Seward House, Badsey
28th February 1897
My dear Ethel
We were very pleased to get your letter telling us of all your doings, you are quite gay & after so much dissipation will find it quite difficult to settle down at home again. We are getting on pretty well without you but it is certainly quiet; Father grumbled very much the first day or two at having no daughter at home, but he is more used to it now, & I think we must let you go on to Byfleet, as I want you to have a long enough change to come home with roses in your cheeks. You had better write to Auntie Fanny in a day or two & suggest a day for going on there & ask if it will suit her to have you then. We shall be anxious to hear about your visit to Clewer. I expect you & the girls enjoyed being together very much; how did the dance go off?
The hen that was sitting has hatched six nice little chicks, & Jack sat another hen yesterday on dorkings*. You will be glad to hear that the ducks have begun to lay, also the geese. Cyril spent the afternoon with Maggie Wood on Thursday; she has gone away now & Lily came back yesterday. Mrs Gepp & the children are not going till the 22nd, so you may very likely see them again; there was no Sunday school today & I don’t fancy there will be any more while the Gepps are here. There is to be 10 o’clock & 7 o’clock service on Ash Wednesday. The Literary was a bit slow the other day & the reading not very first rate; Mrs Malcolm has the next, then the Taylors & Miss Garrard, but I don’t know that I shall go to any more. I was sorry to hear you found Auntie in bed with a head ache, I hope she is all right now, give my love to her. I suppose as your blouse was not cut out till Friday it was not finished in time for you to wear it at Clewer? Father wants to know what you thought of the “govs”? He will expect a description of them. With much love from us all
Believe me
Your loving mother
Eugénie N Sladden
With thanks to Lesley Wood of Canada for transcribing this letter.