Seward House,
Badsey
25th January 1899
My dear Kathleen,
You will like to receive a letter from home though there is not much to relate since you left on Monday. May went to Mrs Ashwin’s Literary yesterday afternoon, Mr Price driving her there & back (N.B. does not seem as much afraid of young ladies now that he has a wife). The reading May said was pretty bad all round except Mrs Wilding who read Lady Macbeth splendidly. We have been getting up rather earlier the last few days & this morning I actually went across to church at 10 o’clock, leaving Baby sitting in her tall chair in the kitchen to watch Clara wash up, as usual I was the only congregation. Baby seems to have quite forgotten her bottle & goes to bed as good as gold without it. This afternoon I went down to the Mothers' meeting, there were only four Aldington women & Mrs Clair [?] Kyte there. Clara went to the confirmation class but was the only candidate who turned up. I believe they have the names of about a dozen boys & girls. May & I have been attacking the rest of the stockings & have got them down to two pairs now, I daresay we should have finished them this evening if May had not gone to the entertainment. You must tell us all about the school examinations when you write next Sunday, I shall be anxious to know if Ethel has been moved up, but am rather afraid she won’t be. I suppose Mary has gone back to Richmond today. I hope she will manage to come & see you Saturday week, with much love to you both
I am
Your loving mother
Eugénie N. Sladden
P.S. I enclose a letter for Ethel from Sister Mercy
