The Dodd Family Abroad Author:Charles Lever Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: LETTER V. KENNY JAMES DODD TO THOMAS PURCELL, ESQ., OF THE GRANGE, BRUFF. Bregenz. My Dear Tom, — Although it is improbable I shall be able to despatch ... more »this by the post of to-day, I take the opportunity of a few moments of domestic peace to answer your last — I wish I could say agreeable — letter. It is not that your intentions are not everything that consists with rectitude and honor, or that your sentiments are not always those of a right-minded man, but I beg to observe to you, Tom Pur- cell, in all the candor of a five-and-forty years' friendship, that you have about the same knowledge of life and the world that a toad has of Lord Rosse's telescope. We have come abroad for an object, which, whether attainable or not, is not now the question; but if there be any prospect whatever of realizing it,—confound the phrase, but I have no other at hand, — it is surely by an ample and liberal style of living, such as shall place us on a foot'ing of equality with the best society, and make the Dodds eligible anywhere. I suppose you admit that much. I take it for granted that even bucolic dulness is capable of going so far. Well, then, what do you mean by your incessant appeals to "retrenchment" and "economy "? Don't you see that you make yourself just as preposterous as Cobden, when he says, cut down the estimates, reduce the navy, and dismiss your soldiers, but still be a first-rate power. Tie your hands behind your back, but cry out, "Beware of me, for I'm dreadful when I'm angry." You quote me against myself; you bring up my old letters, like Hansard, against me, and say that all our attempts REQUIREMENTS OF A LANDLORD. 31 have been failures; but without calling you to order for referring "to what passed in another place," I will reply to you on your own ground...« less