My dear Mary How nice to have two letters from you together! You are alone, as I am for a fortnight as Helen comes on the 30th, and Lottie has just left me, but I am not sorry for a little quiet time. Thank you for letting me see those letters, I think almost Grandmamma’s last words to Dr Harris were ‘Don’t let Fanny be in a scene not fit for her,’ and we ... continue reading

My dear Papa, I am much obliged for your notes this morning; and I do not much expect now that John will join our festivities. It wd have been very nice and pleasant if we could all three have come together, Jane expresses great disappointment that there has been no time to arrange things in any orderly manner. She wd have had no thought but of John & Cordelia being here, if it ... continue reading

My dear Mary, It is a great undertaking to describe accurately so great a wedding, a great deal of the details I must reserve until I get home, but I was surprised to find that anything so ponderous cd be passed thro so quietly & easily. Aunt Seaton even seemed in not the least bustle & everything was arranged like magic; I suppose from the number of workmen & the abundance of payment. ... continue reading

My dear Caroline I shall like very much to send a pound towards your window; shall I send it to you at once by a post-office order? I hope your diaper will be as beautiful as some of those patterns of the Cologne windows of which we used to have a great sheet, and I always longed to see in glass, thinking that they would be better than bad figures.

Miss Keble's illness was a very bad ... continue reading

My dear Mary I have just heard from Jane Moore. She is at Ramsgate, where her husband has been sent to get over an attack of bronchitis from 7 hours work at Aldershot! She and I have had a great blow in the sudden loss of Lady Susan Blunt. You know she was the General’s cousin, and the daughter of my mother’s old friend, Lady Nelson We always so enjoyed meeting ... continue reading

My dear Mary I hope Sydney is as much better as I am, I believe I should be well if the East wind would mitigate itself, but we had showers of snow yesterday, and more looks possible today. Helen has been so good as to come down and look after me as her mother has Mrs Mansfield (Georgina Halliday) staying with her Her husband is an army doctor, and ordered out – and ... continue reading

My dear Mary

Thank you for the sight of the photographs Julian says the iron work is meant to cover it. It is very beautiful but I am afraid I do not like the idea of the Dove. It seems to me going beyond the lawful symbol, and I am sorry for it, though of course I have heard of such before, but not I think very frequently. I do not think ... continue reading