducing the physical appearance of the manuscript. Craik’s spelling, punctuation, underlining, superscripts, abbreviations, additions and deletions are retained, except for words which are hyphenated at the end of a line, which we have silently emended. Where Craik uses a non-standard spelling, we have encoded both her spelling and the standard Oxford English Dictionary spelling to facilitate searching. The long s is not encoded.

July 2:nd Wildwood My dearest boy

The mail is telegraphed – so I expect my letter on Thursday morning. The Oneida is certainly a quick & satisfactory animal. – There is hardly anything to tell you – however I will tell it: – seeing I only wait for your letter to start North. & if it comes all right in Thursday morning shall despatch packet & letter & be off on Thursday night: – not sorry! for I have done a month's good work – & feel that it is time to stop unless I would have my head bad again. Also I am being painted out of house & home – driven from room to room to get out of the way of it – & finally into the garden – I did part of the last chapter among the raspberry bushes with my feet on a hot bottle. – Mrs. Earl has actually painted the whole outside of Wildwood – windows & doors included. We look horridly fresh & new. – glaring white with oak doors. You can imagine. –

My last letter was sent off on the 22:nd . – the night of that awful fire. Laura & I first saw it from the top of the Clock house – lighting up the whole dome of St. Pauls. – It was visible two days & nights from Hampstead – smoke in the day – & coloring all the sky to the zenith at night – such an awful sight. – but you will see it all in the papers: – on the Monday being Minna's birthday I went in to dinner & found them terribly grieved – Mr. Lovell had been very fond of Braidwood – I never saw Mr. Lovell so cut up in my life – he looked quite white & hardly spoke – He had been off before 8 A. M. to the source of the fire – & only just came back. He said the Brigade men at Watling St. could hardly speak for crying after poor Braidwood. Nothing for a long time has made such a universal talk as this fire – they say nothing has been like it since the great fire of London. – The Phoenix loses nearly £200.00 by it. & the awful row the different affairs are making is something indescribable – How Mr. Lovell is worried out of his life with work owing to it – says he never shall be able to get from Town at all this summer. It is burning still – & the number of people killed in it will never be known – The hospitals are all quite full with people injured day by day, now the firemen just throw on water & stand & look on – leaving it to burn itself out. They were very much afraid of London Bridge Station. – & with a slight wind all Bermondsey would have been burnt down. – the dreadful thing is that if people would only have had the sense at first to that the fire-proof door between the warehouses, all would have been safe – & the fire put out in no time. As it was, the draught spread it in all directions. I don't know if this is interesting – it's quite a new form of my letters – they are becoming anti-personal – like my parent's. who sends me a splendid political essay once a month. He seems very mild & comfortable – People write to him for my autographs – & he sends back my envelopes! No doubt he might drive a thriving trade at six pence a pair!! – He expresses himself still on the way for Ireland – but never goes. – On the whole it is a wonderful look of comfort. The dear little Aunts have written several times – & sent me a parcel of under-clothes that they have been making for me – in great regret that they were only mine & not a baby's. – Mlle Wright is better – Aunts Anne & Jane are staying with Richard & looking after his children: – very great victims. – the usual destiny of ancient aunts: – But it's wonderful how the aunts have been shaken up – one never hears a word about Wallinger. They have a large small portrait of Spurgeon, hanging beside ours. – Spurgeon preached a sermon entitled "Fire – fire – fire" on the late event – & then put a notice in the paper that he wished his friends & the public would let alone – as he was ordered quiet – & went off to the Lakes.Marian & I dined at Vale Lodge on Minna's birthday & Mr. MarstonNellyMrs. James & Miss Coates & Laura came to tea. It was heavy – I think everybody was dull – as one is at all anniversaries – & Braidwood's death threw quite a gloom over people. – Mrs. Lovell cried considerably. – Laura did her best – also the Ziepels – but nobody was very lively – for Miss Montgomery has been in a sad lone way – their only hope was getting her abroad & they were afraid she wouldn't go – however happily yesterday we saw them – all shipped off. – Laura, Miss M. Hugh, Priestly Smith (Laura's cousin) & her brother William Herford. – Garlick & Mrs. Garlick to the Lord Warden at Dover – whence they go indefinitely "abroad." – to Switzerland most likely.

There is to be a change for the Ziepels shortly – his is so mild – he can't manage Hugh – & Miss M. has commissioned me to let her know if I can hear of any Cambridge man who would really take him in hand & do for him. – She is rather frightened for him – in 4 years the lad will have £5000 a year & not a soul to control him in any way. – It seems very grand – but when I think of all the other nice lads I have known – with not a penny to bless themselves – Craik boys – & Patons – & Dobells – I am sure they are better off than Hugh. I never can get up the smallest interest in Hugh. He has bothered Mr. Ziepel so extremely that I should think he would not miss him much. – except for the "tin" – But I'm afraid you will not find this "interesting." – Well – there's a comet. Mrs. Lovell met it on the staircase windows on Sunday night – as round as the moon – she thought at first it was the moon – & then she thought the world was coming to an end. according to Dr. Cumming. It stared in at Minna's window the whole night – quite awful. I have not seen it yet. – Nelly Marston was here the other day: she has been a fortnight at Upper Terrace & goes home much better. They have taken a new house – & Mrs. Singleton is to live with them when she comes back from Geneva. Mr. Richard Garnett – whom you see in Macmillan – spends a good many Sundays there. Nell seems to admire him a little. She told me he had taken to astrological studies – just for curiosity – & was quite horrified to find how true they were – just like you – For a test I sent him the hour of my birth – to find out all about the "native" until now: – but I did not wish him to go on any further. I had rather not have any idea of the future. If good I should not believe it – if bad I certainly should – & be worried by it. It is best to "wait patiently" – & believe in the next world for one's "heart's desire." –

Mrs. Mott – your ancient enemy – came to see me – & fearfully interrupted work – this morning. However being only once in a way I took it calmly. – She is a good soul though you don't like her. Albert has been terribly ill – & is still. – He and Clara are going by & by to the Forest near Leicester – & the children are to be sent to Detmore. – He has very hard work – but he can't do it – poor Albert! I sometimes think with a certain compunction how completely you have let go Albert & Clara – your own particular friends of your own making – but you must go & see them when you come home & it will be all right. Still there is a certain reason in your eulogiums on the advantage of new friends – anybody so erratic in their movements as you must take a certain amount of trouble to keep the old ones, – or they drop off – & you have to make a new set wherever you go. –

I am going this afternoon to try & see Fanny Martin – they are staying at Mrs. Reid's – She is terribly grieved by the sudden death of her friend Miss Bathurst – at Bruges. – a fine friend: but a good woman who has stuck to Fanny through thick & thin for 10 or 12 years – she used to come to Camden St. Fanny & Jane are both well: they think of going to the sea as soon as their holidays begin. – my absence will be longer than I thought: George has been so much worse that it is impossible he can get his leg by in August – indeed they are so anxious about him they hardly know what to do – He is very good & patient – but his health seems to have quite given away – & the stump is not healed yet. Possible there may have to be more surgical means used. – & then moving about from place to place must be tried: – at least that is the idea now – that he & Jane & I should just go about together – & get him strong if we can. They say they "can't do without me." – so I shall just go: – for probably two months. – It may be a weakness – but it goes to my heart their all being so fond of me. – besides I have such an intense respect for them all. & the more I find out of them the more I respect them. – The Tomlinsons will occupy Wildwood – rent free – but keeping the house – for three weeks – then I believe I shall get a tenant 3 guineas per week: – Mrs. Simpson of EdinburghMrs. Storrar's friend – who will settle it all for me – She is Dr. Simpson's wife – & a tidy woman – who would take the house & servants just as they are – for six weeks. – which will make my mind easy. – Truly never had any old maid a more happy life – thank God for it! – Mrs. Laing & her boy dined at the Lovells yesterday & I went to meet them. – poor Mrs. Laing – she has lost her husband & two brothers in ten months – She lives in half a house – on about £120 a year – with the boy too. – & is so cheerful & brave – not a bit borne down by her poverty – She has promised when I come home to come & stop here a bit with the boy. – she says she shall so enjoy the garden – Certainly a good many people do that, besides me – & I do, unutterably, you did a good thing when you compelled me to take Wildwood. – I must stop now till the mail. This letter says nothing but home news – I am waiting for yours. –

Wednesday afternoon. I write a bit more while waiting for tea. – I went yesterday to say goodbye to various people. Fanny Martin – whom I missed – the Marstons – & Wills finally going down to Vale Lodge for supper & Mr. Lovell walking home with me. The comet was magnificent – half over the sky the tail swept – nearly as large as the old one – & the head much bigger – It was as grand a sight as that night with Arcturus in his tail. – He popped suddenly out on Sunday night last in the middle of the sky – nobody had an idea of him before. – The Tooley St. fire is still blazing – of nights we can see it from Hampstead – & there was another fire visible last night so it was a lively evening – people walking in throngs on the terrace till until 11. P.M. – Today I finished & put off my writing – for two months I suppose – my head aching so that I feel I have done my possible & may rest. Then I went in to dinner with the James & walked with Marian part way to the Marstons. She is so exceedingly good now – quite affectionate – like the old days before Sydney came up – it is a real pleasure to me to have her family back again like as when she was a little girl. – We make no explanations or anything – just "come to." – & are quite happy & comfortable. – I have been much shocked this afternoon to hear of the death of Mary Chambers – she died "quite suddenly" – inflammation – was well a week ago. She leaves a husband & three little babies. Poor Mary! how soon people slip away into the other world. It is an awful grief for the Chambers family – the first they have ever had. Mr. Chambers & Janet were here last week – We little thought what trouble was coming to them – I got a letter from Mrs. Craik today. – she & George are in Glasgow now – waiting to see if another operation will be needed. – it will be very hard if it is so. – & I shall be glad to be with them. – It will be two very anxious months I know – but if that poor boy can only get well it would be nothing. – I think if anything went wrong with him now it would almost kill his father & mother.

FridayManchester. I brought your letter & this in my pocket to finish here at Willie Craik's lodgings – where I slept last night. – your letter came on Wednesday evening: so at 7. A.M. yesterday I went over to Mr. Lovell to get out the £100 from the Joint Stock Bank. – & wrote to Springfield saying I would pay it to him on your account in a fortnight. Of course he will send me an acknowledgment of some sort – for though he is "safe as the Bank" he is in business & has a partner. – It would never do to sell out the funds are so low. I shall take your two next £50 – & then we shall be all straight. –

I went to say goodbye to Marian en route to Eaton Square & told her your news with which she was much pleased. She is very good & kind – Minna met me – in pouring rain – & went down with me to Euston Station – she asked your news & I read her bits of your letter – about the party & the robbery. – we made no comments of any kind – I did not tell her the chance of you coming home – but I told Marian: – who was glad & did not anticipate so much difficulty in Vale Lodge. – she says she thinks it would be much better to meet casually – have it out & have it over. – But I know quite well you cannot stay at Wildwood. – nobody expects that – I have taken care they should not: by saying "accidentally" – that I knew after your Brazil life you will find it so dull, you will never be able to stand it for more than a few days. – I also refused Detmore this summer on the plea that I hoped you were coming home before xmas Christmas – & that as soon as you came we would both start off to Detmore together. This you see makes all plain-sailing for you – you need not be in the least afraid to come home. As for my "friends." – goodness knows they are nothing to be frightened of – there are none of them "fine." chiefly people in trouble who to come to Wildwood as a refuge – but they can all be stopped out for the time being if you desire it. –

Of course Mr. Watson must either send you the third year's work – or transfer you to Mr. Vignoles – & in either case you would be away somewhere almost immediately. – If you & O go on a visit to Detmore no one will notice that you do not stay at Hampstead. – and the Vale Lodge visiing is so desultory that it can easily leave. Sometimes Minna does not come to Wildwood for 3 weeks – & at Upper Terrace I dined on Wednesday for the first time in my life! – So you see, no rencontres need be feared. – I feel strongly that if Mr. Watson does not object, you ought to come home. – Probably as your year ends in October by the November mail? – you must tell me as soon as you know. – I was very glad to hear about the party & your visit – I was sure it was all right with the Ogilvies – you were just getting your old "suspicious notions." – which will be got rid of in time. – I think in every relation except falling in love – the one rule holds – Love people, & they'll love you. – your letter altogether was exceedingly comfortable – except for the robbery. – which is unpleasant – I hope they won't come again – one fears a fight more than robbery – but you will of course take all reasonable precautions. – & you will not be long at Mapelle maybe. – It must be so awfully solitary just say what precautions you are taking – for I feel easy – I am afraid of them hurting you. – much more that even portable property. – you & Wilson ought to sleep within reach of one another. –

I like to hear what you think of your books always – I packed up the last two with the mags magazines – & sent them off yesterday – also the Lloyds: – so I cleared everything off safe before going on my travels. – Annie Miers took your Brazil book home with her to keep until I come back – her parents enjoy the Phos Photos so much. – I shall be looking out for the next packet. also my watch. – Inside a mag magazine is a lovely chart which I copied for you from Mrs. Tomlinson

I feel rather tired today – that horrid riding journey – & very so even before starting. – but I made a struggle to get off – as otherwise I must have stayed in Glasgow all Sunday – as is I shall get there tonight & go down to Arran tomorrow. – Mrs. Craik wanted the me so to stop a night here & see Willie – he is so lonely, poor lad – lives hard upon his £80 a year – & actually makes it do – He is off to business at 9 a.m. – indefinitely till until 11 p.m. – & hardly ever gets a holiday. – By & by he will be away to Bombay – & doubtless will come back in ten years a professors man – but it's some work now – He almost cried last night because he could not get home to see George. – said he was a perfect work-slave – body & soul – & it was awfully hard – however I have started a plan for his meeting Jane & George & me somewhere in Wales for a week by & by – if he possibly can get holiday – & that brightened him a good deal – I brought him a piece of ham & a lot of fruit from Wildwood – Certainly whatever may be said – there's something Scotch endurance which always goes to what a contract between this lad & Ch However it's not only Scotch – for Clarence such another. They were so glad at there is a chance of you turning off we will have a grand time there whenever it is –

– You must not go & fall in love with Alice However for I'm certain almost she is fond of Briton Rivière. – though whether he cares for her is very doubtful. – Last Sunday Mrs. Browning died. – She now knows the other world – that she wrote of so grandly in the last Cornhill. – I think the world is growing very small – & the troubles of it seem so many that one is always expecting something to be endured – I go to Glasgow more easy – as the operation that they thought George would require is not at present necessary. It is a great relief. – After all this dreadful experience I shrink for anything more – though of course I would have stood it & helped them all as much as I could. Mrs. Craik writes that I shall be "such a comfort to her & such a blessing to George" when I come tonight. – which there's no denying, is pleasant to hear – after you have lived with people for months & found out all their weaknesses & they yours. – This is a good long letter – I wonder if you get tired of them & skip them – But you must take what you don't care for with what you do – your last was especially interesting & comfortable. – How do you mean that Spanish offer did not come in tangible form. I thought it did. – Mr. Watson told me Mr. Vignoles would have you whenever you were obliged to come home – but that he Watson & Ogilvie noted you would not be obliged to come as they should miss you so much. – I hope you have written Mr. Watson & got some definite understanding. – In spite of its like Saturn's ring. – Remember to say your health keeps. – I am well considering – & writing: – but happily the latter will be two months now. – Goodbye my dearest

Ever your affectionate Sister
Dinah's brother Ben sailed from Liverpool to Brazil on the Oneida in October of 1859. The Oneida was also was also a mail ship at the time. Robert E. Forrester and Professor Derek H. Aldcroft, "1851: Across the South Atlantic," British Mail Steamers to South America, 851-1965, online ed. (Taylor & Francis, 2014), 40-41, 9781472416629. "Tin" was a nineteenth-century slang term for money. Dr. Ziepel was a scholar of Classics, French, German, and Mathematics, and it seems that he might have been tutoring Hugh Montgomery. "Tin," Dictionary of Slang and Colloquial English, eds. John S. Farmer and W. E. Henley (London: George Routledge & Sons, 1905), 477, https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofslan00farmuoft. The comet Dinah describes here became known as the Great Comet of 1861 (C/1861 J1). It was first sighted in Australia on 13 May 1861 and became visible in the northern hemisphere on 29 June 1861. "The Discovery of the Great Comet of 1861 by John Tebbutt," Observations Blog, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences (16 November 2010), https://maas.museum/observations/2010/11/16/the-discovery-of-the-great-comet-of-1861-by-john-tebbutt/. Elizabeth Barrett Browning died on 29 June 1861, which was actually a Saturday. Dinah might have heard about her death on the Sunday. ODNB. The postscript to this letter has been almost completely torn off. The only legible bits read: [pos]-sible in my wanderings to do next March might miss. –