Badsey
Evesham
Aug 23rd/05
My dear Ethel,
Thank you for your long letter, you seem to have had a lovely trip to Geneva. I like your account of yourself as an ancient chaperone, but it is nothing to my being taken as governess to two girls of 30 & 26, as I was the other day! I said I felt at least 50.
We had long p.c.’s from J & K yesterday afternoon. They had a nice trip up to Grangemouth & fine most of the way. The cabins seem to have been rather stuffy. K had an 8 berth one with 6 in it, & on Sunday morning felt a bit queer but soon recovered. J seems to have been quite all right & both said they were delighted at starting with the prospect of doing nothing.
They arrived at Grangemouth 4 a.m. were up at 6.30, breakfast on board 7.30 then started for Stirling after sending luggage to Callander. Saw the cattle, sent Judy a p.c. of the Wallace Monument. Had some rain but were able to cycle to Callander which they reached at 4.30. They were coming back by boat to London & expect to be home on Tuesday.
I got home last Friday afternoon stopping in Worcester on my way to see Mr Machin, he wants me to go again on Friday to have two teeth finished which he prepared. I have been fairly busy since I got home, I am up about 7 every morning to let the little “slavey” in, she does the dining-room quite nicely, but I help with breakfast, which we get most punctually at 8.30. Judy makes the toast. On Monday Judy & I went over to tea at Wickhamford & George came afterwards for tennis, my first game this year!
Boo has hired a bicycle for a month, so yesterday afternoon he & George & I went, after I had done some shopping in Evesham, for a ride round by Fladbury & Cropthorne, we went into C. Church which is well worth seeing, & (what we were specially pleased with) two doors wide open & breezes blowing right through. This afternoon I did nothing special but took Bunny out & saw Clara Byrd after tea – glad to find her so much better, showed her your p.c.’s. Tomorrow we are going to turn out the dining room properly, of course helping ourselves, this little maid however is quite teachable & is most anxious to do well. In the afternoon I must go to Evesham to be fitted for a blue coat & skirt I have ordered at Lowes. I am pegging on slowly with my own things & trying as well to reduce the ottoman & stocking basket which are overflowing.
Mother seems more likely to get a servant before long I hope, but one never feels sure until they actually arrive. I took your Sunday school class last Sunday & got over to Wickhamford Church as well. I saw the window afterwards & like it moderately. I hope you & Daisy will enjoy Paris, you will find some rather queer old fogeys at the pension I expect, at least we did. This day 3 months we ought to have arrived at Wellington, we may get there on my birthday. I shall be glad to get K & you home again I miss our talks going to bed. George will have to go I think before you come home.
Love to you & Daisy from
May
