From Fanny Allen to H. E. Litchfield 8 December [1871]

Your letter my dear Henrietta, gave me great pleasure to day— I was sure you would not forget me, & yet the ""booking"" of the time, gives a certainty to it, that is very pleasant—as many days as you can lawfully spare the better for me— I could not get up an ""entertainment"" if I were to try, but I will give you a good selection of books even some heretical ones & I will try to give you a more just opinion of my political hero John Bright— I was in great fear, when I opened the Star this mor^g. & saw the list, & did not catch the name I wanted to see, as Cab^t. Minister, that Gladstone had forsworn, faith & gratitude & left him out—but I was soon relieved from this fear, & I shall hope that the [Master] Spirit of England will find its place even in that den— I am sorry Beale is not in parliament but I hope he may still do better work out of it, for bringing in the ballot—I will not frighten you with more now— Harry W. is just come in from M^r. [Smedley's] funeral, he appears as far as I can see well & without a cold— [Jissie] joins him here by the 2 10 train—they stay over tomorrow—

You seem to have a very disturbed church at Down & you had better call in M^r Gladstone to disendow it—

Give my choicest love to your mother & father & thanks with best love to yourself my little dear one, for thinking of me.— Eliz^th cannot find envelopes enough in her box & my drawer for the eager demands ""immediate"" of her clients for help—

Affec^ly. Your's F. Allen