Seward House, Badsey
11th March 1897
My dear Kathleen
I must sit down & write to you this evening thought I feel thoroughly disinclined for writing & don’t seem to have any news. I have been stewing all day over a big pot of orange marmalade that wouldn’t boil properly & get done, & I think it has made me stupid. Ethel is staying on another week at Richmond & then if it suits will go to Byfleet for a week, Auntie wanted to keep her till the end of the month, but we couldn’t quite stand that. They are getting up a subscription in the village to give Mr Gepp a present before he goes away; I thought perhaps you & May would like to give something towards it, say 1/ each, if you would like to you must send me word, & I will take it out of your money boxes & put your names down on the list. There is another clergyman appointed, a Mr Price, he is young & just going to be married, & at present is a curate at some Oxford church; we hear he knows Mr. Whittingham, I hope he may not be quite so exalted in his views. Arthur’s report came on Monday, as usual it is a very good one & he is 2nd for the half term; he comes home on the 9th of April so his holidays will be nearly over by the time you come back. I walked up to Evesham on Monday, called on Mrs Horace Haynes & she took me over the Steam Laundry which is now in full working, they seem to be getting plenty to do there so far. Our violets are still a perfect sight, if it were not for the time they take to pick & the postage I could send you any amount, I am glad you liked those I sent. Mr Gepp has sent Ethel a book “Probable Sons” as a third prize for her text book, she found all but four & there was one mistake; it is a pretty little book something after the style of Mrs Ewing’s books. Today’s newspaper gives the route of the Queen’s procession on the Diamond Jubilee day; she is to go through the city to St. Paul’s Cathedral, where the service is to be, & will come back across London Bridge & through part of the Borough & across Westminster Bridge. With much love to May & yourself
Believe me
Your loving mother
Eugénie N. Sladden
