"I am not desponding, but seriously this transition life I am leading at present is not very enlivening. I am neither one thing nor the other; I am in a chrysalis state, which is notoriously a dull one; and I have the further aggravation, which I suppose never occurs to the nymph _bona fide_, of a miserable uncertainty whether my folded-up wings are those of a purple butterfly or of a poor drudge of a beetle. Besides, it is conceivable that the chrysalis may get weary of his case, and mine is not a silken one. I have been here long enough. My aunt Landholm is very kind; but I think she would like an increase of her household accommodations, and also that she would prefer working it by the rule of _subtraction_ rather than by the more usual and obvious way of _addition_. She is a good soul, but really I believe her larder contains nothing but pork, and her pantry nothing but -- pumpkins! She has actually contrived, by some abominable mystery of the kitchen, to keep some of them over through a period of frost and oblivion, and to-day they made their appearance in _due form_ on the table again; my horror at which appearance has I believe given me an indigestion, to which you may attribute whatever of gloominess there may be contained in this letter. I certainly felt very _heavy_ when I sat down; but the sight of all your faces through fancy's sweet medium has greatly refreshed me. "Nevertheless answer me speedily, for I am in earnest, although I am in jest. "I intend to see you at all events soon. "Love to the little ones and to dear ma and pa from "Rufus." "What does father say, mother?" was all Winthrop's commentary on this epistle. She gave him the other letter, and he yielded his brother's again to her stretched-out hand. "Vantassel, March 22, 1809. "My dear Orphah, "I am really coming home! I never knew any months so long, it seems to me, as these three. The business will be finished I believe next week, and the Session will rise, and the first use I shall make of my recovered freedom will be -- can you doubt it? -- to hasten home to my family. My dear family -- they are closer to me all the time than you think, and for some weeks past it seems to me they have had half of every thought. But I will be with you now, Providence willing, by the middle of the week, I hope, or as soon after as I can. "The last fortnight has been spent in talking -- we have had a very stormy discussion of that point I spoke to you of in my last. The opposition of parties has run very high. It is gaining fearful ground in the country. I tremble for what may be the issue. "I am quite well again. Mr. Haye has been very attentive and kind, and the Chancellor has shewn himself very friendly. "I expect Will will be at home as soon as I am myself. I wrote to him that he had better do so. I cannot afford to keep him any longer there, and there seems nothing better for him to do at present but to come home. I hope for better days.