"DER MISS ---, I Receve your Letter your Aunt is vary Ill and
Lowspireted I Donte think your Aunt wood Git up all Day if My
Sister Wasnot to Persage her We all Think hir lif is two
monopolous. you Wish to know Who Was Liveing With your Aunt.
that is My Sister and Willian --- and Cariline --- as Cock and
Old Poll Pepper is Come to Stay With her a Littel Wile and I
hoped [hopped] for Your Aunt, and Harry has Worked for your Aunt
all the Summer. Your Aunt and Harry Whent to the Wells Races and
Spent a very Pleasant Day your Aunt has Lost Old Fanney Sow She
Died about a Week a Go Harry he Wanted your Aunt to have her
killed and send her to London and Shee Wold Fech her 11 pounds
the Farmers have Lost a Great Deal of Cattel such as Hogs and
Cows What theay call the Plage I Whent to your Aunt as you Wish
Mee to Do But She Told Mee She Did not wont aney Boddy She Told
Mee She Should Like to Come up to see you But She Cant Come know
for she is Boddyley ill and Harry Donte Work there know But he Go
up there Once in Two or Three Day Harry Offered is self to Go up
to Live With your Aunt But She Made him know Ancer. I hav Been
up to your Aunt at Work for 5 Weeks Hopping and Ragluting Your
Aunt Donte Eat nor Drink But vary Littel indeed.
"I am Happy to Say We are Both Quite Well and I am Glad no hear
you are Both Quite Well
"MRS NEWTON."
This seems to have made the nieces propose to pay a visit to their
aunt, perhaps to try and relieve the monopoly of her existence and
cheer her up a little. In their letter, doubtless, the dog motive
is introduced that is so finely developed presently by Mrs. Newton.
I should like to have been able to give the theme as enounced by the
nieces themselves, but their letters are not before me. Mrs. Newton
writes:--
"MY DEAR GIRLS,--Your Aunt receiv your Letter your Aunt will Be
vary glad to see you as it quite a greeable if it tis to you and
Shee is Quite Willing to Eair the beds and the Rooms if you Like
to Trust to hir and the Servantes; if not I may Go up there as
you Wish. My Sister Sleeps in the Best Room as she allways Did
and the Coock in the garret and you Can have the Rooms the same
as you allways Did as your Aunt Donte set in the Parlour She
Continlery Sets in the Ciching. your Aunt says she Cannot Part
from the dog know hows and She Says he will not hurt you for he
is Like a Child and I can safeley say My Self he wonte hurt you
as She Cannot Sleep in the Room With out him as he allWay Sleep
in the Same Room as She Dose. your Aunt is agreeable to Git in
What Coles and Wood you Wish for I am know happy to say your Aunt
is in as Good health as ever She Was and She is happy to hear you
are Both Well your Aunt Wishes for Ancer By Return of Post."
The nieces replied that their aunt must choose between the dog and
them, and Mrs. Newton sends a second letter which brings her
development to a climax. It runs:--
"DEAR MISS --- I have Receve your Letter and i Whent up to your
Aunt as you Wish me and i Try to Perveal With her about the Dog
But she Wold not Put the Dog away nor it alow him to Be Tied up
But She Still Wishes you to Come as Shee says the Dog Shall not
interrup you for She Donte alow the Dog nor it the Cats to Go in
the Parlour never sence She has had it Donup ferfere of Spoiling
the Paint your Aunt think it vary Strange you Should Be so vary
Much afraid of a Dog and She says you Cant Go out in London But
What you are up a gance one and She says She Wonte Trust the Dog
in know one hands But her Owne for She is afraid theay Will not
fill is Belley as he Lives upon Rost Beeff and Rost and Boil
Moutten Wich he Eats More then the Servantes in the House there
is not aney One Wold Beable to Give Sattefacktion upon that
account Harry offerd to Take the Dog But She Wood not Trust him
in our hands so I Cold not Do aney thing With her your Aunt youse
to Tell Me When we was at your House in London She Did not know
how to make you amens and i Told her know it was the Time to Do
it But i Considder She sets the Dog Before you your Aunt keep
know Beer know Sprits know Wines in the House of aney Sort Oneley
a Little Barl of Wine I made her in the Summer the Workmen and
servantes are a Blige to Drink wauter Morning Noon and Night your
Aunt the Same She Donte Low her Self aney Tee nor Coffee But is
Loocking Wonderful Well
"I Still Remane your Humble Servant Mrs Newton
"I am vary sorry to think the Dog Perventes your Comeing
"I am Glad to hear you are Both Well and we are the same."
The nieces remained firm, and from the following letter it is plain
the aunt gave way. The dog motive is repeated pianissimo, and is
not returned to--not at least by Mrs. Newton.
"DEAR MISS ---, I Receve your Letter on Thursday i Whent to your
Aunt and i see her and She is a Greable to everry thing i asked
her and seme so vary Much Please to see you Both Next Tuseday and
she has sent for the Faggots to Day and she Will Send for the
Coles to Morrow and i will Go up there to Morrow Morning and Make
the Fiers and Tend to the Beds and sleep in it Till you Come Down
your Aunt sends her Love to you Both and she is Quite well your
Aunt Wishes you wold Write againe Before you Come as she ma
Expeckye and the Dog is not to Gointo the Parlor a Tall
"your Aunt kind Love to you Both & hopes you Wonte Fail in Coming
according to Prommis
"MRS NEWTON."
From a later letter it appears that the nieces did not pay their
visit after all, and what is worse a letter had miscarried, and the
aunt sat up expecting them from seven till twelve at night, and
Harry had paid for "Faggots and Coles quarter of Hund. Faggots Half
tun of Coles 1l. 1s. 3d." Shortly afterwards, however, "She" again
talks of coming up to London herself and writes through her
servant:--
"My Dear girls i Receve your kind letter & I am happy to hear you
ar both Well and I Was in hopes of seeing of you Both Down at My
House this spring to stay a Wile I am Quite well my self in Helth
But vary Low Spireted I am vary sorry to hear the Misforting of
Poor charles & how he cum to flie in the Fier I cannot think. I
should like to know if he is dead or a Live, and I shall come to
London in August & stay three or four daies if it is agreable to
you. Mrs. Newton has lost her mother in Law 4 day March & I hope
you send me word Wather charles is Dead or a Live as soon as
possible, and will you send me word what Little Betty is for I
cannot make her out."
The next letter is a new handwriting, and tells the nieces of their
aunt's death in the following terms:--
"DEAR MISS ---, It is my most painful duty to inform you that
your dear aunt expired this morning comparatively easy as Hannah
informs me and in so doing restored her soul to the custody of
him whom she considered to be alone worthy of its care.
"The doctor had visited her about five minutes previously and had
applied a blister.
"You and your sister will I am sure excuse further details at
present and believe me with kindest remembrances to remain
"Yours truly, &c."
After a few days a lawyer's letter informs the nieces that their
aunt had left them the bulk of her not very considerable property,
but had charged them with an annuity of 1 pound a week to be paid
to Harry and Mrs. Newton so long as the dog lived.
The only other letters by Mrs. Newton are written on paper of a
different and more modern size; they leave an impression of having
been written a good many years later. I take them as they come.
The first is very short:--
"DEAR MISS ---, i write to say i cannot possiblely come on
Wednesday as we have killed a pig. your's truely,
"ELIZABETH NEWTON."