4/11/14
My dear Mrs Sladden
It is a perfectly horrible afternoon and we are being lazy in our tiny flat. Arthur is deep in one of De Morgan’s books, “When Ghost meets Ghost”. I brought it out with me, so I cannot get much conversation out of him at present. We had intended going into the town, that is to say the shopping part of the town, to get a Daily Mail and read the telegrams and lastly (quite the most important reason) to get some biscuits for tea but the rain has put an end to all our nice little plans.
I hope that my letter to Kathleen describing my journey has gone its rounds by this time and that you all know what happened after I left Victoria. It was really a very good journey and I got along quite comfortably.
You will be interested to hear that I am trying to learn French, a Madame Lambolez offered to teach Miss Barrow, the head sister, and Miss Barrow asked me to join so we have about three lessons a week. I think it ought to help although I don’t think Madame is a particularly good teacher.
Our friends across the landing are still very helpful and I talk to them very often. Shopping is much easier now and I hope that when I return to England I shall be able to speak French fairly well.
Arthur and I have had some nice walks. Yesterday we watched with great interest a number of washerwomen washing in the river, some in barges, and some on platforms across the water. It may be a very convenient way of doing laundry, but I do not think it is a very successful way. The linen is such a bad colour, there seems to be very little attempt at bleaching.
Arthur and I were both very sorry to hear of Mrs George Sladden’s death although one is glad that she is released from such a dreadful illness.
We succeeded in getting a walk after all and were rewarded for our energy by finding an announcement of the capture of De Wet in the paper.
Since I wrote to Kathleen we have been to tea with the American Consul and his wife. They are rather nice people, Arthur says they are typical Americans. I liked Mrs Schulz very much, she was so bright and cheery, the little girl was very quaint, she talks more French than English.
I hope all at Badsey are quite well and that you get good news from the others,
With much love.
Yours affectionately
Mary
