The Grove School
Highgate
London N
Sunday July 11th /15
My dear Mother
Thank you very much for your letter and for sending on the one from Cyril which I now return. It is very nice to have heard from him at Gibraltar, I suppose Malta is the next chance.
I wonder whether Father is with you this weekend, or when it is that he is going down to Eastbourne. I am glad you are going to talk to him about my plans. I do think you know that I am far better fitted for something in the practical line. I am much more practical than intellectual. My objection to teaching is: 1) in all cases the teaching itself; 2) in the case of boarding school teaching the narrow school life.
You ask when Miss Lacey thinks it would be any use to try for a scholarship if I go in for it. Well the school exams are every March so it would probably be March 1918 because if June 1916 is the earliest I can do Responsions and very likely December 1916 I must have at the very least a year to work solidly at the history. Miss Lacey did just mention the possibility of social work such as Kath suggested but we did not discuss it at much length. I am keen on the idea of nursing, and you may remember I always used to say I should like to nurse, but of course if you are very much against it that knocks that on the head. There is a viginti here who has a sister an army nurse, and she says that in peace-time it is a very good post, with interesting work, and a nice social life too which prevents it from getting so narrow as a private nurse’s life. Probably I should want to take up some special branch like that if I went in for it.
I am glad Arthur will be able to come back home for part of August.
Yes, I wrote to Aunt Lottie last week. I hope you are enjoying your stay at Eastbourne.
Yesterday I went to tea and tennis at Winifred Rackstraw’s, one of the day-girls. Next Saturday the whole school has been invited to tea next door to Lady Crosfield’s; isn’t it brave of her? I hope it will be fine. They have lovely grounds.
Tomorrow week the day-girls are giving their usual break-up party so we will be quite gay. And as it is Miss Grierson’s and Miss Jorgensen’s last term, the mistresses and the girls over 17 are going to have a break-up party next Saturday evening, and we shall both act something. Won’t it be a joke to see Miss Lacey acting?
I must stop. With much love, Mother dear, and love to Aunt Lizzie.
Your affectionate daughter
Juliet E Sladden
