height of the fashion: feathers of all colours, gold diadem, a profusion
of artificial flowers, a nosegay of vast size, rose-coloured gauze
dress, darkened eyebrows, and ringlets of dark hair which so completely
altered her that no creature guessed who she was till Mrs. Carr at last
knew her by her likeness to her mother; she supported her character with
great spirit. I was an Irish nurse in a red cloak, come all the way from
Killogonsawee, "for my two childer that left me last year for foreign
parts." Little Francis was Triptolemus, in the _Pirate_, an excellent
figure, and Mrs. Carr his sister Baby. Isabella, an old lady in an
old-fashioned dress, and Laura as her daughter in a court dress and
powder; Anna, a French troubadour singing beautifully and speaking
French perfectly; William, the youngest son, a half-pay officer, king of
the coffee house; Tom, a famous London black beggar, Billy Waters, with
a wooden leg; Morton, Meg Merillics; Dr. Lushington, a housemaid; Miss
Mulso, an English ballad singer; Mr. Burrell (I forgot to mention him,
an old family friend at dinner) as a Spanish gentleman, Don Pedro
Velasquez de Tordesillas; very good ruff and feathers, but much wanting
a sword when the wooden-legged black trod on his toes. In the scuffle of
dressing, for which only ten minutes were allowed, no sword could be
found. From the quickness of preparation, and our all being a family
party, this little masquerade went off remarkably well, and was very
diverting to the persons concerned.

I heard yesterday from a friend of Lady Lansdowne's that Miss Kitty
Malone has had the operation performed upon her eye; saw the ring on
Alexander's finger, and exclaimed, "How happy you must be, sir, who can
give sight to the blind!"


_To_ MISS LUCY EDGEWORTH.