12 Charleville Circus
Sydenham SE
Feb 15th 1914
My dear Mother
I am sure it is my Sunday to write to you, although I didn’t hear last week. I won’t put off writing on that account however, as I am not likely to have time to spare during the week. Mela is to come over this afternoon and see us. We feel it is perfectly safe as every possible precaution is taken to isolate the fever thoroughly. Nobody sees Eve except the nurse, and the nurse is only seen just occasionally passing in and out. I had hoped she would have made a full day of it, but she is needed for several things, so has to wait until after lunch before leaving. Everybody seems in rather poor condition in the Japp family at present, and recently much trouble has arisen between father and son concerning business matters.
I went over last Sunday and had a walk with Mela, afterwards walking back. It was rather wretched weather, raining most of the time. She seemed very fit then, and not cast down by the rather depressing circumstances around her.
I have had a pleasant week with no lecture and no demonstrating at all; as it is the end of the first half-session there have been exams on all the time. However I have been quite full up with work of my own.
I decided some time ago that I really must make an effort to read more German, so I have been breakfasting with Kath, and get some work in before starting in the morning. It is a good time when one is fresh. I find that with lecture work and other things to do in the evenings the German gets crowded out, so it is well to have a special time set aside for it. I have got into the way of using the Chemical Society library quite a lot. It is a very good one, and one can take most books, and all the common journals out for a month at a time which is extremely useful.
Yesterday morning I got hold of a book in Dutch which I tried to get the general sense of! I only wanted to extract some figures from it, and my limited knowledge of German, assisted by the resemblance between Dutch and English, helped me along sufficiently to find which were the figures I wanted.
I think I mentioned in Father’s letter last week that Eddershaw had had another operation. I have not heard anything further from him yet, but as it is now three weeks since the operation took place. I hope he will soon be well enough to write and tell me that he is getting along.
I went down to Poplar on Thursday last. I had been so busy that I had only been once since Christmas.
Later – Arthur turned up during dinner, and having stayed for tea has now gone to catch a train back. I went and met Mela and we walked back here, arriving soon after 3.30. She is now playing to me in the dining room while I finish this letter, and wishes me to send her love. Love to all from myself.
From your affectionate son
Cyril E Sladden
