Chipping Norton
Sept 13th 1877
My Darling Eugénie,
I was very glad to find by your letter received this afternoon that you had escaped a rough passage on Tuesday last and had arrived safely in Paris, and so you felt dull yesterday morning? well, dearest, I don’t think I have been particularly cheerful lately, since our parting, I seem to want you always with me to feel perfectly happy.
And now I must thank you for the very nice letter, the last written in England, which came safely together with the cigarettes, it was kind of Fred to give them you for me, I felt when I read the letter how much I should like to be near enough to have two kisses myself!
I have lately heard from my Mother she has much enjoyed her trip to the sea and is feeling stronger for it, she has intimated her intention of giving us a little table linen for a present, if that will prove acceptable which it certainly will.
I think one of our travellers will take my present house and if so I shall be able to retain the plot of ground containing most of my roses which I shall be very glad to do, I shall also be able to stop in the house a month or so after Michaelmas which will enable me to get into the new house with less discomfort.
Yesterday I went to play croquet and dine at the Rawlinsons, there were no young ladies there, not even Miss Cruso! while we were playing the curate and his wife called, I had not seen Mrs Bamford before for they were out when I called, she seems a nice little woman, and, for a wonder, goes down well with all the ladies I have heard speak of her.
It has been a cold wet miserable day and I think the only gleam of sunshine was the receipt of your letter, darling, that was a real pleasure.
The other day I purchased the revised edition of hymns ancient & modern, that I might read over No. 306 the doing so brought up a pleasing memory of the time we heard it sung in Richmond church.
And now being bed time I must say Good-night my love.
God bless you darling Eugénie,
Ever believe me
Your own affectionate
Julius Sladden
Postscript, Friday Morning
I am afraid the foregoing is rather a shabby letter for my darling seeing that I have received two from her since I last wrote.
Perhaps you will think there is hardly room on my name for a kiss, but my Eugénie will find one there for all that.
You did not say if the roses came out tolerably fresh after their long journey.
I enclose a short paragraph from our local paper relative to my success at Wellingboro’.
Good-bye dearest
Yours ever
Julius Sladden
