We shall be delighted to see you, if you will come down on Saturday. Mr.
Lemon may perhaps be here, with his wife, but no one else. And we can
give you a bed that may be surpassed, with a welcome that certainly
cannot be.
The general character of Broadstairs as to size and accommodation was
happily expressed by Miss Eden, when she wrote to the Duke of Devonshire
(as he told me), saying how grateful she felt to a certain sailor, who
asked leave to see her garden, for not plucking it bodily up, and
sticking it in his button-hole.
As we think of putting mignonette-boxes outside the windows, for the
younger children to sleep in by-and-by, I am afraid we should give your
servant the cramp if we hardily undertook to lodge him. But in case you
should decide to bring one, he is easily disposable hard by.
Don't come by the boat. It is rather tedious, and both departs and
arrives at inconvenient hours. There is a railway train from the Dover
terminus to Ramsgate, at half-past twelve in the day, which will bring
you in three hours. Another at half-past four in the afternoon. If you
will tell me by which you come (I hope the former), I will await you at
the terminus with my little brougham.
You will have for a night-light in the room we shall give you, the North
Foreland lighthouse. That and the sea and air are our only lions. It is
a very rough little place, but a very pleasant one, and you will make it
pleasanter than ever to me.
Faithfully yours always.
[Sidenote: The Hon. Mrs. Watson.]