Seward House
Badsey
23rd March 1916
My dear Juliet
I am rather late starting my letters this week and must get some done before post time this evening. We had a postcard from Ethel on Monday telling us they had rather too exciting a time on Sunday afternoon. They began to hear firing Dover way at 1.45 and soon after there were big bangs much nearer and they could see aircraft about. Poor Norah was very nervous and Ethel was afraid she would faint and gave her brandy, however it was all over before three and no damage to people near Deal, only property near St George’s Church and one hen was killed. Dover and Ramsgate did not come off so well as no doubt you saw in the paper. I don't know how long Ethel will have to stop at Deal, she went at any rate for a fortnight, but I expect she will have to stop rather longer till Marian can be at home or someone else come to help Aunt Edith; they have old Cook now to do the night work and she also does some cooking in the morning and sleeps in the afternoon, so Ethel is not quite so busy as the first two or three days when she had to do all the cooking that the maid couldn't manage and I don't think she knows much. Mela left us for Folkestone today, I am glad she has gone and hope the change will do her good for she is not a bit herself and gets very low-spirited, when she does cheer up a bit it is evidently an effort. That last case was a bit too much for her and I think she is really feeling very flat at the disappointment about Cyril’s coming home. Of course it is rather bad for her to think that they might have been married by now, and instead it may probably be many months before she sees him again and even letters take so long to come through. Eva Gaukroger's husband is out there and has been slightly wounded, she had a cable from him but says his letters take six weeks to get here. May had had a day off from school, not exactly a holiday though for she has been very busy helping to spring-clean her bedroom. Ethel managed to get the top floor done before she went to Deal and told us not to worry till she came back and we are not worrying, but still mean to try and get a little in when convenient so that it may not be too late in the year; we got the boys' room last week and now May's but have not confessed to Ethel so far. Of course I am not able to do much yet which makes it rather more awkward.
What is your French girl's name and whose idea was it to start this correspondence? It ought to improve your French composition and I think it is quite a good plan for both of you that the letters should be half in French and half in English. Bring them home with you as I should like to see them. It has been a nice day for once (Monday and Tuesday were pikey and Father has actually started pruning a little this afternoon; everything is behind-hand in the garden. Brailsford has not been able to put in a single seed in the kitchen garden yet. Ruby has a fine bull calf born yesterday, so we really ought to have a fair lot of milk these holidays, though of course the calf will want a good deal at first. I heard from Mary a few days ago, Baby has got her second tooth and is quite well. Big Dorothy has gone back to her nursing at Aberdare so Mary has lost one of her helpers. Their tenants are leaving the flat which is rather tiresome, I hope they will get someone else soon, especially as Mary has had to buy dark curtains for most of the windows quite lately as they showed too much light. We have to be careful here now.
With much love dear.
I am
Your loving mother
Eugénie N Sladden
