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 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 Lottie I put off writing till the 19th was over, for it really was a very interesting day, though I little knew beforehand all they were going to make of it. About £1800 was collected for the scholarship, and this was presented, with a beautifully illuminated address, by the Bishop in the High School, making a wonderful speech about having read the Little Duke when he was a small boy, and all that ... continue reading

My dear C C Do you want Campbell’s Highland tales? I dont think there is anything bearing on Arthur in them he was quite Cymric not Gaelic. I sent the two Mags for young yesterday. Shall I write notices of SPCK’s books? They are not a good lot thus far as I have read, and there are two by Miss E Finnimore, the Postwoman and Uncle Isaac’s will that I am ... continue reading

Dear Mr Innes, I do not suppose the understanding was ever absolutely clear, I have certainly always paid over £20 to Miss Finlaison half in summer and half in winter, and I have, as you say had £40 in summer, and £50 in winter, but I an impression that I had £10 more for the Christmas number. Indeed I am quite sure that Mr Smith gave me £10 more for the subeditor, and that I made ... continue reading

Dear Mr Innes, I give my consent to the increase of your commission from 10 per cent to 12½ per cent.

We must sacrifice Gretchen and Archaeological Moss to Sister Florence who is more worthy. We cannot give up Rowling Manor-

Miss Coleridge did correct that tessellated mask - and you see she has marked on this revise that one of her other corrections this time was not attended to! I believe the defect must be that Clowes ... continue reading

My dear Helen Thank you for the £8, which I found safely on coming home from hearing the first day of the diocesan conference.

Poor old Graf, it is not every dog who is buried by the parish clerk, with me walking in solemn procession of one all down the walk behind. I am glad you were spared the catastrophe, and that mamma has Koko to divert her mind. I am afraid [[person:201]Mr. ... continue reading

My dear Mary I hope the sheep were expelled sufficiently not to return again, and that these lovely spring days are healing the wounds they left. I went to the Copse today and found the daffodils all but out, and there are many violets in the garden. The excitement of the week was that last Sunday morning Miss Finlaison fell down stairs with a large red glass lamp in her hand, which cut her ... continue reading

My dear C C I confess that though I mourn over the Manes of the M P I am personally a little relieved, for I was considering what I could honestly personally undertake or allow my name to be used for, in relation first to Truth, secondly in public spirit to the Church and girlhood, and thirdly in justice to kind helpers and endeavours for a fresh start. Helen has been reading the early volumes ... continue reading

My dear C C I wonder whether you are snowed up There were six inches of snow outside the verandah this morning and the untrodden snow is a beautiful sight as long as one has not to tread it, and is not gasping for the newspaper. I hope it is keeping the daffodils safe under it for you. Two days ago, I gathered some snow drops, and saw the noses of some of the ... continue reading

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 C C There is much to rejoice in in that SW line, poppies meandering streams and all, and Oliver was capable of a welcome. Tory disposed of three young mice yesterday (What would the Puritan have done to him?) I thought of sending them to the Eastleigh bazaar tomorrow, but they are still too young - Alethea is come home and had a hayfield party yes on Saturday Her ... continue reading

My dear CC Tory is banished, Juliette fell in love with him, so he is gone to Witham Chase, a very good home for him, and Vic is left lamenting – The mother mews all over the place but as she did before Tory went, I think it is from native accidie, not maternal grief- Aimée brought Miss Price to tea and sent Juliette, a little friend and a sort of semi governess to ... continue reading

My dear CC Poor Queen Margarita This to be added to all the other dreadful things that are going on. Letting off an anarchist just encourages the rest.

Annie Cazenove’s long time of watching and perplexity is over, her mother died suddenly at last in her sleep. I wonder what Annie will do, now she is free, very well off I believe. I wonder how your discordant element will settle down ... continue reading

My dear C C Do you know that Innes’s stock has been taken by Ward & Lock? I heard it second hand from a lady who has been enquiring after her goods. I suppose you had the letter asking creditors to accept 5 per cent. I asked what was become of the remains of what was half mine and half theirs and was told that Tanner did not know. I think we ... continue reading

My dear C C I hope the change will be a success. I did not know there had to be so long an interval, I do not remember it here, but as it was between old friends there might have been some arrangement. Wells Gardiner will not reprint ‘Forget me not’. I wonder whether I ought to try SPCK, they took Mary Bramston’s FL story last year - I don’t think Macmillan ... continue reading

My dear C C The Kings of Scotland were Earls of Huntingdon from the time of St David, and sat in parliament as English peers down to John Baliol.

Newspaper history has been a good deal at fault. Miss Finlaison saw that Henry VII married a daughter of Edward III which might have been only a misprint, but that it went on to say that Lionel had no children and that the York claim came from ... continue reading

My dear C C I shall be very glad to see you on the 7th or 8th, I trust you will find Helen here as her ship is due before the end of this week. She sailed on the 18th and was to take ten days –weather being good, and to look in at Cadiz and Lisbon on the way. She will be able to tell you about Ronda &c. You will find ... continue reading

Dear Mrs Lennard I did not write because I knew of no one who would respond to your plan, Are you going back to your old quarters?

I do not know Mr Arnold’s address. My nephew saw him at Lowestoft, where he was going to open an hotel! He has married a cousin of his wife’s

Miss Finlaison is at Preston for her holidays with her nieces, the Jenners, whose mother died this spring. They are in the ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Lennard It shews indeed that it is long since we heard of one another, that you did not know that my dear Gertrude Walter died, on the 20th of last May, after a winter and spring of much increased suffering, nursed by her sisters. You will be interested to hear that she left her stamps to be sold for the Melanesian Mission. Of course they did not bring in what she expected, ... continue reading

Dear Mr Moore, Miss Finlaison told me that you thought there was a possibility of getting a pension for our blind girl, Annie Norgate. It would be a most happy thing, as she is entirely dependant on her parents - and the father is a labourer not so young as he was[.] There are fifteen children, but most are now off their hands[.] I believe the disease is atrophy of the nerve. It came on when ... continue reading

My dear Arthur I think the redingote is wrong- but the geens and gaskins were worth having. Why should I not mean the Aryan classifications to be based on Grimm. I meant it for a pleasing exercise but I fancy only our spiders of a superior order will attack such a web!

Adams is my authority for durst being an old verb like burst, and is he not generally trustworthy? Certainly I never ... continue reading

My dear Miss Freeman I am very sorry if there is any mistake about one of your webs. Did you send an address and a stamp with it? We cannot return them without the latter, as when we get 20 answers or so it would be large undertaking for our finances!

If yours was late, it may have missed mention in the printed list. I get the whole parcel sent down on the first day of the ... continue reading

My dear Augusta

I don’t know how it is but there never seems to be room in the Packet. I cannot get in my own Cameos, nor finish up the Three Brides as I meant to have done by two chapters at a time. When I began the York & L Rose I thought both it and Dt Cecil would end at Midsummer, and now I find that they will last on into next ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

Fernando is here and we have read his first five chapters with much enjoyment the only observations I have to make is that the little girls would have been Leonor and Catalina, and that surely Portugal was held by the Moors till Henry of Burgundy conquered it. I know that Arabia has not affected the language, but I think they possessed the country I like all this about the 5 sons ... continue reading

My dear Miss Bramston

Mrs Elgie has asked me to answer your note as it is not quite easy to do so. Miss Finlaison is a very good and excellent person, and very anxious to make the girls good. She can give them a thorough good foundation in English, French and German, music and some drawing and makes them take interest in what they do. I think a good girl inclined to learn is very happy ... continue reading

My dear Christabel

I heard of both your troubles from Mary Lund, Miss Finlaison’s scholar whose brother is with Ernest, but I much doubted where you were. I dare say your coming home made a change that was good and refreshing to all. It was sad indeed to lose this second boy, after all the sorrow for the first I hope the little girl is strong.

The Squire has spread happily into three volumes. ... continue reading

My dear Mrs Barrett Lennard

I am afraid I do not know any one at Cambridge well enough to write about one whom I do not personally know. I do not think second hand recommendations have much effect people have so many first hand. In fact I only slightly know two people there. I was there some twelve or fourteen years ago and like you, was edified by the admiration of ‘Our ... continue reading

Dear Mr Innes

Thank you. Mr Smith generously sends me £50 in January £40 for my editorship and £10 for the subeditor. The other payments this month are for

Angela, Miss Alice Weber 10 Randolph Road Maida Hill

The Georgian Princess Miss Dempster Villa Rey Cannes

(She is author of Vera and rather a great gun, so should have full pay)

Papers on Rome The Rev Wm Jeffreys Hills Beaufort Road Winchester

St Paul Miss Selina Gaye 14 Artesian Road Bayswater

Miracle Plays Alfred Pollard Esq British Museum

Old World Legend Mrs Keir Moilliet Abbot’s Legh Malvern

I ... continue reading