Seward House
Badsey
24th July 1915
My dearest wife
You will be looking for another home letter I think so I will write this to post tomorrow (Sunday) morning. We have had unsettled showery weather of late and one is beginning to long for another dry period and warmer also. It cleared partially this afternoon and the girls went up to the Red Cross tea and fete at Abbey Manor. I contented myself with taking a ticket and sending up a few button-hole roses for the flower stall. People were asked to bring things for sale and the girls took some gooseberries and a pot of jam. I hear there were a good lot of people there so I hope it will prove a financial success. We have been short-handed at the brewery since Attwood left, and his successor was no use. I had succeeded in getting a new man to come on next Monday and now this afternoon Albert Staite has had a fall and badly sprained his ankle. I am afraid it will involve some early mornings and late evenings for me, at any rate for a little while. Ethel has just seen in the evening paper the death from wounds of Lieutenant Tree of the 9th Worcesters and upon consulting the photo of the officers which Cyril sent it appears that he was one of the eighth of that rank belonging to Cyril’s own company so it is evident the battalion has been in action already. The date given is 20th inst but whether the action was fought on that day or earlier one cannot tell. The event brings the dangers of the war very close home to us. Mr Tree père is a Worcester solicitor. Mela wrote that Sunday week (1st August) would be her day off but she thought she was too “stoney” to come. However, the girls wrote that we would send her the fares. Tell Charlotte I have nearly finished “Ordeal by Battle” and indeed it excellent all through; tell her if she gets a chance to read an article in today’s Spectator by Lord Cromer called “Germany against the World”, it is the first of a series. We are getting on quite comfortably but shall be glad to get you all back. I suppose Juliet turned up all right on Friday. Much love from us all.
Your affectionate husband
Julius Sladden
PS – The King visited Bournbrook Hospital on Thursday.
