Badsey
Evesham
Sep 20/98
My Dear Kathleen,
We were pleased to receive your letter and Ethel’s. So Latin proved your bête noir after all, well it shows your work generally was of a high character in that you took such a good position without it and you can only very narrowly have escaped the very highest distinction! I think there is a Persian proverb which says “I am not the rose but I have lived beside it” which you had better hurl at the head of Sister G.A. if the occasion offers.
Arthur has of course gone into the 5th and as there are a number moved out of that form I daresay he will soon take a good position, he was agreeably surprised at getting a double remove into set 2 in mathematics where he says he will learn trigonometry & statics. Georgie too has got his double remove into 4B but he says it was only upon second thoughts that the first five boys were put up two forms, now I think he stands fairly high in the school for his age there being five forms in front and six behind him.
I hope Ethel may soon get promoted, however if she finds the work of the 3rd form pretty easy she will be better able to learn to work quickly. Jack’s marks have come, they marked him 40 less for writing than last time (too bad I think) and that settled his mark.
Mother has been rather knocked up with the heat but is better again, the weather is rather cooler but we have had but little rain.
May wants to know what Sister G.A. said about your place in Scripture, also if any girls passed in Latin. I think we must interrogate Miss Smith as to her ideas about your future work, I am certainly of opinion that you ought to go on with advanced mathematics so long as you remain at Clewer, however, perhaps she will have said something to you about it before you write again.
We shall certainly want to see the examination report as soon as it is printed. May finds her pupils tractable so far and hopes they will get on nicely with her.
With love to you both.
I remain
your affectionate Father
Julius Sladden
