c/o A H Richards Esq
Udimore
Rye
Sept 26th/09
My dear Kathleen,
I seem to have quite settled down again here & to have been back some time. Walter is no more angelic than he was last term, in fact I think he has even less idea of doing what he is told & generally behaving himself. I am wondering what effect a companion at lessons will have upon him, Joyce Bowden is to come I believe, but Mrs Bowden is away with her at Bexhill until Wednesday, so I have not been able to see her yet to make any arrangement. Baby is getting sweeter every day, Miss Griffin doesn’t come back till Tuesday, but we get on quite well without her & Baby is very good with me. This morning she said to me suddenly “You are the nicest Miss Sladden I ever met!” I have the pair of them for breakfast in the nursery every morning until Miss G comes back as there is a cousin of Mr Richards staying here who might not appreciate their presence downstairs. Then the coachman’s daughter comes to look after Baby in the morning till her rest time. Walter rests as usual from 12 to 1, then we lunch downstairs as the cook gives Baby her dinner in the nursery. On Thursday & Friday afternoons both children drove in with me to Rye, the coachman driving us, I shouldn’t much relish managing the pony & them as well! Tea we have all together in the verandah or the dining room, afterwards the boy & I usually play cricket on a rather soppy lawn, & Mr Richards & his cousin often join us. Mrs R puts Baby to bed sleeps with her & gets her up in the morning. I have a solitary supper upstairs, but I am quite happy with books & work as my evening companions & I don’t find myself longing for next Tuesday!
They made me pay 4d at East Croydon, when I went through the barrier they said my Evesham to Hastings ticket was not available. I don’t love East Croydon any better than I did after a good long wait there the other day, however the rest of the journey was quite good. The sale of Mr Richards’ farm implements takes place here tomorrow, the things are all set out in the field near the house, the man who is taking on the farm is coming to live in the bailiff’s house near. I don’t think the Richards are any nearer hearing of a suitable house than they were. I wonder whether you have found a bedroom yet. I expect you & Jack are going over to the Bowdens today. I have this afternoon to myself as Mrs R is taking the children out. She seems a good deal better for her six weeks in Switzerland. I never heard such a list of accidents & incidents as she had to tell me of when I got back 1) her eldest brother’s wife had had twins 2) her sisters, Mrs Huntley & Miss Burra, had had a nasty carriage accident at Wrexham, but rather miraculously escaped without being much hurt 3) Meg Burra, on the way home with the children from Ireland, lost the bag with their return tickets & keys & £5 in money 4) Miss Griffin’s widowed sister in Ireland has had to have an operation for cancer (that is why Miss G is not back yet) 5) The Bockhanger Miss Griffin sprained her ankle badly over in Ireland.
I will send one pair of stockings with this tomorrow & mend the others before I write next week.
Much love to you all from
May
Monday I heard from Mother this morning – very glad to hear that Aunt Edith is better though very weak & her illness seems not to be what the doctor feared. They are having a pretty full time I am afraid at home with the visitors it is just as well they will be moving on soon.
