Seward House
Badsey
Evesham
7th March 1906
My dear Kathleen,
You will be looking for your letter & I must write to you this afternoon you will be sorry to hear that poor old George has not managed to secure a place in the Surveyor of Taxes exam; the results came to hand this morning, there are 18 places given & he is only 51st with 1219 marks, the lowest successful one had 1340. Of course, he is much disappointed, & we are also, it would have been such a comfort to feel that he was safely started in the world.
I am enclosing a letter from May which I received yesterday by Italy mail, the sheet of diary accompanying it has gone to Arthur & will be sent on to you in due course; she seems to be enjoying her trip to the South Island; the Frisco mail is due again next Saturday or Sunday.
We have had two or three lovely sunny days, though the wind is rather boisterous, yesterday was quite warm, Ethel & I took advantage of the drier roads to walk to Bowers’ Hill & call on the new people there. Their name is Openshaw, they have seven children varying from 14 to 4 years old, only two of them boys. We found Mrs Openshaw at home & were rather favourably impressed by her, she has had rather a rough time of it so far, as besides having workmen in the house, they cannot get a servant.
You will be sorry to hear that Oliver Jelfs is very ill indeed, he has been bad about ten days & I fear there is but little chance of his recovery; Fanny fortunately is better & downstairs again, but she is far from strong & looks like a ghost. Ethel went & fetched the baby this afternoon & has taken her for a little walk, the child is rather fretful at times & Ethel thought it would be a little relief to Fanny. Bert is getting on steadily they got rid of one of the nurses on Saturday & they hoped he might be allowed to sit up in bed a little this week.
When we were at Leamington, I told Aunt Lizzie you would be wanting something in September & would she ask Miss Frodsham to bear you in mind if she heard of a suitable post; she has sent me on a letter from Miss F. in which she says she will do so; she herself is on the look out already for some mistresses for next Sept I seem to think it would not be too early for you to write to Miss Gunner & ask her to be on the look out for you.
Anna left us on Saturday for Malvern & was to go on to Petone yesterday.
Uncle Frank seems to be rather poorly again.
The Cliffords whom we called on are a retired clergyman & his wife who have bought the house at Hampton that the Masons lived in. I am rather in hopes that Mrs Clifford will take on the Secretaryship of the G.F.S.
With much love dear
I am
your loving mother
Eugénie N Sladden
