MS Hampshire Record Office: Heathcote Family Scrapbooks: 63M84/234/581
My dear Ellie
Thank you. I have written to Logan to begin next Tuesday the 29th. To start at the quarter is convenient to one’s memory. I suppose he can hardly be Miss Sturges Bourne’s old Logan, is he his son?2
‘From Lynn to Milford Bay’ I thought of on Tuesday when our fire was blazing built judgematically under Mr Dennis’s superintendence so as to be bright for half an hour and then to fade.3 Seven fires were counted from the top of the hill . I did not go up having had enough at Cranbury.
The procession was a pretty sight through the trees, each of the 300 children with a flag, and the band and Vicar at the head. 800 people had tea and sports. Old Mrs Chamberlayne came down in her chair.3 I spoke to her but I don’t think she knew me. Mr C and his family were there very pretty children all in white. He and the little girls gave a medal to each school child and everything went off most beautifully. Mrs Gunner’s mother died at 91, two days after her daughter. I do not know whether she had been told. I am glad to hear a good account of Mr Compton.
Old age does soften griefs. At Wantage they had a terrible shock, the carpenter while fixing a flag on the topmost chimney of the Home, fell and was killed on the spot – a steady good Churchman with a wife and family.4 The Sisters had fixed to go into retreat this week. I think they must be rather glad it was so arranged.
Poor Whitethroat! I should suspect a boy, for cats move so daintily that they do not make such a disturbance in the surroundings, and I think it might be easy to get in from the little meadow with the stream. I am glad the fly catcher did not desert. I think you must be sitting under the trees today.
We had a shower in the night and at 8 this morning, but the heat is very great 84o in this room
Your affectionate
C M Yonge