I am driven mad by dogs, who have taken it into their accursed heads to assemble every morning in the piece of ground opposite, and who have barked this morning _for five hours without intermission_; positively rendering it impossible for me to work, and so making what is really ridiculous quite serious to me. I wish, between this and dinner, you would send John to see if he can hire a gun, with a few caps, some powder, and a few charges of small shot. If you duly commission him with a card, he can easily do it. And if I get those implements up here to-night, I'll be the death of some of them to-morrow morning. Ever faithfully. [Sidenote: Rev. James White.] TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _Thursday Evening, Dec. 9th, 1852._ MY DEAR WHITE, I hear you are not going to poor Macready's. Now, don't you think it would do you good to come here instead? _I_ say it would, and I ought to know! We can give you everything but a bed (all ours are occupied in consequence of the boys being at home), and shall all be delighted to see you. Leave the bed to us, and we'll find one hard by. I say nothing of the last day of the old year, and the dancing out of that good old worthy that will take place here (for you might like to hear the bells at home); but after the twentieth, I shall be comparatively at leisure, and good for anything or nothing. Don't you consider it your duty to your family to come? _I_ do, and I again say that I ought to know. Our best love to Mrs. White and Lotty--happily so much better, we rejoice to hear--and all. So no more at present from THE INIMITABLE B. [Sidenote: Mrs. Gaskell.] TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _Friday, Dec. 17th, 1852._ MY DEAR MRS. GASKELL, I received your kind note yesterday morning with the truest gratification, for I _am_ the writer of "The Child's Story" as well as of "The Poor Relation's." I assure you, you have given me the liveliest and heartiest pleasure by what you say of it. I don't claim for my ending of "The Nurse's Story" that it would have made it a bit better. All I can urge in its behalf is, that it is what I should have done myself. But there is no doubt of the story being admirable as it stands, and there _is_ some doubt (I think) whether Forster would have found anything wrong in it, if he had not known of my hammering over the proofs in making up the number, with all the three endings before me. With kindest regards to Mr. Gaskell, Ever faithfully yours. [Sidenote: Mr. W. Wilkie Collins.] TAVISTOCK HOUSE, _Monday, Dec. 20th, 1852._ MY DEAR COLLINS, If I did not know that you are likely to have a forbearing remembrance of my occupation, I should be full of remorse for not having sooner thanked you for "Basil."