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July 11th 1915 - Letter from Juliet Sladden to her mother, Eugénie Sladden

Date
11th July 1915
Correspondence From
Juliet Sladden, The Grove School, Highgate
Correspondence To
Eugénie Sladden, Eynsford, Upperton Road, Eastbourne
Relationship to Letter Addressee
Daughter
Text of Letter

The Grove School
Highgate
London N

Sunday July 11th /15

My dear Mother

Thank you very much for your letter and for sending on the one from Cyril which I now return. It is very nice to have heard from him at Gibraltar, I suppose Malta is the next chance.

I wonder whether Father is with you this weekend, or when it is that he is going down to Eastbourne. I am glad you are going to talk to him about my plans. I do think you know that I am far better fitted for something in the practical line. I am much more practical than intellectual. My objection to teaching is: 1) in all cases the teaching itself; 2) in the case of boarding school teaching the narrow school life.

You ask when Miss Lacey thinks it would be any use to try for a scholarship if I go in for it. Well the school exams are every March so it would probably be March 1918 because if June 1916 is the earliest I can do Responsions and very likely December 1916 I must have at the very least a year to work solidly at the history. Miss Lacey did just mention the possibility of social work such as Kath suggested but we did not discuss it at much length. I am keen on the idea of nursing, and you may remember I always used to say I should like to nurse, but of course if you are very much against it that knocks that on the head. There is a viginti here who has a sister an army nurse, and she says that in peace-time it is a very good post, with interesting work, and a nice social life too which prevents it from getting so narrow as a private nurse’s life. Probably I should want to take up some special branch like that if I went in for it.

I am glad Arthur will be able to come back home for part of August.

Yes, I wrote to Aunt Lottie last week. I hope you are enjoying your stay at Eastbourne.

Yesterday I went to tea and tennis at Winifred Rackstraw’s, one of the day-girls. Next Saturday the whole school has been invited to tea next door to Lady Crosfield’s; isn’t it brave of her? I hope it will be fine. They have lovely grounds.

Tomorrow week the day-girls are giving their usual break-up party so we will be quite gay. And as it is Miss Grierson’s and Miss Jorgensen’s last term, the mistresses and the girls over 17 are going to have a break-up party next Saturday evening, and we shall both act something. Won’t it be a joke to see Miss Lacey acting?

I must stop. With much love, Mother dear, and love to Aunt Lizzie.

Your affectionate daughter
Juliet E Sladden

Letter Images
Type of Correspondence
Envelope containing 1 sheet of notepaper
Location of Document
Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service
Record Office Reference
705:1037/9520/2/455-456