Seward House,
Badsey
5th October 1898
My dear Ethel
I was pleased to receive your letters & must write to you this evening. I have had a very busy day for Clara is ill, she has not been very well & at all this morning she looked so ghastly that I sent her to bed & sent for Mr Haynes. He came this evening & thinks that if I keep her in bed for a day or two and look after her she will soon be better. I am sure I hope she will but I did not want to send her home to be nursed if I could avoid it, for fear her mother would prevent her coming back. Mrs Nightingale will come in for part of the day tomorrow. I am glad you were able to go to Mrs Knapp, it was very kind of her to invite you; I have written to Miss Pollard to come on here from Cheltenham. I am glad you are reading “In the Golden Days”, it is a very nice book & I think you will like it and now I want you to promise me that you will read a little every day unless you are absolutely prevented by your school work, let your needlework go to the wall rather than your reading, for the present, you are getting a big girl now, nearly sixteen, & have read so few books that most girls of your age know, & you would find that your composition & spelling would improve if you had your mind better stored with books. I am going to write on a slip of paper the words that you misspelt in your last letters, read them over carefully & then you are more likely to get them right next time. I am glad you like Miss Cave. I hope she is very particular, what exercises are you learning? The school treat has not taken place yet, it seems a pity they should have it so late. The next Literary will be at Mrs Malcolm’s. I daresay May & I will go at least if Clara is sufficiently recovered by then to look after Baby. That little woman grows fatter every day. She can say ‘Ta’ now when told to, but does not always condescend to do so. Our Church looked very nice for the Harvest Thanksgiving, the windows were particularly well done, I never saw them look so well. The collection was £1-7, on Thursday evening for the Cottage Hospital & on Sunday evening £2-2-0 for the outside painting of the church. The fruit & vegetables were given half to the Sanatorium & half to the Workhouse.
Mrs Savory and Mrs Standring sang a duet from Judas Maccabeus on Sunday evening & the choir sang an anthem. Jack, May & I went & Father & Cyril stayed at home & took care of Baby who was a good little girl & did not wake up once while we were out.
Don’t be alarmed, I have only given away old [?], a very old blue shirts & an ugly brown cape & two old blouses. I expect you & Kathleen will be delighted to get a peep at Father on Saturday.
With much love
I am your loving mother
Eugénie N. Sladden
