My dear Christabel What that Ivy did about her questions I cannot conceive, for both Frog and Cricket say they have had none, and yet there are some answers come in from Double Daisy and from nobody else

I have got Frances’s lame sister with me, and she is always pleased to help me by copying, so she has written out the questions for me Will you ask the next? After these that I ... continue reading

My dear Christabel Yes, the Coral islands and King René will do very well, but really the Goslings are so long that I do not think they are worth keeping up. Cricket and Double daisy are the only ones who have sent answers and that only to Henry VIII , I thought Ulysses might have been so entertaining but I believe nobody that does not live with a public library ever has books enough. ... continue reading

My dear Christabel I have my doubts whether you are not in the right and Goosedom has had its day. I do not think that now I have no one to read and discuss the answers with I do my part with the same spirit and effectiveness, and there are not enough Goslings acquainted with each other to keep the thing up with animation. Gaggles used [to] do something, but there has been no ... continue reading

My dear Christabel The Goslings will not die. I find we had better kill the useless members, and get some quite young ones in keeping the questions easier- We have now left only Cricket, Frog, Double Daisy and Pixie to whom is to be added

The Honble Alethea Colborne, Beechwood Plympton

I am not sure what she is to be called - Can you still be Secretary even if you have no time for the Questions? ... continue reading

My dear Pixie

Goosedom will be very glad of Miss Agnes Acland. I believe I first missed seeing her at Oxford but I have often heard of her. I enclose a sheet of rules, and will tell Double Daisy to send her the questions.

your faithful Mother Goose

Tell Miss Acland to choose her Gosling name

My dear Christabel Goslings do multiply overmuch, but I cannot refuse to make a two headed one, like Double daisy out of these two damsels of Miss Keary’s about whom I send her letter. Will you send them the Gosling list, and standing orders I am sending them the rules. Who asks questions next – none have come to me to choose from for December- and it is January that is the holiday.

I ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

Cherry is very satisfactory. The only thing I was not prepared for was Roland’s death, and Dick’s keeping the property I expect he married Nettie after all, though it is quite right not to say so. I like the contrast between Cherry’s feelings in the two illnesses very much, it is rather those of the rest of the family that I thought in danger of repetition. Miss Seyton I think ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

Thank you for your proverbs, which are very curious. There are some odd Eastern ones in todays Saturday, one of which takes my fancy, though not for a Christmas number ‘If a Jackal howls shall my old buffalo die’. I am afraid people would not understand it. I mean to have

Crow not, Croak not

as the next year’s proverb. I think most peoples’ stories are variations of a certain ... continue reading