Badsey
Evesham
May 31/99
My Dear Ethel,
We were pleased to hear that you had succeeded in getting top of your form and you seem getting on capitally this term.
Georgie got up a place last week, to 16th, and came out top in a geography examination.
Arthur will probably drop farm work after a bit so as to devote more time to mathematics and other subjects he is taking for the higher certificate examination. I met him at Newport on Friday and we went to see Dr Talham Thompson, a noted oculist at Cardiff, he said Dip must wear glasses regularly to prevent his sight getting still shorter and sent us to a shop where we got him fitted out, he has pince nez for ordinary wear and spectacles for cricket &c, with his glasses he could see things at a distance quite well and read with comfort without stooping, the doctor says he could not pass into the Army or Navy but that his sight would be up to the requirements of the Civil Service, home or foreign, so that is satisfactory.
Last Wednesday (24th) while we were at tea a fox came up the orchard and got into the poultry runs, which had not been closed, and from thence into the roosting place and killed 5 Dorking hens, 3 Leghorns and two Guinea fowls, we were able to eat some but of course it is a great loss I hope you may get a little compensation from the Hunt committee, we have informed them of the depredation, Tommy Knight saw the fox going away the other side of the brook, some of the poor things were not quite dead when we found them, in other ways the poultry are flourishing under Jack’s care, those first 15 are growing splendidly then there are 42 smaller ones and 11 ducklings, the younger broods are under the cart shed in runs and a lot of the stronger ones in the stable yard.
Mother will no doubt write to Kathleen and give her all the news from Kent, Baby appears to be quite happy at Richmond.
We are going to have the Volunteer band for the flower show which will do away with the conflicting claims of Bretforton and Aldington.
With love to you both
I remain
your affectionate Father
Julius Sladden
We have just a few roses coming out on the walls.
