Prev | Current Page 212 | Next

Begbie, Harold, 1871-1929

"The Bed-Book of Happiness"

Adieu!

[Sidenote: _Horace Walpole_]
Can we easily leave the remains of such a year as this? It is still all
gold. I have not dined or gone to bed by a fire till the day before
yesterday. Instead of the glorious and ever-memorable year 1759, as the
newspapers call it, I call it this ever-warm and victorious year. We
have not had more conquest than fine weather; one would think we had
plundered East and West Indies of sunshine. Our bells are worn
threadbare with ringing for victories. I believe it will require ten
votes of the House of Commons before people will believe it is the Duke
of Newcastle that has done this, and not Mr. Pitt. One thing is very
fatiguing--all the world is made knights or generals. Adieu! I don't
know a word of news less than the conquest of America. Adieu! yours
ever.
P.S.--You shall hear from me again if we take Mexico or China before
Christmas.

[Sidenote: _Horace Walpole_]
You are so thoughtless about your dress that I cannot help giving you a
little warning against your return. Remember, everybody that comes from
abroad is _cense_ to come from France, and whatever they wear at their
first reappearance immediately grows the fashion. Now if, as is very
likely, you should through inadvertence change hats with a master of a
Dutch smack, Offley will be upon the watch, will conclude you took your
pattern from M.


Pages:
200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224