Seward House
Badsey
Evesham
1st June 1911
My dear little Betty,
I wonder how you are liking this warm weather, you must be glad that you can do some of your lessons out in the garden. It is many years since we have had such a fine month of May, here we have only had two showers since the 3rd of May & the garden begins to be very dry. I see there was a bad thunderstorm in south London yesterday & wonder if you heard much of it at Highgate. Arthur left us this morning, it was nice that he could stop at home a week & he told us a good deal about his experiences. On Saturday he, Father & the girls went to Oxford to see the “eights”, they lunched with Boo & had quite a nice time. Cyril’s boat made a bump that day, but on Monday unfortunately they were not started off quite right & got bumped almost at once in consequence, Tuesday they bumped Wadham a second time & so recovered their place & yesterday they bumped Merton & so became sandwich boat, & then had to row again at the bottom of the first division & bumped Corpus! two in one day, isn’t that splendid? Aunt Lizzie arrived on Saturday, she has been staying in Scotland; she is very bright & cheerful as usual. Today she has gone to see some friends at Gloucester; yesterday we had a carriage & drove to Laverton, Arthur & the girls rode their bicycles & we took our tea & had it on the hill, Miss Holmes came with us.
I hope there are no more cases of mumps, what does being in quarantine imply? what can’t you do? I don’t think you have told us the name of your bedroom mate, is she a nice girl? How are lessons going on, do you have any class singing?
Arthur brought me home such a pretty little marble figure from Rome, it stands on the bracket in the drawing room; he brought Father a large Arab pistol inlaid with silver, it looks very nice hanging up over the hall fire place. On Monday May Capon, her husband & mother-in-law are coming to lunch; Aunt Lizzie goes home Tuesday & Aunt Lottie arrives either that day or the next, so you see we are being kept busy with visitors.
With very much love dear & many kisses,
I am
Your loving mother
Eugénie N Sladden
