Orléans
Dec 16th 1900
My dear Ethel
I only wrote you half a letter last time so you shall have the other half today. I want to ask you to get something to give to Ada from me for Christmas, I daresay you can think of something useful or that would be suitable, for about half-a-crown. You will know best what she wants, so I leave it to you. How is my money lasting out, if it runs short you must take a little out of the bank for Christmas presents, of course I shall like to join with the rest of you in any presents you think of giving. When Christmas day comes will you give my best wishes to the Savorys & the Ashwins & the Prices too if you like for a happy Christmas. And will you ask Hildegarde to wish my Sunday school boys a happy Christmas from me. I ask you now in case my letter next week should not arrive in time. I expect you are looking forward very much to having Kathleen home, she will have a lot to tell you. I hope your children will sing their carols nicely. I have taught several songs to the girls here, they always like to sing English songs & I find that book of songs that I brought with me very useful, the accompaniment is easy & I can manage it all right.
I have taught them “Home Sweet Home” & one or two others. Miss Hargreaves seems to have taught them a lot, she was musical & sang well I believe.
I wonder how the plays at Brecon went off, Dip must have been very busy with his exam work & rehearsals into the bargain. I am getting on with the first of Baby’s pinafores everyone here exclaims at it when they see it & wonder how I can have the patience to put so much work in it. The French are rather clever at some kinds of needlework but they do not often do anything that requires a great deal of work.
I am going to get Marguerite Petail to show me how to make some very pretty lace bordered handkerchiefs which she knows how to make, it is not expensive work & it really is charming when finished. I have just come from the English school having had tea with the English girls. There is a Miss Meiklejohn there who has lately come, she has a brother who has gained the Victoria Cross at Elandslaagte, he was presented with it yesterday at Windsor, I expect you will have seen it in the paper.
I hope you will have a very jolly Christmas all together, you must imagine that I am with you & I must also transport myself in imagination.
Goodbye, with much love from
your loving sister
May E Sladden
