602 THE STORY OF MY LIFE [1860
the name, to prevent confusion at the post-office and elsewhere. Could we call it anything but Holmhurst ? Afterwards we discovered that Holmhurst meant an ilex wood, and our great tree is an ilex.
On September 24 my mother left Lime. The day before was Sunday, and very sad — so many tearful farewells, so many poor women crying in the churchyard as we passed through. I stayed at Lime to pack up and arrange everything. On October 6, in the gloaming of the autumn evening, while the sunlight was streaming through the diminishing leaves of the old abele-trees, and throwing long shadows upon the green lawn and bright flower-beds, we took a last farewell of our dear Hurstmonceaux home. Lea delivered up the keys, and we walked away (to the Rectory) up the drive, our drive no longer.
To MY MOTHER.
" Holmhurst, Oct. 8, 1860. This morning we left Hurstmonceaux Rectory directly after breakfast, good old Dr. Wellesley quite affected, and Harriet Duly, and even begging Mrs. Havendon, crying bitterly on taking leave of Lea. We met a smart carriage with two white horses going to fetch the Arkcolls, who made a triumphal entry to Lime just after our departure. Winchester drove us, in order to bring back the horse — John and Romo (the dog) on the box: Lea and I with Julietta (the cat) and her kitten inside, and no end of provisions under the seats. We stopped first at Mrs. Taylor's farm, and she gave Lea a new loaf and some cheese to begin housekeeping with, and me some excellent cakes. Lea thought the drive charming. I walked up all the hills and we arrived about one o'clock. It was impossible to enter the gates on account of the waggons of the outgoing tenants, but Joemitate th When the school rhildren an* sin^in^ |N*|OW. he puts his forefinger when listening and Irj^ins sin^in^ with iitlle voice, which is \'ery sw«*i*t. He will sit on t!w» and talk in his own wav for a lon^f time. fi*!liii|^ ii! what he has seen if he has Iwen out: his little mitid nn rrchmhr- and the most attractive in Florence. thru