Gloucester House
Surbiton
14th December 1881
My darling Husband,
I was very pleased to receive your letter this morning & to find that the children are all right. Jack does not quite settle down, we have had one or two fusses with him & yesterday he utterly refused to eat his dinner in the nursery, I have just put him to bed now, & asked one of the nurses to dress him when he wakes up, as he may not be so troublesome if he does not see me. I suppose you will come up on Saturday, they have no celery in the garden, so bring some up & also some potatoes, as I find they are rather troubled to get good ones & would be pleased to have a few. Fanny wants me to help her decorate the house for Christmas, will you bring up my cardboard alphabet & also some of the frosted glass, as we think of trying the tapioca letters.
We drove over to Richmond yesterday & saw Papa & Polly, the former was suffering from an attack of indigestion, Jack went with us & I think he knew Grandpa again as he was very friendly with him. We had a very foggy drive home & had to go at a walking pace nearly all the way, which was not pleasant, especially as Fanny was very nervous & the coachman too, I think.
I hope you found that Mrs Savory was going on all right yesterday, I must write to her soon. How are my dear little girls? you do not say how May’s arm is, give her a good kiss for me & also to my dear Baby. I am afraid you must get Grandma’s money before you leave, Mr Emerson is to come up either next week or this to pay over the money. War is declared with Uncle Tom, it appears he has written a most indignant letter to Fred.
I am looking forward to this evening, Fanny is busy getting things ready, I hope it may be a successful party.
Now darling I must wish you many happy returns of our wedding day tomorrow we shall have been married four years, & for all that time, my dear Julius has been a good loving husband to me & made me very happy. Jack sends his Papa a kiss, I hope he may get happier in a day or two, or I shall be afraid to leave him here when we go to Ash, for fear he should be troublesome.
Now with fond love
Believe me
Your loving wife
Eugénie N Sladden
