Full seven happy years I have been the mistress of Bleak House.

　　The few words that I have to add to what I have written are soonpenned; then I and the unknown friend to whom I write will part forever. Not without much dear remembrance on my side. Not withoutsome, I hope, on his or hers.

　　They gave my darling into my arms, and through many weeks I neverleft her. The little child who was to have done so much was bornbefore the turf was planted on its father's grave. It was a boy;and I, my husband, and my guardian gave him his father's name.

　　The help that my dear counted on did come to her, though it came,in the eternal wisdom, for another purpose. Though to bless andrestore his mother, not his father, was the errand of this baby,its power was mighty to do it. When I saw the strength of the weaklittle hand and how its touch could heal my darling's heart andraised hope within her, I felt a new sense of the goodness and thetenderness of God.

　　They throve, and by degrees I saw my dear girl pass into my countrygarden and walk there with her infant in her arms. I was marriedthen. I was the happiest of the happy.

　　It was at this time that my guardian joined us and asked Ada whenshe would come home.

　　"Both houses are your home, my dear," said he, "but the older BleakHouse claims priority. When you and my boy are strong enough to doit, come and take possession of your home."Ada called him "her dearest cousin, John." But he said, no, itmust be guardian now. He was her guardian henceforth, and theboy's; and he had an old association with the name. So she calledhim guardian, and has called him guardian ever since. The childrenknow him by no other name. I say the children; I have two littledaughters.

　　It is difficult to believe that Charley (round-eyed still, and notat all grammatical) is married to a miller in our neighbourhood;yet so it is; and even now, looking up from my desk as I writeearly in the morning at my summer window, I see the very millbeginning to go round. I hope the miller will not spoil Charley;but he is very fond of her, and Charley is rather vain of such amatch, for he is well to do and was in great request. So far as mysmall maid is concerned, I might suppose time to have stood forseven years as still as the mill did half an hour ago, since littleEmma, Charley's sister, is exactly what Charley used to be. As toTom, Charley's brother, I am really afraid to say what he did atschool in ciphering, but I think it was decimals. He isapprenticed to the miller, whatever it was, and is a good bashfulfellow, always falling in love with somebody and being ashamed ofit.

　　Caddy Jellyby passed her very last holidays with us and was adearer creature than ever, perpetually dancing in and out of thehouse with the children as if she had never given a dancing-lessonin her life. Caddy keeps her own little carriage now instead ofhiring one, and lives full two miles further westward than NewmanStreet. She works very hard, her husband (an excellent one) beinglame and able to do very little. Still, she is more than contentedand does all she has to do with all her heart. Mr. Jellyby spendshis evenings at her new house with his head against the wall as heused to do in her old one. I have heard that Mrs. Jellyby wasunderstood to suffer great mortification from her daughter'signoble marriage and pursuits, but I hope she got over it in time.

　　She has been disappointed in Borrioboola-Gha, which turned out afailure in consequence of the king of Boorioboola wanting to selleverybody--who survived the climate--for rum, but she has taken upwith the rights of women to sit in Parliament, and Caddy tells meit is a mission involving more correspondence than the old one. Ihad almost forgotten Caddy's poor little girl. She is not such amite now, but she is deaf and dumb. I believe there never was abetter mother than Caddy, who learns, in her scanty intervals ofleisure, innumerable deaf and dumb arts to soften the affliction ofher child.

　　As if I were never to have done with Caddy, I am reminded here ofPeepy and old Mr. Turveydrop. Peepy is in the Custom House, anddoing extremely well. Old Mr. Turveydrop, very apoplectic, stillexhibits his deportment about town, still enjoys himself in the oldmanner, is still believed in in the old way. He is constant in hispatronage of Peepy and is un............