MS Princeton University, Princeton University, Parrish Collection, CO171: Box 291
My dear Miss Peard
It is very kind of you and exceedingly inviting – the Sphinxes especially, but just at this moment my mother and I are moving into a cottage – as my brother’s family is outgrowing this house, where I have lived the 39 years of my life – and we are in such difficulties how to stow away our belongings, especially in the way of pictures that we are really afraid to increase the number of them, otherwise I think we should be greatly tempted by your very kind offer. How you will enjoy the choice. I wish I was to be in town in time to see them, but I daresay I shall meet with a sight of some when we come up for a week in the end of April. All the more enterprising part of our household kept the great day at Winchester and considered themselves to have had a good view of the princess2 in her train. I only saw the carriage on the line half a mile off, and heard the guns at Southampton. The bonfires were a magnificent sight in which the country people really had the advantage. I hope the happy pair had not their heads too stiff with bowing to look out at Osborne for all the I of Wight was blazing, and the Portsmouth shore. What a fairy land it must all be to her in her fresh simplicity I think I like Aytoun’s poem3 the best of those the event has produced. Our direction after Monday will be at Elderfield Otterbourn [sic] &c
Yours sincerely
CMYonge