Seward House
Badsey
5th July 1900
My dear Ethel,
I thought of you yesterday afternoon at 4.30 & wondered how you were getting on; I hope you did not spoil your chance of getting through by being too dreadfully nervous.
I wonder how Kath has been getting on at Holloway, I daresay she will not be sorry when tomorrow evening comes & she will have earned a rest after all her hard work.
We have had our first detachment of visitors to see the roses today, we divided them into two lots & some are coming tomorrow; today we had the Ashwins, Mrs Hope, Mrs Adkins & Mrs Wood, the Savorys & Prices couldn’t come as there was some village entertainment going on at Aldington. Tomorrow we have the K Haynes, Hogarths, Rowlands, Byrchs, Prestons & Colliers coming; I hope it may be fine so that we can again have tea on the lawn.
Baby trotted about with us today & was quite friendly & when it was time for her to go to bed wanted to stop & see “the other girl” go, by whom she meant Mrs Adkins!! She can accomplish the feat of undressing her dolls now, much to my chagrin, as she can’t dress them up again, & so I have to do that, & also she not unfrequently pulls off legs or arms & I have the job of putting them back on again.
We have no news about Cyril yet, if he has to go up & be examined, I shall go up with him & stay a few days at Richmond.
Aunt Fanny has I believe moved into her house at Weybridge, but I have not heard from there as yet.
May & I called on Mrs Idiens at Wickhamford last week, she showed us over the house, it is such a nice old fashioned place & has been well done up, the dining room & one bedroom are all panelled oak. Mrs Idiens was very friendly, we had left Cyril & Baby outside while we made the call, & she insisted on keeping the former to tea with her boys.
Crimson Rambler is looking beautiful, I put some in the glass basket with some polyanthus & they look very nice.
With much love to you both
I am
your loving mother
Eugénie N Sladden
