Volume Iii Part 56 (2/2)

TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _Tuesday, March 7th, 1854._

MY DEAR WHITE,

I am tardy in answering your letter; but ”Hard Times,” and an immense amount of enforced correspondence, are my excuse. To you a sufficient one, I know.

As I should judge from outward and visible appearances, I have exactly as much chance of seeing the Russian fleet reviewed by the Czar as I have of seeing the English fleet reviewed by the Queen.

”Club Law” made me laugh very much when I went over it in the proof yesterday. It is most capitally done, and not (as I feared it might be) too directly. It is in the next number but one.

Mrs. ---- has gone stark mad--and stark naked--on the spirit-rapping imposition. She was found t'other day in the street, clothed only in her chast.i.ty, a pocket-handkerchief and a visiting card. She had been informed, it appeared, by the spirits, that if she went out in that trim she would be invisible. She is now in a madhouse, and, I fear, hopelessly insane. One of the curious manifestations of her disorder is that she can bear nothing black. There is a terrific business to be done, even when they are obliged to put coals on her fire.

---- has a thing called a Psycho-grapher, which writes at the dictation of spirits. It delivered itself, a few nights ago, of this extraordinarily lucid message:

X. Y. Z!

upon which it was gravely explained by the true believers that ”the spirits were out of temper about something.” Said ---- had a great party on Sunday, when it was rumoured ”a count was going to raise the dead.” I stayed till the ghostly hour, but the rumour was unfounded, for neither count nor plebeian came up to the spiritual scratch. It is really inexplicable to me that a man of his calibre can be run away with by such small deer.

_a propos_ of spiritual messages comes in Georgina, and, hearing that I am writing to you, delivers the following enigma to be conveyed to Mrs.

White:

”Wyon of the Mint lives _at_ the Mint.”

Feeling my brain going after this, I only trust it with loves from all to all.

Ever faithfully.

[Sidenote: Mr. Charles Knight.]

TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _March 17th, 1854._

MY DEAR KNIGHT,

I have read the article with much interest. It is most conscientiously done, and presents a great ma.s.s of curious information condensed into a surprisingly small s.p.a.ce.

I have made a slight note or two here and there, with a soft pencil, so that a touch of indiarubber will make all blank again.

And I earnestly entreat your attention to the point (I have been working upon it, weeks past, in ”Hard Times”) which I have jocosely suggested on the last page but one. The English are, so far as I know, the hardest-worked people on whom the sun s.h.i.+nes. Be content if, in their wretched intervals of pleasure, they read for amus.e.m.e.nt and do no worse.

They are born at the oar, and they live and die at it. Good G.o.d, what would we have of them!

Affectionately yours always.

[Sidenote: Mr. W. H. Wills.]

OFFICE OF ”HOUSEHOLD WORDS,”

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