12 Charleville Circus
Sydenham SE
Mar 22 1914
My dear Mother
I hope May had my letter this morning. She will have told you about the results of Judy’s and my shopping on Wednesday. I hope you will be satisfied. Of course neither dress nor hat are in the least elaborate or expensive looking but she looks nice in both. She was very well and cheerful; had quite lost her cough and seemed busy and happy. It certainly would be very good if she could be successful as early as next year in getting a Somerville Scholarship, but she thinks Miss Lacey would not send her in merely for the practice unless she thought there was some real chance.
Please thank Ethel for the eggs; I am glad she is getting a good lot now. Has she got any hens sitting yet? Perhaps in a few weeks the weather will be more favourable for young chicks and ducks. Today is very much better than the last week; not very warm yet but sunny with only one short shower since dinner. Wasn’t last week dreadful? I think I went in the rain and snow to the station every single day and generally in a bitter east wind too. It was better in the middle of the day generally, except Friday which was hopeless all the time. I met Miss Attree on West Hill one day last week and she asked me to come in to tea today. She lives quite close by now; next door to the High School.
I hope Arthur will be able to get down home next week. I think you will consider him looking well. I suppose his banns were up today. He was probably going down to Addlestone today he said. The tantalus which Christine and Fred have given him is such a beauty. He has got a good many of his presents now.
I should be glad to hear before long that you have some maids in views. It really is rather trying for you being so long without. I suppose the two at Wallingford came to nothing. You must be rather at your wits’ end to know what to do next.
I sent a list of a few things I want to May and have remembered another since; a folding table for use in the garden. You must all give me small things this tiny after ruining yourselves over wedding presents! I wonder how long it will be before the next wedding. I daresay we shall have time to put our pennies aside before then.
Kim has been getting into disgrace! Some weeks ago I was rash enough to buy a straw hat (it has rained ever since); it has a very flexible straw and does not mind crushing right in. Now Kim loves a hat-box for sleeping in; it is so well out of draughts; only generally the hat is rather in the way. One day however she was prowling round and after her custom lifted the lid of this hat-box and got inside. To her great joy the hat made room for her at once and she curled up comfortably in the hollow of the crown! This happened twice and both times Mrs Horsman found out by the displaced lid, the torn tissue paper and the battered crown! Then to prevent is happening again she place this particular box on another under the bed so that there was barely two inches between it and the bed. Yesterday evening when I came in I went upstairs to take off my hat and was careful to shut my door coming out in case the little sinner should get in again. After dinner I said, “Where is Kim?” George said she was about before dinner, but she did not appear when called, so I went up to see if she were on the hat! Another box under the bed, containing my black had had been disturbed; the lid was half off, but no Kim was in that (the crown is of an unyielding kind). So I just pulled at the other two together on the chance and felt them heavy; then I looked inside the top one and there cosily curled up in the dent of my new hat (not yet worn) was Kim so sound asleep she did not move until I lifted her out. Isn’t she a little wretch! She must have followed me up and crept in in the two minutes I was upstairs, waited until I went out and shut the door and then settled herself in comfortably!
With must love to you all, I am
Your affectionate daughter
Kathleen
