MS West Devon Area Record Office Acc No 308
My dear Mary
Edmund Morshead has just been here, and we informed him of his new cousin.1 It did take me by surprise and reminded me of a lady in one of Miss Ingelow’s books who says her niece had babies with lightening [sic] rapidity- It is much for Sydney to have this nursing on her hands just after her own illness I have been out today and hope to be quite let loose tomorrow – The Confirmation was this afternoon 60 candidates but I was not allowed to go to it; and unfortunately April showers set in just before. Three young sisters were confirmed from Otterbourne farm, the one close to the old Church. Their father died quite suddenly yesterday morning – He was near 69 and had just made up his mind to give up his farm where he was born and had lived all his life, and I believe he had fretted much in a silent way. One day he sat crying all day when recovering from influenza. It was a great shock to all the place- Our two chief farms have lost their heads within a year-
your affectionate
C M Yonge