Scotland

To Lady Olivia Sparrow, 27 August [1817]

I have had this Frank two days without finding a single quarter of an hour to write; this morning I thought I had secured a little time when unexpect /ed/ ly poor Lady Southampton came to spend /a/ good part of the day. She has had so many afflictions, (one sweet daughter has had a one leg cut off, and the other seems threatening the same calamity)^* that one cannot but feel a particular interest for the Mother. She is entirely devoted to religion, and lives in so profound a retirement that I am afraid it will not be good for the young Lord who accompanied /her./ ^* I have been pleading for the young people, who being only children cannot be expected to be quite so abstracted as she wishes. The eldest girl is very pious and to her, confinement is no hardship. I have run on this long to account for the very short time /I shall have/ to desire you to thank Mr. Obins for his very kind letter, and to thank you my very dear Lady Olivia for your very kind few lines; but I must request you not to think I am so unreasonable as to expect even a single line from your own hand till your heart is more at ease. The accounts from Falmouth were not very encouraging. God grant the next may be more favourable! I long to know the decision of the last consultation. I do not much like your being driven out again on the ocean in the tempestuous Season of the Equinox which is approaching.^* I am afraid too it is bad for your own health, which I must say is no inconsiderable thing in the account current.