Oct 14th /05
2.30 p.m.
“R.M.S. ORONTES”
My dear Ethel
You do seem to be having a busy week but I was very glad you found time to squeeze in a letter to me, it was so nice getting letters yesterday, although by this time I have quite got out of the habit of looking for letters at breakfast and don’t miss them as I did the first day or two. I do hope the Café Chantant went off well and that you got your dress finished all right. I was afraid it would mean hard work getting it done. Today I am thinking of you Church decorating. I hope you will have nice services tomorrow. I wonder whether you will see anything of Dr Wilson. I am afraid I shall be a regular “heathen chinee” tomorrow. Since I wrote to Mother this morning our plans about Naples have changed. I found a notice up saying that a steamer would convey passengers from the Orontes to the island of Capri at 9 a.m. where the Blue Grotto would be visited then back by afternoon to Sorrento lunch there, on to Torre del Annunziata whence they would drive to Pompeii and back by steamer to the Orontes by 6.30 p.m. The whole trip to cost one guinea. I didn’t know whether Auntie would think it too expensive but I thought it sounded delightful and drew Auntie’s attention to it and she seems quite taken with it especially as a rather nice lady, a Miss Crooks, quite one of the most superior among us, is probably going, too. Of course we should see nothing of Naples itself, but as I point out to Auntie on the return voyage we should not have so long at Naples but we should probably have time to see something of the town itself and the Museum, these longer expeditions are better done while we have more time. The Orontes does not leave until about midnight so the Captain told us. His name is Ruthven (pronounced Riven) he walks round occasionally and talks to some of the passengers.
I hope you got my p.c.’s all right I sent you one from Gibraltar in a great hurry, the others were hurry up on in, great fear of losing the tender and I found a man on the quay who would post a p.c. for me so I stopped to write it as I best could on the way and ran on to join the others who were beginning to think me lost! I was disappointed in the post cards I got, they did not nearly do justice to the place, but one has so little time landing at these places one has to get just what there is time for and cannot hunt round for better. You will notice that my writing is rather shaky there is rather a strong sea on this afternoon and the ship is pitching a good deal. Poor Miss Laird is very bad. I do feel so sorry for her, the doctor says hers is really a serious case, when she came to England she came round by Cape Horn and they had 3 weeks of very rough weather, she was unconscious for several days and had to keep to her cabin most of the voyage, this time, she was in better health at starting, and we ought to have good weather most of the way so I hope she will stand this voyage better.
I have just had tea which it does not do to miss on a rather rough day I find, now I can sit on deck and quite enjoy a little pitching and rolling. You would like this I expect and Auntie said it had a soothing effect upon her this afternoon when she settled down in her chair for a little nap. Our chairs are very comfortable and just the right sort. I had my first game of deck quoits this afternoon, these games they have are rather a good pastime especially for days when there is no land in sight. I think we have caught just a glimpse or two of Italy this afternoon but I don’t suppose we shall see it well till we get to Naples early tomorrow morning.
I am afraid I have done very little needle work as yet, somehow the days get filled up without it and of course lately I have had a good many letters to write. I must write Bunny a little letter. I was very pleased with hers, “egsasparrate” amused me very much. We are getting to know most of the “knowable” people of course there are some we do not want to have much to do with. There is a young married couple, Mr & Mrs Broadhurst whom I rather like, she is so like Isabel Kock. I had to ask her if she was a relation, but she is not. Her husband has a very fine bass voice, he sang the other night at a concert. It is nice of everyone to enquire about me, you can tell them all I am getting on finely, I’m having a very nice time. I often think of everybody I have left behind and it is very nice to know oneself thought of.
Much love to you Detty dear. I wish you could be here sometimes to see some of the places I am seeing.
Your loving sister
May E Sladden
P.S. My fountain pen is invaluable.
[Inside flap of envelope] We had no black ribbon to send when we wrote, Miss Nightingale got some in the town today. Hope you will enjoy dance this evening. M.E.S.
