Page:Life of Octavia Hill as told in her letters.djvu/277

 young, buoyant Quaker youth, "but we do want you to talk." &hellip; In pity also give me some more teaching; it is the only anchor I have, and I shall be destroyed by dissipation if you don't preserve me. Oh dear, I have been writing three hours; and I did so want to do my miniature; for you don't know how much I want to finish it.

6, Clifton Villas, Bradford, September 17th, 1869.

To-night there is to be a dinner party here. Dr. Bridges and several influential people are asked to meet me; I do feel such a take-in of a person. I wish someone would explode me; it is so difficult to un-humbug oneself. It is all taken for extreme modesty (fancy mine!) and laid to one's account as so much excellence. A Mr. and Mrs. R. K., who are looked upon as great guns, are giving a dinner party in my honour. Really it's very ridiculous; what I am glad of is that I am going to see Saltaire, a model village near here which has grown up round a manufactory, belonging to a Mr. Titus (now Sir Titus) Salt; no beer shops there, only model cottages, schools, etc. &hellip; I'm very happy, and as bright as can be; but save me from this again! I'm going to settle down to a steady, quiet old age, if ever the happy time arrives when I reach home.