22Apr1865, We All Rowed, Even the Duke

LISMORE, April 22nd, 1865.
—Lovely and very warm. Many oak trees are in leaf ; and 0 the sweet smell of laurel blossom and gorse ! To-day we passed a bank so covered with primroses that we smelt them driving by. I have been much derided for comparing them, when one sees them clustered together, to fairy pats of butter ; but I declare it is a very good notion. We had a delightful row down the river, as far as Strancally, going ashore for luncheon on a little clear plot of ground, under overhanging woods near Dromana. We all rowed at one time or another ; the Duke and all ; and I am growing a little complacent over my feathering, albeit divers crabs were the result. Drove home most of the way, distributing remains of provisions to the different little tatterdemalions on the road. Household cares are beginning with us : Ross and some of the servants are in the mansion, but it is frightfully behind hand and won't be ready for us for three weeks, prob¬ably, instead of by next Thursday. But our chief trouble is much more serious, a bad story has come out about the young Gladstone footman we had engaged, and we have had to decide on getting rid of him directly.