Pandy
Oct 14/97
My Dear Kathleen,
I have reserved your letter for this evening which I am spending at Pandy, to-morrow I go home after doing a little business in Abergavenny and Newport.
It has been a wretched afternoon and I have had quite a wet drive from Longtown. I hope it is finer at Badsey for the Harvest Thanksgiving service, I believe Ethel has undertaken the font this time. I call Mother fairly well, especially when she gets her afternoon rest, I think she is very thankful, as we all are, to be rid of Annie, the new girl came in yesterday and looks much more promising.
I am so glad you are doing excellently well in most of your subjects and May too did well to be second in French. Arthur was again third in form last week, Mother was so pleased that he was chosen to sing in a duet in the anthem one Sunday, fancy a Sladden having that amount of singing in him!
Georgie wrote rather a sad little letter last Sunday he adds a postscript “I am getting quite a dab at Latin and French verbs” here follows a sketch of a master caning a boy, whose tears are flowing copiously, and the words “none of this for me”.
Next Tuesday is the first Literary, at the Gilpins, Mother will not go but I have promised to take “Sir Toby Belch” in Twelfth Night – what a horrid word “twelfth” is to blunder over – the meeting is in the evening or I do not think I should have gone.
You will be glad to hear there are a nice lot of russet apples, they will keep well for some length of time.
The poultry are doing well, Ethel certainly manages them well and I hope she will induce them to lay early. I must begin soon to make any new rose bed as it will take some time to complete, we are getting some nice blooms even yet but I expect anything like wet weather will soon finish them off.
Jack’s exam begins on 26th he will go on working after it is over till the term ends at Xmas, I should think the results ought to be out before the holidays conclude but with so many candidates it takes some time to arrive at the conclusion.
I shall certainly object to pay any fee for that music exam you speak of, it is not worth sending money to obtain a certificate which is of little or no value and which, if you obtained, you would scarcely care to own! They had far better let you stick to subjects in which you may distinguish yourself.
I have not got your last letter with me but I do not think there was anything requiring an answer. The Savorys are going away for a month this week, Mr Remington has taken up his abode at the Wilsons he has taken the field near the school where the hops grew and is going to garden it, part of the 9 acres is to be planted with fruit trees.
I took Cyril to the Mop on Friday he much enjoyed some wax works, in the group “the judgement of Solomon” he thought the king and “the two ladies” were real, but the soldier holding the baby by one foot he thought was imitation because the baby did not cry!
Now I must say good night, with much love to you both
I remain
Your affectionate Father
Julius Sladden
