Badsey
Evesham
March 10th/12
My dear Kathleen,
I was doubtful last Sunday whether I ought to write to you, but was glad I didn’t as you wrote.
I am so glad Judy seems so well again, I had a nice letter from her last week telling of the fancy dress dance, she must have looked rather sweet as “Granny”. She was very amusing too about the Home Rule paper that Jack wrote out for her, she says “it was the saving, not only of me, but of three quarters of the history class”. I wonder whether Miss Grierson noticed any strange similarity in most of the papers!
I am glad you were pleased with your second impression of Miss Lacey. Her epithet “silly” for the suffragettes seems the only one, except stronger ones of the same import, I think the want of sense or logic in the whole thing is what strikes one most.
Dr Leslie came yesterday evening after Arthur had arrived, their report of Mother was quite good, the fluid is gradually decreasing, & at the present rate of progress they suggest her being able to come downstairs in about a week’s time. She looks really very well now & is quite bright & cheerful, as Muriel remarked today one goes to her to be cheered up now, instead of going to cheer her up. Her face is getting quite plump, Muriel says she looks so pretty in her nice blue dressing-jacket & her hair done in a coronet.
Lady Lifford came to call the other day not knowing she was ill, & she thought her looking better than she usually does. No plans can be made yet about her going away, it can’t be till the end of this month at any rate, & I expect that will mean not till after Easter & that will enable her to see a little of Judy. Wasn’t it good of Aunt George to send such a handsome present.
I hope you are having a fine week-end at Eastbourne, you are sure to enjoy Aunt Lizzie’s society, I wonder whether she is prepared to receive Dolly with as open arms as she did the other two, she will want to see her first no doubt.
I find myself very much looking forward to seeing Dolly again, she is a breezy, lively little person, perhaps a little more “colonial” in some ways than either of the others.
I hope the coal strike will be over before she arrives, for many other peoples’ sakes as well as hers.
I heard from Mrs Jackson the other day, she said things were quiet up there at present “but they are not hungry yet”! Your daily journeys must be rather tiresome with so many trains off, no doubt more on the G.W.R. will be taken off this week, we haven’t suffered in that way yet.
Our thirtieth pupil as school is Lucy Mattew aged six, adopted child of a Mr & Mrs Mattew who live in Worcester Road, he is in Mr Geoffrey New’s office & she was a Miss Bomford.
We have Molly Charles in for a couple of hours now each morning except drawing day, Marjory found that she could not manage without more help downstairs, especially when May Openshaw has to come upstairs to help me.
Ethel’s mumps have nearly subsided, but she will be infectious for another week. I don’t think I am at all likely to catch them, but it would be awful if I did! Ethel has had breakfast in bed Sat. & Sunday these last two week-ends, she seems to be able to do with any amount of bed, & it is quite easy for her to do so when I am at home. She complained of the rheumatic pains again in her leg the other day, but that is better again, then yesterday she had sudden violent neuralgia in her face, it didn’t last long fortunately. It will be a good thing when she can get away. She hasn’t been out of doors yet since she was certain she had mumps, Dr Leslie said she had better not at first for fear of catching cold in the glands, though she did go out those few lovely days before she knew it was mumps. Now she is only waiting for a warm enough day, & I expect it will do her good to get out again.
Arthur seems flourishing, but glad of his holiday. He said he hardly saw anything of you. He seems quite pleased with his “upper chamber”. We shall have the Boo next Friday I suppose. I am glad for Father’s sake to have some boys for a bit.
Mother heard a day or two ago of her Aunt Isabel Wood’s death, she outlived her daughter only about a month.
Ethel had a pencilled note from Aunt Sarah asking how Mother was, she said she remembered Ethel at Deal as a nice little girl & wondered whether she had grown up as agreeable!
Evelyn Allsebrook is better & downstairs, but not out yet, Ma Hands has not been to Church for weeks, why I don’t quite see as Evelyn seems quite well enough to be left for a short time at any rate. It was Mr Allsebrook’s birthday today, he is 44 Father found out.
Marjorie & I decided to invest in the 7/6 book I wanted for my Babies’ history lesson, “Our Island Story”, if you don’t know it, you must see it in the holidays, it is a most delightful children’s book, & beautifully illustrated . In time we ought to get a little school library together. With our 50 pupils we begin to talk of being millionaires!
Well, I must end, there doesn’t seem very much to tell you this week.
Much love from
May
Your keys are in the dressing-table drawer, I can easily send them, but if you really don’t feel the need of them I won’t trouble to.
