Seward House, Badsey
17th December 1896
My dear Kathleen,
I must write you a few lines this evening but it will not be many as it is already half-past ten. I have been busy mending “bracky” for Cylla-boy, who as usual has none to wear, & he wants to go up to Evesham tomorrow morning with Father & meet Arthur. Jack sends his love & wants you to bring back Ransome’s History as he may want it. It is rather a sell that you can’t come back on Monday, but Miss Du Pré wrote to me the other day & asked if you could bring the children on Tuesday, so of course I couldn’t say no. There was a slight earthquake here this morning, Father & I woke up suddenly about 25 minutes to six & heard all the crockery on the washstand shaking, it stopped for a second or two & then shook again, we couldn’t think what it was & at last Father thought it must be an earthquake. Most people in the village seem to have felt it & been shaken in their beds, & at Evesham they came running out of the houses to see what was the matter; the harness was shaken off the pegs in the Brewery stables & the clock case in the hall stood wide open. Cyril says he is very proud because “he has been in an earthquake!” he & Ethel slept through it all. Annie is so useless & so tearful that I wrote to her Mother yesterday & said she had better fetch her home next Tuesday, so will probably find us servantless & I hope you will both be prepared for doing housework. I shan’t be able to meet any of you because if I did, there would be no dinner ready for you. You will be surprised to hear that Fanny Robinson’s engagement is broken off, I don’t quite understand the rights of it, but fancy Mr Workman has been behaving rather strangely to her, anyhow Fanny & Auntie Polly are a good deal upset about it.
With much love to you both, hoping to see you on Tuesday
Your loving mother
Eugénie N Sladden
