I hope you have had no more illness among you, and that William will be soon as well as ever. His working a footstool for Chawton is a most agreeable surprise to me, and I am sure his grandmamma will value it very much as a proof of his affection and industry, but we shall never have the heart to put our feet upon it. I believe I must work a muslin cover in satin stitch to keep it from the dirt. I long to know what his colours are. I guess greens and purples. * * * * * To set against your new novel, of which nobody ever heard before, and perhaps never may again, we have got _Ida of Athens_,[197] by Miss Owenson, which must be very clever, because it was written, as the authoress says, in three months. We have only read the preface yet, but her _Irish Girl_[198] does not make me expect much. If the warmth of her language could affect the body it might be worth reading in this weather. Adieu! I must leave off to stir the fire and call on Miss Murden. _Evening._--I have done them both, the first very often. We found our friend as comfortable as she can ever allow herself to be in cold weather. There is a very neat parlour behind the shop for her to sit in, not very light indeed, being _a la_ Southampton, the middle of three deep, but very lively from the frequent sound of the pestle and mortar. Tuesday [January 24, 1809]. I had the happiness yesterday of a letter from Charles, but I shall say as little about it as possible, because I know _that_ excruciating Henry will have had a letter likewise, to make all my intelligence valueless. It was written at Bermuda on the 7th and 10th of December. All well, and Fanny[199] still only in expectation of being otherwise. He had taken a small prize in his late cruise--a French schooner, laden with sugar; but bad weather parted them, and she had not yet been heard of. His cruise ended December 1st. My September letter was the latest he had received. * * * * * You rejoice me by what you say of Fanny.[200] I hope she will not turn good-for-nothing this ever so long. We thought of and talked of her yesterday with sincere affection, and wished her a long enjoyment of all the happiness to which she seems born. While she gives happiness to those about her she is pretty sure of her own share.