57 Avenue Malakoff
Paris
18th October 1893
My darling Husband,
Fanny promised to send you a card to let you know I had caught the train at Victoria; it was a scramble & I could scarcely have done it if Fanny had not been there to help me by getting my ticket while I paid the cabman & registered the luggage.
We did not stop on the way to Dover & got on board at 1 o’clock; it was raining, but the sea looked calm so I ventured to stop on the lower deck, under cover, but where one could get the air. However before we got very far the ship rolled very much & made me sea-sick, so I had to go & lie down after all. We were an hour & a half crossing; when we reached Calais, I had some soup & then we started for Paris which we reached soon after 7 o’clock. Joe met me & we drove here to leave my luggage & then went on to their house to dinner. Fred is in Paris for a few days & was dining there, so I had the pleasure of meeting him again, he looks well & except that he is greyer, looks scarcely older than when we last met. Father looks pretty well but has been much worried; poor Gus is a dreadful trouble to them, they have had to send him away from the office & even now scarcely know what mischief he has done, as fresh things keep coming to their knowledge, Joe thinks he must be rather cracked as he does not seem to realise the right & wrong of things, & I am afraid there is no doubt that he drinks too much, what is to become of him, I don’t know & it makes one feel very sad. I shall go to Bourg tomorrow, getting back some time on Saturday. Mme Gratrix has only just moved into this house & they are in rather a muddle, but it a far nicer house than where she was before & my room is on the first floor, so I haven’t far to climb. I am going now to lunch with Fanny-Joe so must leave off. Kiss all the dear children for me & love to Jack when you write.
With fond love
I am
Your loving wife
Eugénie N Sladden
