MS UCLA: collection 100: box 95
My dear Frances
Thank you for your letter. We don’t deal in squills, but I have just brought in various primroses and violets, though there was hardly a berry for the Church. However the holly leaves are much finer than when the berries have starved them.
Gertrude was tolerable and could enjoy her cards and presents, and shells go on as her great delight at present, that wonderful step-step father of hers has an endless variety of collections, and sends her shells and fossils the finding and naming of which are a grand occupation, and she likes her maid.1
Your Blue Dragon is a great success, and I like Paul’s sister better than any of your stories for a long time, but as Dover was all Castle to me, it was funny to find no mention of such a feature in the landscape!2
Miss Bramston is coming out here tomorrow, and goes to Torquay on Monday—Mr Innes much admires her Apples, and there is much that is fine in it, but one wants somebody to love.3 I am glad to hear so good an account of Mrs Peard. Are we all going to have influenza? I remember a bout of 40 years ago or nearer 50.
Your affectionate
C M Yonge