Seward House, Badsey
9th April 1896
My dear Kathleen
I can’t quite remember which of you I ought to write to but as Ethel has written to May, I will address my letter to you. I am glad you had a happy Easter & that Good Friday was nice at school. Mr Gepp gave us a special service on the seven last words of our Lord, the same that we had the first year he was here. I was very pleased to hear the addresses again; there was a fairly good congregation, we locked the house up & all went, even little Cyril & he was such a good quiet little boy. Saturday of course we were busy decorating, I did the font & had heaps of primroses for it & also a few lovely arums & other white flowers. Cynthia & Miss Lynes did the pulpit very prettily, they have struck up a most tremendous friendship. The Gepp girls & Ethel did the windows & Mrs Keen the Chancel & altogether I think it looked extra nice. There were forty communicants at the early service & twenty nine afterwards.
I had a letter from Miss Du Pré yesterday, asking if you might wait till Thursday morning, so as to escort her little nieces. I am afraid you will be a little disappointed at having to wait till then, & I wish you could have come on the Wednesday, but of course I could not do otherwise than to write & say you could bring them on Thursday, so you must possess your souls in patience for a few hours longer, & so must we. Father encloses the times of your trains & also 15/- for your journey down; of course you will get down at Badsey where some of us will meet you. Is it not kind of Miss Robinson to send you each a handsome present? I have written to thank her, but must get one of you girls to write also when you come home. The last Literary was at Mrs. Adkins’ yesterday, we read parts of Richard III & there was some nice music. I played an Impromptu of Chopin’s, one that I have been trying to learn for a good while. Cynthia Savory drove me there & back, so I did it comfortably. It has been so warm the last few days, we have not lit the fire at all today. You girls had better come home prepared to have to do your own washing! I can’t find a washerwoman anywhere, I have exhausted all the nearest villages & am now going to try the more distant ones. It is late so goodnight. Give my best love to May & thanks for her nice long letter. With much love from us all, I am
Your loving mother
Eugénie N. Sladden
P.S. Father came home last night, he says Jack looks very well & seems to like Lee very well, all the folks down there were about as usual. Arthur had another splendid report, he goes back on the 29th, so you will see something of him. Father has written for tickets for Macbeth. I am enclosing a 20/- postal note as I happened to have one, you must bring us back the change. You must tell Sister Edith Clara about Miss Du Pré’s letter, as she thinks you are coming on Wednesday.
