[Ventnor,| 10 November? 1882 
1 St Boniface Gardens 

* My dear Tussychen, 

On the whole, I cannot at all complain of Ventnor. The weather 
was unsettled, tempestuous, alternately rainy, dry, sunny, chilly, etc., 
but with all that very seldom foggy, a good deal of pure air and, 
except [for] a few days, generally always a few hours fit for longer 
promenades. Yesterday and today the air rather cold, but from 1] to 
2 o'clock on the sea shore (where children are playing, and reminding 
me of poor Harry’) and on our Undercliff walk,?°* and up to the rail- 
way station, and even to the down, no want of sunshine! * 

You should not forget, dear child, that I was by no means quite ALL 
ricut when I arrived here. On the contrary: a spasmodic cough pretty 
well all the time, a great deal of sputum, increasingly unsatisfactory 
nights during the previous 2 weeks, no sense of well-being whatever. 
That couldn’t change all in one day; rather a progressive change for 
the better. 

Au fond< I was in fact glad to have had recourse to Dr Williamson 
for my muscular rheumatism before Donkin’s prescription arrived 
from London (today). The rheumatism is really very close to the 
former seat of my rreRATED pleurisy, but Dr Williamson was able to 
convince me by percussion and auscultation that ALL was STILL RIGHT — 
and had been since Donkin’s last examination. The cough has abat- 
ed, but when he called today (his second visit) Williamson persuad- 
ed me to take yet another medicine; it would, he said, shorten the 
transitional period leading to the stage at which all I shall need to 
complete my recovery will be fresh air and plenty of outdoor exercise. 

Under the circumstances I have not yet got down to any real work, 
though I have been occupying myself with one thing and another by 
way of preparation. 

Do you have William Langland’s Complaint of Piers the Ploughman? 

@ February in the ms.- Henri Longuet-* At bottom 

If not, you may be able to borrow it from Furnivall for me, or alter- 
natively, as it isn’t dear, I could also buy it in the Earty etc. series.*?4 

Also would you see if you could find among the (old-style) Egalités 
(I mean the old weekly Egalité) on the table by my bed an article, or 
rather a report, on the encomiums of official economists in Paris with 
regard to cheap Chinese labour in Europe? I don’t know whether this 
same matter of the Chinese was discussed in the copy of Malon’s 
former Revue *3* (the copy is behind the sofa on one of the shelves of 
my book-case). If so you might send it to me if you cannot lay your 
hands on the Fgalité. 

How is my Johnny faring? Cough gone? My love to him and 
Lenchen. And how is your health? 

Finally, I must write to poor Jennychen. It distresses me; I fear that 
this burden is more than she can bear.? 

Salut. 

Old Nick