St Margaret’s, Clewer, Windsor
July 8th /00
My dearest Mother
Thank you very much for your letter. As we have only got learning scripture today, I must try and write several letters, as I have not done many lately. I think I shall write you a long letter, as it seems some time since I wrote to you, and I have several things to say. You will hear from Kath a long account about herself, and how she has been getting on, I am glad she liked the papers better on the whole than she expected, they seem to have enjoyed being there, it must be a nice place. Kath looked very well when she came back on Friday evening, I expect the change did her good. You will be interested I suppose to hear about my experiences on Wednesday. They took it into their heads that I was not well, as I have been looking rather white, and would not let me do my prep on Tuesday, or go to school on Wednesday, and took a dreadful lot of care of me. I am quite all right now, but I was rather tired, so I dare say it did me good. Sister sent me out into the garden all the Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday morning I practised a little after breakfast, as they would not let me before, and then I went out with Sister. While she was at the House of Mercy, I went into the children’s ward of St Andrew’s Hospital, it is a lovely room and kept beautifully, the flowers were lovely. The grounds of the hospital are beautiful. When we came back I amused myself about with Joe Fradd who was staying here. The exam was at 4.30, we had to go over at 4.15. I went third, so it was just after five. We waited in the hall, but we could hear pretty plainly. Miss Smith and Miss Cave were in the hall, the latter escorted us up to the door as our turn came. The examiner was pretty young, rather nice-looking, and tried to be as nice as he could. He reminded me very much of Herbert Smith. He asked us all what we would rather begin with, I said scales, I believe we all did. We played whatever scale we liked first, I played F sharp major. He asked me several scales, both kinds of minor, major and chromatic, either one hand only or both together. I got thro’ my scales pretty well, I think, Miss Cave thought so too. My arpeggios were not so successful and I think I got rather nervous over them, I am rather afraid they will do for me. I had to play the whole of my exam music thro’ except one and a half lines of the last piece, I do think it was horrid, Mabel, who had the same as I had, only had to play a little more than half of Mozart, and it is such a brute to play, but I had to do the whole. I fancy I got through them moderately I think. Of course I could not read, Miss Cave expected that, I was too nervous by then at any rate. I felt dreadfully nervous, but I did not think I showed it but the examiner told me in the middle not to be nervous, so I suppose I did. I think it is very doubtful that I have passed, I am sure all the others have. I wish I could, I do not know what took me in arpeggios, because I do really know them pretty well, but I expect I did something at first, and it put me altogether out, and then if the man did not go and ask for F sharp major, and its inversions. I do not think he asked the others either any of those horrid ones. Miss Monebiton Jones took two of us out yesterday afternoon, she asked to take three, but Violet could not go, so Alexina and I went only. We went over the ferry and walked to Bray Lock. We walked over fields and by the river, and got the most lovely wild flowers, we found beautiful blue cornflowers among the corn fields. We had tea outside a cottage near the lock. We started at three and got back just after seven. We had a lovely walk, it was so fresh and pretty the other side of the river, it was very kind of her to take us out. It is the Weybridge tennis match here next Saturday, I hope we shall do better than at the last one. I was nearly bottom yesterday, as I was absent one day, and had work excused, it is rather horrid being the last week of reports. How lovely the roses must be now, I should like to take a peek at them this week. It is good of Father to send us roses for Thursday, I am quite looking forward to seeing them, as I know they are sure to be lovely. Those Father sent me were very much liked. I hope you had it fine on Friday for your visitors, we are having nice weather here. I wonder how Maggie will like being here, it will be rather strange for her. We are going to look up all this week, I am glad to say, for I am sure I have forgotten everything; fancy exams next week, what treat. I expect they will have the results of the drawing exam this week, then perhaps the music at the end, which I can’t say I look forward to, and Kath’s thing on Thursday or Friday. The platform is up for the prize-giving. I expect they will have the rehearsal of the recitations about Tuesday. I must write to George now as I have treated him very badly, not answering his letter for some time. With kisses for Baba, and much love to all, I remain
Your very affectionate daughter
Ethel N Sladden
