Seward House
Badsey
26th October 1898
My dear Kathleen,
Father has been writing to Ethel so I will write to you so that the letters may be posted tomorrow. You will be interested in reading Arthur’s letters about his day at Clifton. I should think he thoroughly enjoyed it. Are you feeling quite well? I don’t quite like your letters this term, you write as if you were out of spirits or somehow not up to the mark; what is the matter dear? Is your work too much for you, or are there any little crosses going on that you do not tell us about. Have you kept free from neuralgia & right in other respects? I am glad to think you are going to Byfleet for a day or two, the little outing will do you good. I don’t think there is the slightest reason for you to alter your hat & I think you may just as well wear your coat & shirt & red blouse, I don’t think Auntie would expect you to be in mourning & anyway poor Uncle will have been dead three months, & even if you had worn black you would have been going out of it. Let us know next week how much money you will want for the exeat, & I will also send your pocket money as I believe you only had it till the end of October. We are very pleased that Ethel should have got to the top of her form, do you think there is any chance of her getting moved up after Christmas? May & I want to hear a little about your work, you say so little about it. Clara is a good deal better & able to do her work as usual. She complained of neuralgia again today, but I hope she may not have it badly. The entertainment at the school last Thursday went off very well, but Mr Price had a long programme to begin with, & then allowed encores to nearly every piece, so that we all thought that we should never get home; it was half past ten and it began at 7.30. I have not heard of any other entertainment this winter but tell Ethel there probably will be some; also tell her that Mrs Bert Evans has another boy. May received a photo of Mildred this evening, it is only fairly good. Mary sent Baby two such nice little holland smocks the other day & she is to have another blue one as well. Who got the prizes for the competitions. Did you finish your pinafore? Baby is always wanting to be on her feet now, she can just stand alone by a chair but I keep quite close to her to catch her if she falls. She has got too big now for the round bath so on Sunday I used Cyril’s; she did not like it at all & kicked & screamed & does not like it yet.
With much love to you both,
Your loving mother
Eugénie N. Sladden
