Badsey
Evesham
Oct 31st/99
My dear Kathleen
We got your letter this (Tuesday) morning, it is the first time this term they have not come on Monday.
You will enjoy going to Richmond. I think it is a very good plan to have Saturday a holiday & to begin work properly on the Tuesday.
Mother brought us all something when she came home, Father a photo frame for the boys’ photo, Jack a tooth-pick, me a very nice pair of suede gloves from the Bon Marché, Auntie Pollie also sent me an embroidered handkerchief, so I came off well. Mother brought Baby a doll & a dear little tiny silver cross which she bought at Rouen. She sent the boys a pencil case each & Cyril had a serviette ring which Baby asks for daily at dinner, but which she is always refused!
I have been to the carving class today, they are rather good & I am not quite so clumsy at it now as at first.
I am sorry you are not getting on quickly enough with your maths, is it the other girls who keep you back?
I was glad to hear from Ethel how far she has got in the various subjects, Maggie & Lily, not to speak of myself are jubilant because we have got further than her in Literature, we have nearly finished Act II. “Columba” however makes us feel anything but jubilant. We have begun S. Luke IV & in history we have nearly got to the Lamp Parl:, our period being 1603-1715 with special questions from 1642-1660. We do lessons now in the study instead of the school room at the Woods, the school room is so draughty, it is much more comfortable in the study though it is rather awkward about books, they have to keep them in the school room. Lily has improved lately & I hope will continue to do so. Still I am afraid her chances of going in for the exam are not very certain.
Mr & Mrs Wood have both been away the last ten days & last week their servant left & they will not have another in until Mrs Wood comes home. So the poor children were in rather a fix with no one in the house but themselves, & Mrs Wood had not told them what to do though they knew the servant was leaving (weren’t they extraordinary people in some ways?) however Maggie was sent to the occasion & got Miss Macdonald to sleep there & Fanny to come in every morning. Mrs Wood comes home tomorrow I am glad to say, for it is rather tiresome to say the least to have Maggie running away whenever the butcher or grocer came to the door.
I mean to do something for the school bazaar though I am afraid I cannot begin it just yet. The C.E.O. week is Nov 12th – 19th, I must try to do a little Kilburn work then if possible.
Ada seems at present to be getting on very well. She is a decided improvement upon Clara in at least one respect, she is much more tidy, Mother says she has not seen the back kitchen kept so tidy for years.
Are you going to have any hockey matches against other schools this term? If so I suppose you will be captain. I should love to see you acting as captain, I wish I could fly to Clewer on hockey days I should love a game. Still more I should love to be at your “Hamlet” classes, they must be jolly.
Have you heard anything of Agnes Gedge? I expect she will be going to Clewer some time.
It was Mildred Jarvis’ 21st birthday yesterday. If you think of anything that would do for a birthday present for Jack please mention it, Mother has thought of a clock & I of a tie pin, but that is all the suggestions offered so far.
With much love to you both
from your affectionate sister
May E Sladden
