[Manchester—Monday, 5 July 1875]
July 5. Manchester. I was interrupted in the full tide of reporting Hunt’s delightful talk which flows as the talk of a man of genius should do. Now I am writing in my own little book-room at Manchester for the first time at my own desk. We cannot recover from the wonder of it, and the beauty of it too. It is an ideal country house to look at and I shall try to make it such in reality, a place where dear “J.” shall find leisure & I also for he will not be happy without this. I shall soon take to the comfort of having a housekeeper as the duck takes to water. I see that. This is the real fourth of July so far as a celebration of the same is concerned.
