.load() limit the elements to load with a variable

Question

Ok so the other day I asked about using .load with a variable, and well it stuck very well and glad that SO could help me. I have another question though, I am trying to limit the elements that are being loaded, I am calling .tdtopics and it will load all the .tdtopics from the page url i am loading. Instead I want to limit it to say 5 and that is it.

Two Codes I tried one is all elements other is one element only.

$(function(){
  $('body').append('<span id="view_mess">New Message</span><div id="mess_wrapper"><div id="new_mess_pop"></div></div><div id="message_holder"></div>');
    $('#message_holder').load('/privmsg?folder=inbox .tdtopics');
 $('#view_mess').click(function() {
    var msg = $('.tdtopics a').attr('href');
  $('#new_mess_pop').load(msg + ' .post');
   $('#mess_wrapper').show();
    $('.postfoot').remove();
 });
$('#mess_wrapper').click(function(){
  $(this).hide();
 });
});

....

$(function(){
 $('body').append('<span id="view_mess">New Message</span><div id="mess_wrapper"><div id="new_mess_pop"></div></div><div id="message_holder"></div>');
  $('#message_holder').load('/privmsg?folder=inbox .tdtopics:eq(0)');
 $('#view_mess').click(function() {
  var msg = $('.tdtopics a').attr('href');
   $('#new_mess_pop').load(msg + ' .post');
    $('#mess_wrapper').show();
     $('.postfoot').remove();
   });
  $('#mess_wrapper').click(function(){
   $(this).hide();
  });
 });

Also for any hints on this would be nice, though I am going to read up on it later, I want to know if I could present this a plugin, and exactly how to start that? I think i would start off with $.fn.function then create the defaults? Like I said I'm going to read on this anyways, just wanted to know if any SO users had any advice on creating the plugin

Answer 1

Try :lt

$('#message_holder').load('/privmsg?folder=inbox .tdtopics:lt(5)');