My dear Mary St Paul has brought us nice brisk weather, I hope it is not too cold for you, but it is pleasant to have it clean. We have had the excitement of hearing that Capt Cromie has been transferred to Algeciras in Spain, close to Gibraltar, so Frances comes home with the whole family in March and will not miss the wedding - I do not know much more for the letters were ... continue reading

My dear Mary We had two plants of purple periwinkle once in the old shrubbery part of the garden. It disappeared, and I tried to introduce it here from Dogmersfield, where there was plenty, but it did not live. Tell Jenny the bar is a line or stripe going horizontally all across the shield [diagram] The wreath is supposed to be the folds or fastening on the top of the helmet on which ... continue reading

My dear Charlotte

I cannot tell you how much pleasure Duke’s letter gave me yesterday morning and the whole Sunday that has passed since has only encreased [sic] the enjoyment of thinking of your future. It is so very pleasant to me that my own first god child, who has always seemed my god child above all my subsequent ones, should be committed to him whom I have known the best of all my cousins – ... continue reading

My own dear Anne

I don’t know how to write or how to think, it all came in one together for your letter of the 20th had been round to James and then home, and it was a note from Mary Coleridge, written on the 23d that told the reality and the first thing I had opened was a note from poor Johnnie all about his botanical prize and Domum. Oh those boys - one knows ... continue reading

My dear Anne,

How strangely sorrows have thickened on the family. Poor Delia Oldfield, she seems so especially desolate in her helplessness. I am glad Francis Yonge was with her, he must be more able to comfort her than any one else, and now that he has no call to other duties or any other home, he can best be with her. We were at Emsworth barely a month ago, and have certainly liked the General ... continue reading

My dear Duke Thank you for your very kind letter, which has been a great pleasure to me and will be so to think of. Though every one of our friends is so kind one’s own people that all one’s life is mixed up with are so much more to one. I think that the expectation of the Consecration must have been exciting Mamma more than we knew for weeks before, she so often fancied ... continue reading

My dear Duke I felt as if I must write to my uncle yesterday, I hope it was not troubling him when so many must be writing. It seems still like a dream to me, partly from the being so far away that everything must needs look and go on as usual, however much I may see with my mind’s eye how all must be looking at Puslinch and how sad and changed the look out ... continue reading

My dearest Mary Thank you so much for that kind letter, and for your message this morning. But I do find that I am not fit to come, I am so much knocked up to-day, having before not quite recovered from the effects of hot journeys and strange food. And I would not give you the care and trouble of a breakdown just now.

How are you all passing through this Sunday; I seem to have seen ... continue reading

My dear C C Poor dear Sophy, she has been a heavy weight on many minds from the time of Pena’s death, in a remarkable way considering the clever, able woman she was. I heard of her release, for such it was from Mary Yonge who wanted much, as well as Charlotte to come to the funeral, but happily the two witheld each other, in the fogs and the rain and the wet grass, ... continue reading

My dear Dorothy I could not but be quite sure what the contents of your letter would be. It is a peaceful end at last, to a life that was always kept happy and innocent. The real sorrow can only be for Mary, who must miss that one thought and care so dreadfully, though after all there is great comfort in knowing that she has not to leave Frances. I only hope she ... continue reading

My dear Mary One knew only too well what it must come to, and that the wounds one knew so well were being opened. Poor Charlotte, one cannot help thinking of her above all though the heaviest loss is to the poor little Cordelia, next to her father, but a mother to a girl so young is an inexpressible loss.

‘The clouds return after the rain’ After all those for whom one grieves the most, ... continue reading

My dear Charlotte How shall I say how I grieve for you in this fresh sorrow so doubled as it is by all you have to care for, the poor little Cordelia I can only say. May comfort come to you under this fresh shadow which God has thought fit to send to you and which must thus have infinite blessings within it

your loving C M Yonge

My dear Mary I have been meaning to write for some days, but they have managed to be full, and now I hope you have good accounts of Dorothea and the little maid, and that Charlotte has a happy nursing.

Poor Alethea has quite broken down, with really nothing the matter with her, but she has had no proper rest all this year First the influenza, then all the children’s measles then going to the ... continue reading

My dear Mary I wonder whether Charlotte had a foggy, snowy voyage yesterday? With us the day was very fine, the frosty road so clean and clear and this morning all was white but later it turned to drizzling rain and muddy roads , down which I puddled to the last nursing lecture, and saw instruction given on making a poultice among other things The numbers of people had been 29, but today there were ... 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 That letter came to me with a request that I would forward it to Mr Arthur Yonge whom the writer had met 7 years before in New Zealand, by which I concluded he did not mean Arthur in America and I thought it would just meet him with you, but probably it will find him in time. Poor Annie Woollcombe, the deaths from illness seem sadder than those in battle, and yet ... continue reading

My dear Lottie- How are you getting on ; I am afraid there is not much change any way and that your hands are full.

I believe Helen is somewhere either in the Bay of Biscay or the Chops of the Channel; she sailed on the 18th, and in a nice cabin with her goldfinches, and after to-morrow I may have a telegram any day to say she is in the Thames.

Christabel talks of coming on the ... continue reading

My dear Charlotte I had written one letter to you today when your other came by the second post and I just stopped it. I am writing to Mrs Johns to desire her to put these Carters into communication with you. I believe the Bishop of Victoria is not much of a Churchman. On the whole I think governesses are much more inclined to height than depth in the present day. [[person:2279]Mrs ... continue reading

My dear Mary

I am with Miss Sturges Bourne till Saturday and then poor Mildred has written of the sad end of their anxieties, a letter direct from Beatrice came after, with more hope in it; so I suppose the poor boy must have sunk in one of those fits of suffocation. It is very sad, and will half kill poor Mrs Morshead, who seems to have been able to do so much less ... continue reading