Marshgate House
Richmond
Surrey
23rd January 1914
My dear Eugénie
Thank you for your letter and good wishes. I am glad you have kept well during the cold weather. We are having a proper winter and the white frost we have today is a very severe one. Yesterday Henriette came back arriving before 9 o’clock in the morning, she left St Girons on Monday for Bordeaux where she stayed and saw her married sister in her home and left there on Wednesday for Paris, dining there and coming by Dieppe in the night, she had a good crossing so was able to sleep, she left quantities of snow at St Girons, she has been to the Guthries for her English lesson this morning, it is nice having her back again. Jack came to see us on Sunday afternoon and stayed to supper. Mr Rouse, another mason, was also in to supper, so I daresay they all enjoyed a masonic chat. On Monday we had a telephone message from the Styles’ saying they would like to lunch with us if convenient so they did and I was very pleased to see them. Mrs and May came, they had been to see Mrs John Styles who was very ill, I think she is about 80, she has 2 nurses and a niece is keeping house for her, they left early for they had shopping to do, they do not find the Teddington shops good. Fanny had dinner with us today, the boys went off to their respective schools this week. Miss McCully had come back from Dublin and the girls’ lessons have begun again so now Fanny has more time than she had during the holidays, she was going to London after she left us, which she had to do before dinner was finished, she is going to get some velveteen frocks for the little girls, and I suppose make them herself. Charlie has a cold. Edwin came to say goodbye to us on Monday and brought me a bunch of violets from Lance. Dolly and Lizzie must have been delighted to get to Petone at last after all their novel and unpleasant experiences. I am sorry you have not got a Cook but hope you will get one soon, it will be easier to find one new than had you changed before Christmas. I hope Cook’s friend who is standing in as Housemaid will be willing to stay altogether, she is nice and quiet though slow and she is getting more used to the work which is very different to what she did before, if she will not I must send an advertisement to the Morning Post in time to have it appear on Tuesday. I hope Kathleen is quite well again and will like her new work. I am glad Arthur has found a flat to suit him near his work. Sometime when you have leisure will you send me Dolly Sladden’s address on a card, she sent me a card on her way out and I should like to write to her. Mary’s husband has had a bad cold and had to keep in bed and she kept us the fire night and day. Anna says it is warmer now at Menton but they have had it cold. Harry joins me in love to you all.
Your very affectionate sister
Mary Anna Robinson
