Galatz
13th Aug 1874
My dear Biche,
At last I started to reply to your letter of the 10th of May, which has been going to be answered for a long time but what with various moves & getting to rights. Then the heat [?] one for any [?] it has been continually put off, added to which I have lately been away for about a fortnight in Bucharest where I was nearly baked alive. Happily, we are just beginning to get into cooler weather & are in hopes in the course of another fortnight of getting into the fine cool autumn weather, which is about the only redeeming point in this land of discomfort.
I like the look of Robert in his photograph & yours is very good. We were very glad to have them. I hear from Polly & Tom that you will most likely not go out to India this year. I expect you are in England now as it appears that you and Father intended going there about this time. I include a photograph of baby taken last spring. The principal likeness is in the [?], which he is always sticking up in all sorts of ways. He can almost walk now & has six teeth & is growing a great [?]. He has a perambulator now & likes it very much & in general is very good when you let him have his own way. He seems very fond of animals only he is so rough with them & imagines that their eyes are made for him to put his fingers into.
We were so sorry to hear Tom had been ill again & hope he has now quite recovered. Why does not Gus ever write. Did he go to Lucy’s marriage? We saw the other day the death of Andrew Wood at Barbados. What was he doing out there? It was only a little while ago he distinguished himself at Oxford. Uncle Tom must be very much cut up at losing him.
I hope Father will take a good holiday this year, if he has been so busy he will want it. Is Ned well? I have had no letter from him for nearly a year. I hope you like your new apartment. I think I know the house. The rooms must be bigger than at 45. We had so many mosquitos in our house this summer, we did not know what to do, but they are clearing off now, tho’ they are not yet all gone. Nurse suffered much from them & so did Florence. Here of course there is nothing new. We go on very much the same from day to day. I am always totally busy. I am well again now, think changing our house did me good, as we now live almost in the country, but I have had quite enough of Romania now & should be glad to leave on the first opportunity. I should like to know when Walter comes back, perhaps he may have arrived before soon.
With much love from Florence and myself to all
Believe me
Yr affte Brother
Fred J. Mourilyan
