Wednesday.– Your report of Eliza’s health gives me great pleasure–& the progress of the Bank is a constant source of satisfaction. With such increasing profits, tell Henry, that I hope he will not work poor High-diddle so hard as he used to do.– Has your Newspaper given a sad story of a Mrs Middleton, wife of a Farmer in Yorkshire, her sister & servant being almost frozen to death in the late weather–her little Child quite so?– I hope this sister is not our friend Miss Woodd– & I rather think her Brotherinlaw had moved into Lincolnshire, but their name & station accord too well. Mrs M. & the Maid are said to be tolerably recovered, but the Sister is likely to lose the use of her Limbs.– Charles’s rug will be finished today, & sent tomorrow to Frank, to be consigned by him to Mr Turner’s care– & I am going to send Marmion out with it; — very generous in me, I think. — As we have no letter from Adlestrop, we may suppose the good Woman was alive on Monday, but I cannot help expecting bad news from thence or Bookham, in a few days.– Do you continue quite well?–
[Continued below address panel]
Have you nothing to say of your little Namesake?– We join in Love & many happy returns.–
Yrs affec:ly J. Austen
[Postscript upside down at top of page 1]
The Manydown Ball was a smaller thing than I expected, but it seems to have made Anna very happy. At her age it would not have done for me.–
Miss Austen
Edward Austen’s Esq
Godmersham Park
Faversham
Kent
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