Badsey
Evesham
April 4th/00
My Dear Ethel,
We have begun April showers to-day and although it is still cool the weather is much nicer than the very cold winds and frosty nights.
Cyril is in the midst of his examinations and I hope you are gradually getting through yours.
The boys should get home within about half an hour of each other next Wednesday, they are both going in for some of the events in their respective sports but do not seem to expect to win anything.
I have bought Mother a copy of last week’s issue of “Black and White” in which there appears rather a nice likeness of Hubert. We had a letter forwarded from Tom dated Feb 24 they were expecting to reach Ladysmith in a few days, which of course they did, he says that looking at some of the positions from which the Boers had already been driven it seemed almost impossible to imagine they ever could have been taken.
I suppose you are very interested in the Queen’s visit to Ireland I must send you herewith the account of her crossing and on my journey to Bromsgrove to-morrow I must try and post you a paper with the account of her entry into Dublin, I hope the weather there has been favourable.
Mr Jinks has had another stroke and is I understand in a critical state.
Mr Remington cleared all his things from the stable &c last Saturday and sent in the key of the granary, he now seems rather surprised that I insist upon three months’ notice, he certainly is a cool young man, however I am not going to put up with such behavior and shall make him pay rent up to midsummer, his dray ran into our front wall and damaged it the other day so he will have to put that in order.
The rose pruning gets on slowly as yet, but I must make a big effort between now and the time you come home.
With love to you both
I remain
your affectionate Father
Julius Sladden
The newspaper containing the [?] is part of today’s paper and may be interesting [Note on back of envelope.]
