“It was necessary to do much immediately. We had all risen in the greatest haste, and were but half-dressed. The poor boys had lost all their clothes, except such as were on their backs, and some which were then at the washerwoman’s,—for their trunks, which were kept in one of the roof rooms, were destroyed. We were all wet, hungry, tired, and distressed. The house was completely swilled throughout with the immense quantity of water which had been thrown upon it, so that it was impossible to inhabit it immediately. Our family consisted of almost eighty individuals, who were at that moment houseless. The kindness of our friends and neighbours, however, soon relieved us of part of our anxiety. They provided us with clean linen, shoes, and everything we could want. A lady who keeps a female school on the opposite side of the road, kindly lent the boys a change of stockings. Our good friend, Miss Bache, came with her servants laden with food for breakfast, which was eaten by some in the garden. One or two gentlemen undertook the care of the house and furniture; others led away the people who had assisted to the ‘Plough and Harrow,’ where they were refreshed with bread and cheese and ale, and all pressed us to leave the place for a time and recruit our strength. The boys were divided amongst the neighbours, who took them to their houses. Mr. and Mrs. Busby, than whom kinder-hearted people never existed, claimed a right to receive our own family, as being the nearest neighbours. Here we breakfasted. It was a sad meal, each trying to appear as little affected as possible, in order to keep up the spirits of the others. If anything could have removed our distress, it would have been accomplished by the kindness of our friends, which no doubt did very much to alleviate it. Invitations for ourselves and the boys—not only from our immediate friends, but also from gentlemen whose names we scarcely knew,—poured in upon us, and if our family had been ten times as numerous, they would have been disposed of with greater ease than was the case; for the offers of assistance were so earnest and so numerous, that it was painful to be obliged to refuse such as we could not accept. “Our friend, Mr. Witton, offered us the use of the whole of his house at Kitwell ready furnished. Mr. Blakeway, another of our friends, made an offer, which we gladly accepted, of a house of his in Tenant Street, which then stood empty. In this we determined to put up the beds, most of which had been saved, and use it as a lodging-house till our own could be repaired.