April 6th 1877 - Letter from Eugénie Mourilyan to her fiancé, Julius Sladden

26 Avenue Wagram
Paris

6th April 1877

My dearest Julius,

I was delighted to receive your letter this morning, all the more so that I did not expect it till this evening being from the country I thought that it could not arrive by the morning post.  I’m glad you had a tolerable journey, I suppose I must believe that you are a good sailor.  I have just come from a Sunday school teacher’s meeting, a thing I hate as we always seem to talk a great deal & do no good, I was on thorns all the time & thought that they would never finish as I wanted to answer your letter before post time, they kept me so long that now I must hurry & take it down to the Madeleine, & then I am not sure it will be in time. After you left on Tuesday I sat down & wrote to Polly & Fanny, & yesterday I wrote to Grandmama & Charlotte & I think my duty is about done in that line for the present.  We also had a perfect storm on Wednesday.  I was caught out in it a long way from home, however I was more fortunate than we were the day before & after some time found a cab.  It cleared up for us to go to the Ball which I enjoyed very much though I wished more than once that you had been there. Your flowers looked very nice & kept so fresh that I was able to have them in water all the next day, & then, well, perhaps I threw them away, perhaps I didn’t, you may think which you like. I danced nearly every dance at the ball I stayed quite to the last, I had one or two good waltzes, but my best really was with Ned, he is such a beautiful dancer, I like having him for a partner.  I have lunched at May’s once since you left, & had a nice long chat with her, they all speak so nicely of you & wish they could have seen more of you, when Mr Solitney[?] congratulated me, he hoped that we should be as happy as they are, he could not wish me more.

Poor Mr Mitchell!  What a sad Easter for him.  What a contrast to ours dear.  I suppose he will be away from Chipping Norton for some time, has he a mother & sister?

I am glad to hear Mrs Chouls was not horrified at the news.  Have you heard from Charlotte yet? I daresay I shall get a letter in a few days.

Thank you very much for the Easter card, it was kind of you dear to think of sending it.  I am glad all went so well while you were away, you see they managed to do without you, so perhaps know you may continue to get away again.  Later on, I should be very glad to have you here, but I am not dull.  I feel so thankful & happy in having your love that I don’t seem to think of anything else.

We are in a nice muddle now, having had all the curtains down this morning & some of the furniture taken away, our regular move takes place next Thursday.  For the next fortnight I expect to be very busy & very uncomfortable.  After Thursday you must address your letters to 188 Boulevard Haussmann.  I must close now, or I shall have no chance of catching the post, & I think you will be looking for a letter & would be a little disappointed if you got none.

Goodbye my dearest, with best love
believe me
Your own affectionate
Eugénie Mourilyan