general manners (I flatter myself) considerably improved by--_somebody
that shall be nameless_. My sister joins me in love to all true
Trumpingtonians, not specifying any, to avoid envy; and begs me to
assure you that Emma has been a very good girl, which, with certain
limitations, I must myself subscribe to. I wish I could cure her of
making dog's ears in books, and pinching them on poor Pompey, who, for
one, I dare say, will heartily rejoyce at her departure.

Dear Madam,

Yours truly

foolish C.L.


[Addressed to "Miss Humphreys, with Mrs. Paris, Trumpington Street,
Cambridge." Franked by J. Rickman.

This letter contains the first reference in the correspondence to Emma
Isola, daughter of Charles Isola, Esquire Bedell of Cambridge
University, and granddaughter of Agostino Isola, the Italian critic and
teacher, of Cambridge, among whose pupils had been Wordsworth. Miss
Humphreys was Emma Isola's aunt. Emma seems to have been brought to
London by Mrs. Paris and left with the Lambs.

Pompey seems to have been the Lamb's first dog. Later, as we shall see,
they adopted Dash.]