MS West Devon Area Record Office Ac 1092/16

My dear Mary
I hope the sheep robbers did not reach the roots of the Corfu iris, and that other plants will recover. You must put in plenty of annuals to repair the damage. I suppose that having workmen about the gates and gaps became infirm, but the maids ought to have seen the enemy. I am afraid in the present state of things, I cannot leave home for though Gertrude is generally fairly in her usual state every now and then comes a day of sickness and faintness, which shews that the disease is going on. She has had one today, after being tolerable for three weeks, and she likes better to be down here than to have one of her sisters, and indeed they can only be spared in case of strong need. Henry has been to Oxford to take his MA degree and came out in a beautiful red and black hood on Sunday. I am glad he had a holiday for he is working hard with his 60 or 70 confirmation candidates for the 11th of March. Our diocesan examinations were last week and the reports are just come in as good as possible. Mr Silver, our inspector gives us golden reports. He and a committee have just put out a capital syllabus for the year with a set of questions for the Infants to answer with texts. Funny things he hears. One child (not here) answered that the Holy Catholic Church is where good Roman Catholics go when they die. Sunday was beautiful after not seeing the sun for ten days, and today is grey though not wet. The garden is full of snow drops and some aconites and Christmas roses. I hope the sheep did not eat yours or the crocus buds. My cook is summoned to see her father who is past 80 and has had a stroke. There seem no cooks in the world, but Bessie the housemaid undertakes to manage if Rosa Gardiner can come and help – and as Rosa knows and is fond of Gertrude that will do. Her father (Rosa’s) has worked 38 years on the railway, never missing till he had a throat or chest attack last year! He is at it again but is not so strong as before. Poor old Susan I should think she would not long be after her Tom. The people have quite taken to the nurses that Henry has arranged to get from Fareham, there was great need since the old village nurse gave up after 50 or 60 years in which she never lost a case of confinement except a woman who had first tumbled down stairs. I don’t think science could do more.

your most affectionate
C M Yonge

I am glad Sophy Martyn is better