My dear Mary I am out in the drawing room again but no farther till the wind changes, and the cough departs, but Helen is coming to look after me on Monday, and Miss Finlaison has done so most kindly. By the by I never have had a headache all through so I don’t know how she came to [illegible] it- I hope Sydney is better - Augusta has begun to write letters ... continue reading

My dear Mary Edmund Morshead has just been here, and we informed him of his new cousin. 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 ... 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 You will like to hear that Maurice and Maude have had tea with Jane Moore in her hufet at Aldershot, which Maude says is exceedingly pretty, but they are having very hard work for 40000 men are expected at Aldershot altogether, and it generally holds 15000 and those regular soldiers whereas all these have little notion of more than a summer diversion and are very hard to bring into discipline- I do ... continue reading