Seward House
Badsey
11th July 1906
My dear Kathleen,
I must try & get in a letter to you before post, especially as there is some diary of May’s to send on which you will like to see; we heard on Monday & Ethel also had a letter.
I had your p.c. this morning, I hope the Maidstone post may turn out satisfactorily, we shall be pleased to see you on your way, if you have to have an interview, are going to Cheltenham on Friday. Mrs Burrows was on her way there on leaving us & I asked her to put in a good word for you if she had an opportunity. She says her girls find that many of the posts are not filled up till August, as the head mistresses are too busy this month to arrange about interviews & do the necessary writing. It was very nice having her here for a night & she was so pleased with the garden.
Last week was all roses & visitors except Wednesday when we were at the Pageant, that was a wonderfully pretty sight & we all enjoyed it.
Isn’t it lovely about Dip? I am so glad he got a first, as though a second would have been very good, I know he would not have been satisfied.
I am sorry Innes did not manage a first, Arthur says he is very disappointed, as they two were considered pretty equal & it will make a good deal of difference to him.
We had crowds to see the garden on Sunday, the last open day; Gegg has been taking some photographs of it for post cards, some of the views are very pretty, he took one from our bedroom window, but we have not seen that yet.
They took seven exhibits to Wolverhampton & secured a 1st for vase of roses, 3rd for bowl & 3rd for hardy flowers. Ethel’s table did not come in, there were 15 & only three prizes were given, though they generally give extra ones when the competition is so strong.
We have sent out invitations for the Flower Show & the acceptances are coming in, in rather an alarming fashion, I wish you were going to be at home to help us.
Jack comes on the 21st, I think he & Father will probably go to the Isle of Man for a few days the end of the month & then Jack may join a fellow clerk for another few days in the Lake district.
George writes very cheerfully, he sent Arthur a long & absurd epistle & has promised him a poem! He & Jack went again to the Potters on Saturday he finds them pleasant people.
The Idiens are moving the end of the month, as the Mansion House will not be ready for them, they are going to Weston for a little while.
I am getting on with the “rent fund” & have £4-10-0 promised.
Norah is still with us, I think she goes back some time next week; Juliet is to go to Sandwich when Ethel goes down to Deal.
With much love
I am
your loving mother
Eugénie N Sladden
P.S. In your interview with Miss Beale, don’t forget to mention Mrs Burrows’ name.
Please bring or send back the diary by Sunday.