ABSTRACT
My dearest Stephen Never being able to thank you enough for your very constant care for us all,
it seems to me I take refuge in silence & never express my gratitude at all!! Oh! dear Dear I don’t feel as bad as I seem.// About Ted 1-will you come here soon, when you return on the 10th, for I fancy the
[p. 2] journey to Tunbridge will be unnecessary – Fancy your rushing down there for me! Let me speak with you instead of writing about this – As to the place for Ted, I think I would sooner not choose whether it shd be Brighton, Tunbridge Wells – Dover, or Rochester if you wd be so kind as to decide for me – I wonder what Gill2 thinks
[p. 3] of my not writing! As usual, she “goes to the wall” whilst I have answered during the last fortnight heaps & heaps of letters from people I care nothing or very little for! = At least I hope you’ve all been awfully happy down in that beautiful Devonshire – I know if you and Don are happy & well our little
[p. 4] angel is content. Give her a tender little kiss for me & say I think we have found a charming lodging for her – Dolly found it, & I went to see it – I want you when you come back to meet a lady – (a friend of ours of about 8 years –) Boo thinks she is just *the* party to go to America3 with me – Her &she wants to go! Since her husband died just 3 years ago, & her only daughter marries in March next
[p. 5] & she has a son in New York! I nd it di cult to live with people if I don’t love ’em – &, away from Edie Ted & Boo, I can count up the people I love on my ngers, & there’s a nger le !!! & that’s shameful isn’t it =
Tell Gill it has been dreadfully sad with us all about Mother lately4 – It is a pity to see her = so
[p. 6] helpless & gentle now she is ill – On New Years Day we all went to her, & she was like a little child so pleased with our cards & little gi s = but she could speak scarce a word, & it made my heart ache intensely. Edie & Ted were so dear – grieved to see me grieved =
“Commodore B” was in front 2 or 3 nights ago – alone –
[p. 7] I fancy he looked rather shocked when I laughed at him, so I was discreeter in the next scene, & looked at another man!!
