Badsey
Evesham
Feb 2nd/12
My dear Kathleen,
I will write to you this week instead of Mother as she is not able to do so. Dr Leslie came on Tuesday as I think you heard & examined her thoroughly, he said there was trouble in the right lung, which made it very necessary for her to get rid of the cold as quickly as possible. She was of course to stay in bed entirely, have the room left warm, & a bronchitis kettle going. He said he should like Dr Beresford Jones to examine her & he came yesterday evening & sounded her again thoroughly. His report of the lung was not so good as Dr Leslie’s, they both say that in quite a young woman a lung in that state would be very serious, but at Mother’s age it often does not get any worse. But of course neither of them know how long it has been like that, & one cannot tell whether it has got worse lately. They have sent up a specimen of the phlegm for analysis & will be able to speak a little more definitely when they get that report. I am afraid we must face the fact that she is very delicate in the lungs, & she simply must not run any risk of catching cold ever again. Of course we have not told her exactly what the doctors said, but she knows her lungs are not right. It is a great thing to keep her spirits up & she is on the whole pretty bright & cheerful, though at times she feels weak & depressed. She does not get very sound sleep, makes noises a good deal & wakes herself up, but during the latter part of last night she said she had a little refreshing sleep.
She was glad to have Jack’s letter this afternoon & sends her thanks for it. She looks rather eagerly for letters & I was very glad to get a p.c. from Judy – quite cheerful & saying she was much better. Mother had been worrying a little about the child. I am very glad you are going to see her tomorrow, you can tell her that Mother is really a little better, but will not be up just yet as she must be very careful of herself for a long time.
I hope you find Judy looking pretty well again, I should not like her to go on & on with a bad cold, one feels it is possible she may have a little inherited delicacy & if she should have, now is just the time when she wants special attention. I am very glad you are feeling better this term.
I am quite fit, except for a slight cold which is not surprising, nine out of ten people seem to have one.
Mother had a long letter from Aunt Fanny this afternoon, Father had written to tell her of Mother’s illness, so she wrote cheeringly & sent several delicacies, turtle soup, etc for her.
Arthur wrote to say he should try & come over on Sunday.
Ethel looks after Mother of course in the mornings & I generally sit with her part of my afternoons at home, & we all have tea in her room. Otherwise she prefers to have only one generally in the room at a time. She reads & knits in bed a good deal & Father & I read to her sometimes. She has ups & downs, but on the whole her cold seems really better & the cough less troublesome. This is all news of Mother, but I know you will want to hear as much as possible & I haven’t time now to write more before post.
My love to Judy & thanks for her p.c. Hope you will both enjoy the concert. Mother sends best love.
Much from your loving sister
May E. Sladden
