Seward House
Badsey
Evesham
Aug 21/08
My dear Ethel,
As Mother is writing to Jack I will enclose a few lines for you, having already sent May a letter the other day.
Yesterday evening after a long spell of dry weather we had quite a nice rain but it will soon be lost unless we get more. The boys started this morning and I hope they will not get into much wet weather, Brailsford admires the tent very much and I think it really seems suitable for their purpose, they managed to get the oiled sheet dry in time.
I have been writing to Judy as I thought she would like a letter in your absence, I hear she is getting on all right and the Potter girls are kind in taking her to the sea.
Mother says I am to tell you that the Post Office baby is to be “Constance Juliet.”
The hens still lay about 7 or 8 eggs daily, there is no difficulty in selling them at 1d apiece.
I hope you had a fine day for your excursion to Waterloo I very well remember our drive there in 1877 but it was not in such a nice time of year.
Yesterday was Pershore Flower Show it was rather wet for them in the late afternoon and evening. Mrs Tripper came in third for her usual table decoration, the paper says “two shades’ of sweet peas, maidenhair fern and gypsophila” so no doubt it was the same old design!
Arthur returns to Oxford on Monday and will thus get a month before the hospital scholarship exam.
Mother has made a little more Pershore plum jam for “the flat”, the Damascenes will be about ready to pick by the time the boys get back, those Orleans in the back orchard begin to shake down a little but are not yet very sweet. Littlebourne apples now begin to want eating, however I suppose there will be plenty of customers soon!
Mother and I are of opinion that this will be the first time since Jack was born that we have been a night in our house without any of you at home.
With love to you all.
I remain
your affectionate Father
Julius Sladden
