Ecole Normale d’Institutrices
Orléans
April 14th 1901
My dear Mother
I see I have written to Father the last two weeks so it is rather your turn for a letter. I hope you got my post-card, I was very glad to get yours from Mâcon. That must be a beautiful church at Bourg, have you been inside? Mlle Robin says she has seen it.
I am afraid you could not have had a very good crossing on Friday night, the weather here has been wretched since I came back, it rains nearly all day & there is a good deal of wind. We were lucky to have three such fine days in Paris, fine weather was sent just on purpose for Easter I do believe. I am glad the holidays come to an end tomorrow, few days of holiday here is quite enough for me, of course I can find plenty to do, reading, working, & practising etc, but I hate the feeling that there is nothing that I must do. Mlle Robin has not been particularly sociable lately, why I don’t know, so I have to amuse myself a good deal. Her sister comes to dinner every day & we sit together in the evening I am glad to say. I never knew I was such a sociable creature till I came here, not that I dislike an ordinary amount of my own company but one can have too much after a while. On Thursday afternoon I went to see the Peteils but found that Margaret was away until Tuesday so that made a companion the less. On Friday I walked over to the école normale d’institutrices to see Jeanne Estienne, that afternoon happened to be pretty fine. Jeanne seems a nice girl but not at all strong at present. I stayed there some time & had tea & Jeanne showed me over the school.
Yesterday I went into the town & laid in a little stock of provisions for tea, jam & chocolate. Afterwards happening to go up to Mlle Robin’s room just as she & her brother who had come to see her were going to have tea I got asked to tea there, I asked them to honour me with their company today at tea & I think they will come. Tomorrow I must go & call on Madame Cochet I think, I have not been for some time & the last time I went she was not at home. I am afraid I only go there rather out of a sense of duty for Madame Cochet is not exactly interesting nor amusing to talk to, however they have always been friendly to me & later on when the weather is fit they have said something about introducing me to some people who play tennis so I hope I shall I get some before long. Tomorrow evening everyone returns & work will begin on Tuesday.
Please thank Ethel for her letter, I may put in a line to her after this if I have time. If it does not rain too much I may go to vêpres at the Cathedral with Mlle Robin & her sister I am not sure when it begins but I must post this on my way. This morning we went together to mass at St Paterne’s at 8 o’clock.
I see that advertisements for the May no. of the Journal of Education have to be sent before April 25th I have concocted an advertisement which I enclose for you to see if that is about what I ought to put in. Perhaps you & Father will make any alterations you think necessary & send it up in time for the May issue. I see the charge is 2/- for 30 words & 6d for each 10 words after. There are 40 in what I have written. I have just got the book from Richmond that I asked you for. As vêpres is not till 3.15 I shall have time to write to Auntie Pollie & enclose the letter with this. I must thank her for what she sent me to spend in Paris & tell her a little about our visit. You will tell them all about it at home. I like to have it to look back upon, to me it was about the nicest Easter I have ever spent though I always love Easter.
Goodbye, with very much love from your loving daughter
May E Sladden
Wanted in September post as French Mistress in good school French acquired at Orléans; grammar, conversation, literature. Could help in English subjects. Certificates – Oxford Senior, (distinction in French) Cambridge Higher Local. Good references.
Miss Sladden, Ecole Normale d’Institutrices, Orléans, France
