MS West Devon Record Office Acc 1092/101
My dear Anne
We were quite glad you were not here on Saturday morning, as the letter then would have made your journey so much more anxious. Now I trust the accounts are beginning to mend, and that we shall here of their continuing to do so. I am almost surprised to hear of Jane’s being able to speak even a few words, and that she should have been allowed to see you so soon is a great comfort. She must be less weak than I had dared to hope, if she is able to speak at all after all that bleeding. I am glad you can begin the nursing at once, and indeed we could not wish either for your sake or Mary’s that you should have been here an hour longer. All I do regret is, (besides of course the cause) that we did not know that was the last day, there seemed so much left to say till the last, which ended in nothing, and we frittered up our evening talks on Thursday, till I was quite sorry even then as I went to bed that we had made so little use of the time, and I had not even seemed to be thinking of dear Jane as I was, all the time that day. I wonder why sympathy always is so hard of coming out, and then one is sorry afterwards. How glad I am you fared so well in your journey! Mr Keble soon came, prepared to look over my Landmarks about Luther and Calvin and after Church, the Withers called, so my letters hurried themselves into a very short span.2 We did some Paradiso and began Friends & Fortune
Sunday’s post cheered us a good deal, and after Church, we had a fine river walk including Julian’s, and found the Simmondses flourishing, Maria Evans gone to Boyatt farm. Alice came just too late for Church this morning Dr Moberly is well again, but she is to go home for the feast day, just as I came back from Dogd tomorrow! We are going to afternoon Church at Hursley to hear how Mrs Keble is, as there have been no tidings since you went, and this makes my letter short. You will not try to write at length, only let us have little scraps to tell us how things are going on. I shall not go to Dogd till after the post, though we think no news of the Sunday would be good news, you will have missed Duke that day. Mamma had no headaches, and is as bold as a lion today spite of fog.
your most affectionate
C M Yonge