2. Northernhay Place, Exeter
Monday
My dear Charles,
I have this evening heard from Caroline that you leave home the end of this
week—and that you wish to have a good bye from me before you go. I
had not the least
idea you were to go so soon, for they told me it was the end of October you
sailed, so I hoped and fully expected I should have been at home in time to see
you— I cannot
tell you how disappointed & vexed I am that that
cannot be. Little did I think the last time I saw you at the poor old Forest, that it
would be so long before we should meet again!! This horrid
Devonshire—fool that I was to come here— I shall just get home when
you are gone I dare say— My dear Charles I do hope you will enjoy yourself
& be the happiest of the happy, I would give any thing to see you once more
before you go, for it does make me melancholy to think the time you are to be
away—& Heaven knows what may have become of all of us by this time two
years. at all events we must be grown old &
steady— the pleasant days, and fun we have had at the Forest can never come
over again— how I wish I was there this week to have one last chat
with you I cannot bear to think you are really going clear away, without my
saying one good bye!!
But I must drop this subject for I find I am getting prosy & melancholy
& that wont do— They tell me you were at Plymouth about
10 days ago & so was I, how very
very unlucky we never met, do you go there again? if you should perhaps you may
pass through Exeter— I shall leave it on the 6th with the
Hunts— I believe not come home direct but go with them to pay some
visits— if possible I shall shirk and get the Gov— to meet me at
Leamington or Birmingham for I think it will be awful flat work, dowagering
about with the Hunts to unknown parts— I am sure I have been dull enough all
this summer— hope I have expiated all my sins for a severe Penance I have had
of it— I wont be taken alive again in that way when once I get
home— Home sweet home you should hear me sing now—I assure
you I do it feelingly —it would melt a heart of stone—or
rather crack an ear drum of Iron to hear me—but here my powers
have no scope I can never give vent to my feelings as I feel inclined— So poor
old Williams is gone at last, a happy release for himself I should
think—& certainly for every body related to him— a proper
time being given up to becoming grief the awful ceremony will of course take place as
soon as possible— how very provoking you should not be present—not
even taste the long
expected Plum Cake how vexed I am you are going it is
too selvish of me to say so, for I am sure it will be the very thing to suit
you— did you throw yourself on the Governor's mercy, & confess your
creditors, or what have you done? What a capital way of escaping ungentlemanlike
Tailors &c— When you are far from the Land they may
whistle for their cash for what you care! Well, dont be surprised if
you hear I have taken
Ship too and fled my duns— that joyful season Xmas is fast
approaching— my heart sinks when I think of it—but there's nothing
like putting a good face on it— I shall do so as long as I
can— Pray write to me one last Farewell my dear Charles & tell me all
your plans & prospects—where you are to go to—& all
about it? And tell me too if I shall look out for a nice little Wife for the
Parsonage by the time you return. tell me what you require and I
will look about and get one in my eye by the time you want her—a
proper knowledge of the Beetle tribe of course you require— bye the
bye has your faithless Charlotte Salway
bee<n> twined off yet—I have heard nothing of her As for all
your Sisters I think they are gone crazy or sulky or sleepy or
somethi<ng> for not one line have I had from any of them these two
months—they treat me with the most marked contempt.— I was much
amused at Plymouth there is so much worth seeing— Mount Edgecombe I dare say you saw—it is a beautiful Place.— I
went on board the Adelaide and all over it—so can fancy you in your little
Cabin—and I assure you you will not be forgotten, I shall often long to have
you to laugh with and scold out of the Painting room— I wish I had
made your Pincushions they might have been useful—and occasionally in taking
out an instrument of death for a Beetle you would have called to mind the
Manufacturer of the useful article —but it cant be helped
now— this letter is most prosy, & duller than letter ever was
before—but I cant help it you must take the will for the deed
— write to me 2 Northernhay Place= I must now conclude—can
only add—I most sincerely wish you every amusement & happiness
possible— but only wish most heartily you were not going quite so soon that we
might have one more talk & laugh first—but it is not
to be— so good bye my dear Charles
Believe me always yours most sincerely and affecty | F O—
Burn this before you sail for pitys sake —
