MS Plymouth and West Devon Area Record Office Acc No 308: 8-5-76

My dear Mary

All thanks for your letter, I think matters are looking better and that something less than £2000 will clear it all, but we cannot be sure till after the 24th, at any rate Julian is in much better spirits about it. Maurice must have gone to school any way, so that is the least part of the trouble, and I do not think Anne Parnell much to be regretted for she had got to domineer over Frances very much and spoilt Maurice and George, while she has never been kind to Alethea and hardly to poor little Joanna, but Frances never would see it, and feels the loss very much; but happily a very nice person whom they took as sempstress stays on and will see to the children Nurses must be scarce for Frances had 24 applications for her by one post. I think her an excellent nurse for a little baby, but not good for bigger children

I must tell you about the May garlands of this year I had just had a letter begging for flowers for a hospital of incurable children in London, and Alethea, Maurice and Georgina Halliday came up to us with beautiful garlands of fresh flowers chiefly polyanthus, which after exhibition they presented to us, and when the village children came I asked the elder girls to bring me any cowslips &c that were fresh enough after the round of the houses they take them to, so we packed up a beautiful box, and I think I must send you the letter of thanks it is so pretty. You need not return it, for after reading it to the children we took a copy to send into our parish magazine.

Since I began my letter I had a talk with Mr Jones Bateman who says if all goes right, Julian need not have called himself a bankrupt at all, and will not be one. There is one dangerous person, who has done a good deal of the mischief, and if he does no further harm we shall be well out of it.

your affectionate cousin
C M Yonge