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[13]
Hotel Brunswick June 8th 1880
My dear old Jervy, boy -
For once your impressions were at fault - I was not writing, but writhing when you wrote me - nea, and when I read your writing too, with a raging headache - which had bull-dozed me all the day. - I saw Hutton who said he had written & sent you the necessary paper.
I gave him the names of Vaux & other friends who had been omitted from the list of invitations. It is almost impossible to remember names - even the most familiar - when you endeavor to list your friends & acquaintances; only tonight did I think of Harry [Mogongle?] & and or two others quite as often in my mind.
And now for you, sir!
What the devil have I done that you
should be talking temperance to me? Have I given anyone cause - during the past decade, or longer - to suspect or fear that I had such a [Kink?] as you are trying to discover in my upright and dead-level behave-myself, sir? No, sir! But, for the love 'o' all the lords, my Jervy, don't put me under surveillance! If I am to feel the gall of eyes upon my actions I shall go mad! and I give you fair warning that if I catch you watching me I shall drink for
"your good health, and your fam'ly's, and may dey all lif long unt prosper" -every [drop?]. So, look out - that is, look another way from whar I set.
Oh, my boy, I have at my elbow now, while I write, a glass of foaming lager & a crust of bread; my frequent night-cap err I snooze, but I'd not dare to do what you do when your head buzzes - drink a bottle o' champagne; that would floor me, quietly. Tis not likely that I shall drink at the break-
fast any oftener or any stronger that I do at any of the dinners that I have attended - where wine has flowed like gore at Marathon. (I presume gore did flow there - or was it at Bull Run? - I forget my Greek & things). If I'm awful scared I shall drink several pints of claret with a dash o' whiskey, maybe; just by way of a gargle before my eloquent belch - wh will consist of about 3//4 words of incoherence.
But - if I do, 'twil' be just because I know, or rather suspect that I am watched & criticised . Selah!
[Veir?] has sent a couple of sketches for the album - one in pencil, t'other is in it looks like sepia, with an excellent letter; but he has done it for me - not for my wife.
Benedict! [illegible] , what did you say? Of course it don't fit! and I got mad & swore it did, & hung it up. Its' got to do! - A sug-
gestion has been made by Jurvis Henri Browne, that some of your portraits shall be at breakfast with us. I seconded the motion - as delicately as I could, for I feel it to be rather out of place for me to take any step in a matter of this kind. I hope it will be carried out. Then some one has spoken of Hicks & his Iago - but I said nix (I mean I spoke not).
Mary grew better for several days - but yesterday & today she went back with a flop. She
is decidedly better, however, or you would not find me so full of chat tonight. Edwina is home after a jolly independent spree, looking finely & very happy. It is getting late - my lager is low - my pipe fowl - my ink pale - my pen scratches - my eyes sleepy and my wits weary. So goodnight & bless thee & all of thine.
Ever loving Edwin