it not a curious story?

Mr Fawkes thinks it would be a fine subject for a picture--the awful
gloominess of the wood, the dead body, the dog licking the wounds, the
horror of the horse, and the man's countenance as he sat contemplating
the scene--he thinks might be wonderfully portrayed on canvas.

His other story is of a different cast. You have doubtless heard of
Edwards the great bookseller. He has quitted his shop in Town, and
gone to reside at his native place, Halifax. He is a great miser, but
being a man of talent, often visits Mr Fawkes. One day he arrived upon
such a miserable hired horse that they resolved to play him a trick.
Accordingly, after dinner the Steward came in, with a solemn face,
stating that instead of killing a horse that was meant for the dogs,
they had shot Mr Edwards's; that it was half eat before they found out
the mistake. Edwards was in a dreadful pucker; but at last, having
condoled with him, they told him that the only difference between his
deceased horse & the one of Mr Fawkes's which they had meant to kill,
was that Mr Fawkes's horse had not a white spot on its forehead, & his
legs were not white, but that by _painting them_ it would look
just the same, and that the people at the livery stable would never
find out the mistake. Edwards was highly delighted with this plan,
and, would you believe it, he was mean enough to hope by this means to
cheat the man. You may picture what fun it was to Mr Fawkes and his
servants to see him ride home on his _own_ hired horse all bedaubed
with paint; after which he wrote word triumphantly, "The man at the
Livery Stables has never found out the trick _we_ have put on him!"
How they will all quiz him when finally they tell him the truth!!

When shall you come to Yorkshire? You will find Frances grown quite a