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Elderfield
December 14 1895

MS location unknown, owned in 1947 by Alethea Yonge; part facsimile in Mare and Percival, Victorian Best-seller, facing page 208.

My dear Augusta
It is rather funny that the same post as brought your letter about Lady Blachford’s indignation brought one from an American Correspondent of Gertrude’s saying that she had observed that strict older sisters did generally turn out indulgent Mothers.1 But I understand it this way. Wilmet had seen that strict laws had not fully answered with Fulbert, Angela or Bernard and the Harewoods were easygoing by nature and also there was a spirit of teasing in the family. Bill’s goodness came from his friendship with Lance and I do not think indeed I said that outsides in the Navy or Army would have reported ill of the sons, they would do their work there properly, but they did love teasing – up to tyranny pitch as with Gerald when a small child

[the rest not reproduced]

1Wilmet Underwood, who in the early part of The Pillars of the House is a strict but fair mother to her younger brothers and sisters, turns in the second part and in sequels into an indulgent parent whose unruly sons bully their cousins.

Cite this letter


The Letters of Charlotte Mary Yonge(1823-1901) edited by Charlotte Mitchell, Ellen Jordan and Helen Schinske.

URL to this Letter is: https://c21ch.newcastle.edu.au/yonge/3305/to-augusta-boevey-pode-2

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