C.D.

A few weeks later, while on his reading tour, he sent off the following:—­

    Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, Friday, April 9, 1869.

    My Dear Fields:  The faithful Russia will bring this out to you, as a
    sort of warrant to take you into loving custody and bring you back
    on her return trip.

I have been “reading” here all this week, and finish here for good to-night.  To-morrow the Mayor, Corporation, and citizens give me a farewell dinner in St. George’s Hall.  Six hundred and fifty are to dine, and a mighty show of beauty is to be mustered besides.  N——­ had a great desire to see the sight, and so I suggested him as a friend to be invited.  He is over at Manchester now on a visit, and will come here at midday to-morrow, and go back to London with us on Sunday afternoon.  On Tuesday I read in London, and on Wednesday start off again.  To-night is No. 68 out of one hundred.  I am very tired of it, but I could have no such good fillip as you among the audience, and that will carry me on gayly to the end.  So please to look sharp in the matter of landing on the bosom of the used-up, worn-out, and rotten old Parient.  I rather think that when the 12th of June shall have shaken off these shackles, there will be borage on the lawn at Gad’s.  Your heart’s desire in that matter, and in the minor particulars of Cobham Park, Rochester Castle, and Canterbury shall be fulfilled, please God!  The red jackets shall turn out again upon the turnpike road, and picnics among the cherry-orchards and hop-gardens shall be heard of in Kent.  Then, too, shall the Uncommercial resuscitate (being at present nightly murdered by Mr. W. Sikes) and uplift his voice again.

The chief officer of the Russia (a capital fellow) was at the Reading last night, and Dolby specially charged him with the care of you and yours.  We shall be on the borders of Wales, and probably about Hereford, when you arrive.  Dolby has insane projects of getting over here to meet you; so amiably hopeful and obviously impracticable, that I encourage him to the utmost.  The regular little captain of the Russia, Cook, is just now changed into the Cuba, whence arise disputes of seniority, etc.  I wish he had been with you, for I liked him very much when I was his passenger.  I like to think of your being in my ship!

——­ and ——­ have been taking it by turns to be “on the point of death,” and have been complimenting one another greatly on the fineness of the point attained.  My people got a very good impression of ——­, and thought her a sincere and earnest little woman.

The Russia hauls out into the stream to-day, and I fear her people may be too busy to come to us to-night.  But if any of them do, they shall have the warmest of welcomes for your sake. (By the by, a very good party of seamen from the Queen’s ship Donegal, lying in the