Badsey
Evesham
Oct 18th/99
My dear Kathleen
I purposely put off writing to you till this week as I am to write instead of Mother this time. She went off on Monday by the 3.6 & just saw your letters before she started, she was rather relieved to hear there were no more cases of scarlatina, I do hope there have been no more, it was a pity Ruth could not come & Isabel, however I expect Ruth will be able to run down some time from Oxford. Please tell me when you write if her address is only Lady Margaret’s Hall.
We had a postcard from Mary to say that Mother had arrived safely, I suppose they crossed yesterday, Mother intended to go to Bourg tomorrow so as to get back to Paris by Saturday. I expect they will leave Paris about Tuesday & then Mother is going to Auntie Fanny’s for a few days.
Baby has been very good, she did not quite like going to bed in my room the first night, I had to talk very cheerfully to her to keep off the tears. She is so sweet at night, she generally just wakes up when I go to bed. Last night I thought she was asleep, I covered her up when a sweet little voice said very sleepily “Maymay make Baby all tosy” then when I got into bed & was almost asleep myself I heard a little voice say “Nini Maymay”.
May Keen comes in every day, I think she & Clara have a pretty good time of it together. When I come back at one o’clock the amount of work done is not vast, one would have thought that between them they might have got Mother’s room finished before dinner time, especially as Clara had no cooking to do today, but they didn’t manage to. They take Baby out alternatively in the afternoon & really I don’t seem to have had time to the last day or two.
On Monday I arranged the “rummage” at the old school room for the sale on Tuesday (they sold off the things left from the July bazaar, I heard from Mr Price today they made £11) then I went for a ride with Jack & gave Cyril his lessons.
On Tuesday I sold rummage until 4. At 4.30 – 6.30 Carving class, rode home with Father, tea at 7. Today I helped Jack wash the legs of the show hens (the show is tomorrow) then went to Aldington to collect the Coal & Clothing Club money for Cynthia, I have undertaken to do it every week while she is away, they have all gone to the Isle of Wight for about a month.
I want to do the silver one day this week, but haven’t been able to so far. I meant also to do a lot of needle-work but I haven’t done a single pair of stockings yet.
My pupils are getting on fairly well on the whole, Maggie is working very well, Lily works well at things she likes, but things she dislikes she puts very little energy into.
There have been rather a lot of “rows” as we used to call them this term, I cannot help it perhaps I have been too easy-going before. I can’t tell you all about it in a letter, so you needn’t mention it when you write.
There is to be grand concert at Evesham next Monday, several well known artistes are engaged, Madame Belle Cole & others. Mother & Father are going to treat Jack & me to it.
On Tuesday there is a lecture at the Town Hall on “Shakespeare in Warwickshire” by a Miss Kingsley, niece I believe of Charles Kingsley, I think we shall try & go to that.
The literary has been put off until Thursday on account of the lecture. It is at Mrs Roberts’ I think I shall ride over.
We can’t show dressed fowls at the poultry show tomorrow, that have cancelled the class as our entry was the only one. Isn’t it a shame? We had a lovely couple of fowls which we had been feeding up on purpose.
I saw Mr & Mrs Knipe at the last Literary, according to them Mary writes that she likes school very much. Poor Mrs Knipe hasn’t got used to being without Mary.
Father will send your 25/- next week if that will be soon enough.
Please give my love to Ethel & ask her to send her birthday list.
With much love from
your loving sister
May E Sladden
My congratulations to Ethel on being top.
