Chipping Norton
April 13th/77
My darling Eugénie,
As I expect to be pretty busy to-morrow during the first part of the day, if fine, in planting my collection of gladiolus bulbs I will write you a few lines this afternoon, please tell me when you receive this letter as I shall then know whether it is better to post by mid-day, or evening mail, my former letters were sent by the early post.
I thought about you many times yesterday and wondered how you were getting on with the moving and hope you had the weather fine and that you were not over fatigued with the exertion.
It was so good of you to write me such a nice long letter while you were so busy, it came to hand yesterday afternoon and although I hoped to hear I should have not been surprised if I had not and only a little, but I confess a little, disappointed. You need not disturb yourself, my own darling girl, about the ring, my love – may I not say our love – is too well fixed to feel any superstitious dread, and now that it has been once off perhaps it will be quite as well to remove it when washing as hot water is always apt to try the setting, of small stones especially, when that happy day arrives upon which I shall place another ring upon my own Eugénie’s finger we will take care the sacred pledge shall never be removed, how I look forward to the days when my darling will be able to realize, what I hope and think she already believes, that her gentle loving trust has not been misplaced.
And now I must think of a little more to tell you or perhaps I shall be considered all too sentimental! but then I like to write as my thoughts run on and I sadly miss those sweet interviews which were as short lived as they were supremely happy.
I have not heard from Richmond yet but Fanny wrote me a kind letter to which I have replied, to-day’s post brought me a letter of congratulations & good wishes from Charlotte Hayward she was just about leaving Dover for Gosshall to stay a few days and hoped to see them at Ash, I am glad to have rather a better account of my Mother. I dare say Charlotte has written to thank you for the gloves ere this, she wrote me such a nice sisterly letter in reply to a long birthday one I sent her giving a little sketch of my memorable and long projected Paris visit, there are few details of that visit can ever vanish from my memory!
How we shall enjoy reading afresh – and together – our friend’s kind letters when next I come over, you see I am already looking forward to that.
It was good of you to tell me that you used the little prayer book though I pictured you in my mind’s eye on Sunday with it in your hand.
My dinner party went off very well yesterday evening we were only half a dozen but then I only asked intimate friends, of course I received a little good humoured chaff, though some were only bachelors pro tem, however as Willie Bliss, my good friend, said, “Let those laugh that win”.
Have you yet had an opportunity of ordering more copies of the photo you promised me? did I tell you that I had purchased a pretty double frame for the two I already possess which stands on my marble shelf from whence you seem to be looking at me now as I write.
I see it has been raining since I began to write, if not too wet I will gather a few violets from my garden to enclose, I dare say they will get somewhat faded but perhaps they may not be despised for all that.
I am glad to know you have been out two or three times lately, and to hear my dearest Eugénie say she is happy in her love is indeed a cause of most heartfelt pleasure to hers ever most lovingly
Julius Sladden
