1812 May 5

Eliza Fenwick, [5 Tavistock Square], to ‘Mrs M. Hays, Wandsworth Common,’ Saturday Evening, 5 May 1812 [postmark not readable].¹

Saturday Evening

My dear friend

I enclose Elizas letter – beginning to copy where the critique began to speak of her, for I thought it w^d not interest you to hear of the merits & demerits of the rest of the company. Dear Girl she has a heart full of affection. I enclose also M^rs Hewitts letter which I took the liberty to open. It pleases me and will you I think. Nobody in the same situation could well please me more than M^r Honner. The downright honest affection he expressed for his wife and children, the little parade about him – his truely irish description of the delight they felt in quitting a life of bustle for & constant change for a quiet home & the hope of spending the rest of their lives at one fire side & finding all their recreations in the society of their children – all these were recommendations at once to my feelings & principles[.] He seemed to try much more to make me understand them than to learn my qualifications & had none of the little disgusting questioning hiring kind of manner that I remember offended my pride when I first saw M^r Mocatta. Miss Honner seemed an unassuming pleasing girl at once delighted with the thought of going home, & awe struck at me.

M^r Honner & I, I am persuaded had the same reluctant feeling about the bartering part of the business, for we left every thing in a sort of indefinite way, but he had the good sense to write me a letter (which I enclose, & which I answered much at length). His answer agreeing to all I ask I received to day & will enclose it next time I write, for ^as^ I dine tomorrow with M^r Whitaker I sh^d like to shew it him. I am to have one hundred guineas, my expences, a Chamber to myself and to be allowed to make what selections of books &c I think fit. The die is cast I believe. I hope I am doing right. The leaving England will cost me a pang. Do not tell Orlando yet that ^it^ is fixed. The love of change is natural to young minds & it will quite unsettle him. Beside I have to see M^r Honner one day this week & some casualty may arise. I have got strangely the habit of feeling nothing certain till it arrives. Eliza’s remittance is £37..10. It is due the third of June. I have forgot what she owes you. It is either three or four pound I know – she does not mention th which. It will pay ^for^ the Piano – carriage – packing & the £10 I borrowed <–> of M^rs M. & leave a little overplus. She has done well to pay her debts in three months after her arrival there. I will send yours either when I receive the money at the bankers or keep it till I come which you like.

Lanno’s letters are very sweet ones till still you & he have had some point at issue I suppose, for he says “for the first time I think Miss Hays wrong” but it is a detached sentence & no explanation of your error either precedes or follows after. He will have a great loss in you Mary! A great one indeed.

One thing that M^r Honner said struck me. “You will find one advantage M^rs Fenwick in placing y^r son in an Irish School. Your English boys in schools are too knowing. We have the luck to keep our boys out of that while they are boys. I suppose I must ^not^ say we manage better but I know my Robert returned home at Christmas as pure and as simple hearted as when he was but four years old. I assure you whatever we are as men as boys we are more moral.” He recommended Cork for Lanno after he heard how far his education had gone. M^r Stuarts where his boy goes (30 miles from Lee Mount) would not supply a french or Mathematical Teacher. I like better to have him three miles than 30 from me. I did not see till I got home that you [paper torn] Pardon my awkwardness. Thank you [paper torn] to my boy for this said but. He will [paper torn] neighbours again that is certain.

I was indeed most infinitely shocked [paper torn] assassination. How unaccountable [paper torn] never be brought to conceive his [paper torn].

M^rs M. has fixed on sending the Children to school, nor w^d she, did she not, take any Lady younger than 40! She had great plague with one before I came. Age is necessary where there are great boys to look after; for with mine, and a commanding tone which I always keep up they are barely managed. They look up to me, and on their behalf I sh^d pity a successor were one coming for they w^d instantly assume the reins[.]

If M^rs M. ever takes another – she will need a new one a month I suspect. M^r M— objects to making any Governess but me his companion & as they cannot now spare another room they sent Hetty to Madame Du Ponts as day boarder.

I have forgot the list of books again I will make them out ready for my next

Let me hear from you. Our letters alway cross. I receive them all

¹ Fenwick Family Papers, Correspondence, 1798-1855, New York Historical Library; Wedd, Fate of the Fenwicks 102-04; not in Brooks, Correspondence.