Cox's address is:
Craigs Court
London
and tell them to send you a book of 25 cheques - people tell me you will get on very well, if you pay great attention to keep down your mess bills; I do not think you are inclined to drink much wine which is always a heavy item in bills of this kind. I hope that you will find at the close of the year that at all events you can square your accounts, & I shall always be glad to know from time to time how you are getting on. Of course if there is carriage of furniture, that I shall place as part of the expense of outfit & I shall see that it is allowed for. Poole & Lord sent me a "dun" for their bill so I have paid that.
I have had a heavy loss since I last wrote to you, a fine heifer calf fell into the ditch near Tully's and broke its back and on Monday night dogs got in and more or less destroyed 29 sheep. You could not imagine such a fearful sight, all done by two dogs, a large black one and a little terrier. They began at Hartley's farm near Cavan, destroyed 8 there, he drove them off his sheep, they then came here and from the marks on the animals, it appears the large dog held them by the nose while the small one bit them in the neck. They were all destroyed in the same manner. 14 are dead and the rest may or may not recover - the dogs then went on to Lisnamandra and destroyed 12, 8 are dead - the following nights they went on to the neighbourhood of Ballyhaise and destroyed 100 - the country is full of police, the dogs are supposed to be registered and yet there is no trace of them. About a fortnight ago Beatty and Kivett had 16 destroyed, saw the dogs and gave chase to them but no one has seen them since, except Hartley. The sad thing is that the owner of the dogs must be aware of the damage done, as the dogs must on their return bear the traces of the nights work.
I heard from Captain Thompson on Sunday saying Oswald would not be required for another fortnight - he will then pay Capt. and Mrs Fairfax a visit for a few days and then join at Devonport, I believe
Mr Meade write to me the other day, saying he hoped you would be able to pay
him a visit, as you are only 1½ hour from him, his address is:
North Barrow
Castle Cary
Somersetshire
I have not yet decided about Arthur's school, I wrote to Mr Godly about the one he has his youngest son at - he thought I might safely send Arthur there. I have not yet heard from the master, there are 40 boys, terms moderate, close to the town of Hertford. If he has a vacancy I might place him there till '76 and then send him on to East Sheen with Evelyn who will be 10 then. Mr Waterfield will keep two vacancies for me. I really think I have decided for the best, after much anxious thought.
I have engaged O'Donaghue by the week, till I make a change in March. ????
goes on very quickly and the carriage horses he has clipped very nicely. I jave
had Plum put into the stable with the carriage horses and Polly into the loosebox.
From your affect Mother
Caroline Story.
Last week was very pleasant, as Mrs Godley and her daughter were here, she is such a nice person, pleasant and cheerful, & if you ever come here again I must as her to come and stay. Her husband never comes but I dare say if you were here, me might. Tonight Tissington Tatlow, & Agnes Murray, & Miss Tatlow dine, I asked John Murray too, but his courage failed him when he found the T's were to be of the company - men have no patience with a lovesick youth. When Miss T left he was in despair, she went to Louth for a short time and even his parents had to get rid of him. I am wondering what I shall do with him this evening.
I am gradually settling down the place under the new system - but it will be a work of time to get the fences made up tidy, gates put etc. - I confess to you Lord having the place at all cost me much, if I did not see him walking in Monnery field, his sheep in the Round back and so on. I say to myself at the end of two years I can take it up again & let it in grazing which will be far more profitable.
The garden is getting on well & I consider O'Donaghue a great catch. I think I told you Bob was sold to Kennedy in Cavan, he put him into a four horse hearse the other day & much to my sorrow he fell and cut his knees badly; a farmer ought to have bought him, he would have done well for ploughing. There is to be an auction at Drumkeen this day week - the Saundersons are going abroard - want to let the place & told Louisa yesterday, probably would not return for years. I am so sorry for they have been very friendly & we cannot spare so good a neighbour. In doing anything now here, I always wonder which I shall do, I work with a will, chiefly because I think you like the place, but with such a feeling of uncertainty as to how long I can live on here, time & time will show this.
Edward returned yesterday for his 3 weeks holidays looking so strong and well,
he is now 10th in the lowest form in the school & declares it will take him
3 years to get out of it - he is an odd boy, I never expect much learning from
him. Mr Tuckwell was once a master at St. Columba & was asked to take the
place of Warden there but declined. Young Godley went up to Harrow to try for
the scholarship from Benjes and failed, a great regret to his Father. I
certainly highly approve of the new regulations & hope you will be able to
get at least your two months leave next Jan, a very handsome allowance. I hope
you will not follow Capt. Warren up his heights & leave him to accomplish
such feats. My family bought a bottle of Judson's dyes and are hard at work
today, think of the state of their hands and clothes!!
From yr affect Mother
C.S.
The weather has been so lovely here, I feel quite like another person, I drove to Drumkeen yesterday to take leave of the Saundersons. It does seem such a pity to give up the place after so much money has been spent on it. It cost over £4000 to alter the old house and they must have spent a great deal on it since they inhabited it, which is not quite 5 years. Today they sell off horses, carriages, everything and they let the land up to the hall door. They are going to live near the Lake Geneva, very pleasant for them but I pity the children it will be intensely hot, and they travel with an infant 5 months old who is to be fed or compressed on preserved milk!
Sunday Miss Lang walked to church with the boys, and I drove, the service had not begun when I heard patter up the aisle and a black snout was pushed up for me to pat - of course this was Peter who then made a tour of the church. I desired Ed to take him out - just before the clergyman came in, but he came again, by great good luck a moment before the organ began - or what a howl we should have had. Edward then marched out again with him and he was secured in the Kilmore stables.
The other day Mr Willcocks paid me a visit and we were talking about the necessity of being well clothed, so he told me the wonderful fact that after fever one time he was ordered to use flannel internally. I almost laughed but felt sure the man would not see the joke.
Louisa is riding Plum and he carries her very well, in this way she can go out daily with Ed, they rode to Castle Hamilton yesterday but found the family absent and wire netting across the drive which Louisa felt a wild desire to leap over.
I am glad to tell you that George Tatlow has got into the bottom house in Manchester, the firm have taken him for five years. Such luck for him, the applicants were many, it is very difficult to get a boy such as appointment and it is one of the first houses in Manchester.
I propose driving to Stradone tomorrow and Louisa and Ed will ride, the Burrowes
leave on the 6th for some months so it will be a farewell visit. How often you
would laugh at my attempts of keeping up the place with Barney Fitzpatrick as chief
man - he is very anxious to consider himself as steward and this I am obliged to
resist. Have you ever dined out in the neighbourhood or made any acquaintances, I
hope you have for I think it would be a great advantage to you in every way. I am
delighted to hear that you are growing so much stouter and I want to know about the
moustache, you ought to have a respectable one by this time.
From yr affect Mothe
Caroline Story
We are still here in Hatton Gdns. Rivers a little better & we hope he may be allowed out today & and enjoy the fine sunny weather, Latham the Doctor is to call today & we expect him any moment.
I have been having an idle life, dining early with Rivers most of the days & in the evening at his bedtime going over to Clayton Fruling who is close by in York Place when I take part in a trio with piano and violincello, which makes the end of the evening pass agreably enough. Last night my mother and I both went to Bryanston Square when there was a merry little party. I saw several old friends & got a great lesson in the polka and the mazurka.
Rivers spirits are very good & he bears confinement most patiently, he is
at present deep in landing water and salmon flies.
I have written to Major about my Cavan Case, to say that I suppose we must
rest our oars for a year, unless he can suggest something. I therefore wait
patiently his reply and dismiss the subject from my mind, I have quite
enough to think of.
I went to Woolwich last Thursday & dined at the mess meeting a large party of naval officers principally consisting of the men about to go on a new Arctic Exploration under Sir John Franklin-Bach and Crosgin. I saw their vessels the next day, the Eubus & Temus in the dock, such tubs & so like a pair of whales, but of great thought.
My mother would be obliged to you if you would tell Hamilton to make up his months account of labour and send it & she also wishes to know how she stands with you as soon as you have leisure to write a line.
Pray give my kinf rememberances to Mrs Vernon and Robin.
Ever Yours
JM Story.
We have had these last days a most frightful storm of wind, I thought of Oswald and hope his good ship will behave well in a gale. The only part os all his duties I should object to would be the night watches, the rest of his duties I should think delightful. I asked him to let me know where his ship was likely to stop but received no reply, I find however from Walton that Oswald gave him an order for extra clothes which he was to forward to Malta - think of the delights of going through the Mediterranean at this time of year
I have not heard yet whether the nab I was in treaty with will take the place
of Steward and Gardener, it will be troublesome if he does not as I must have
the early crop put into the garden. You have no idea how csreful McManus is
with the horses, and the stables are much cleaner. I am thinking of selling
both Pluto and Bob, the latter is quite beyond work, and then buying a match
for Plum. I put him into the carriage one day and he drew it capitally - a
pair of carriage horses is all I require now, I have been offered a very
nice mare just Plum's height. It is useless keeping a saddle horse now with
Oswald away and you will be very little at home.
From yr affect. Mother
C.S.
I have at last decided to let to Lord the largest portion of the farm for two years reserving in my own hands the two lawns, the field by the lodge, the cow pasture and the long strip of ground that runs down to the end of the lane. He is to pay me £2.10.0 an acre for it, a very good price and really after much anxiety I think I have done for the best. This will bring me in &poubd162.10.0 hard cash and having preserved fully 40 acres I shall be able to keep about 4 cows and sheep enough to provide mutton for the house. Lord has just been here to thank me for giving him the preference of the let. I could not have selected a better tenant. Mr Vernon has sanctioned the arrangement and has given Mr Tatlow directions to have a proper agreement drawn out. The sale of the stock is to be on this day week 6th and I hope the weather will prove favourable. I shall have to part with James the man I have just engaged, as after coming here as steward and gardener, he knows nothing about flowers and says he has never attended to a garden for about 30 years. It is a great shame he ever undertok the place, as he is quite ignorant of his duties, but it is not so bad a case as what heppened to Mr Burrows, he brought down a steward with excellent discharges, after a short time it turned out he was a shocking man, with two or three wives, his accounts were all wrong and with only the aid of a magistrate he was made to quite the place.
I enclose a letter from Oswald, I thought you might like to see it, when read please return it to me. I never saw Louisa looking better, she has certainly benefitted much by her lessons, and plays in far better time. Mr Burrows thought her so much improved in her appearance and she is so much clearer in her complexion and her figure improved.
The creature so called "Wolf" was shot by the priest last week, he was disturbed by hearing a goose making a great row and he got up and found a dog eating the goose, he crept out and shot it. The people will have it that it is a wolf dog, but I went to see it, and it is just a large long-haired handsome collie dog, just what any day you might see. Mr Whaley had his sheep and lambs destroyed the other night and the return is about 200 in this neighbourhood. Mr Whaley says he is sure the creature that is now shot was the animal that destroyed his sheep - it was accompanied by a little white dog - this creature came next to the priest's house I suppose for confession the police waylaid it and actually missed aim - we feel so provoked with them.
Charlie is by no means what she ought to be in a very nervous state - I shall hope later to get her to the sea. Your Aunt Clara had a nasty accident, she slipped and fell on her back the day the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh passed through London. She received a slight concussion of the spine and us still unable to use her limbs. She was with her Uncle Nevile who has nursed her most tenderly.
It is a great comfort to me that you like you life and are happy, though I am
weak enough to say that I shall miss you much at Easter, a time of year I
always looked forward to seeing you all here.
From yr affect Mother
C.S.
I think your Mother quite recovered from her recent indisposition. She was much cheered by a letter from your sailor brother yesterday.
Captain Wm Ward's elder brother Henry, an old army officer, will be at the coming marriage. If you mention to him that I asked you to introduce yourself to him he will be glad to shake you by the hand.
I would not conclude, my dear young friend, without wishing you, as the son of a dear and valued old friend, much success in your profession. May you be prepared in the midst of the many temptations which surround you and as your great safeguard may God's word be studied by you in prayer and may you early on life be led to realise the importance of spritual and eternal things.
Believe me dear Story
Yours very truly
Farnham.