July 2:nd –
Wildwood
My dearest boy
The mail is telegraphed – so I expect my letter on Thursday morning. The Oneida is certainly a quick & satisfactory
animal. – There is hardly anything to tell you –
however I will tell it: – seeing I only wait for your letter to start North.
& if it comes all right in Thursday morning
shall despatch packet & letter & be off on Thursday night: – not sorry! for I have done a month's good work –
& feel that it is time to stop unless I would have my head bad again. Also I
am being painted out of house & home – driven from room to room to get out
of the way of it – & finally into the garden – I did part of the last
chapter among the raspberry bushes with my feet on a hot bottle. – Mrs. Earl has actually painted
the whole outside of Wildwood – windows & doors included. We look horridly fresh
& new. – glaring white with oak doors. You can imagine. –
My last letter was sent off on the 22:nd
. – the night of that awful
fire. Laura & I
first saw it from the top of the Clock house – lighting up the whole dome of St. Pauls. – It was
visible two days & nights from Hampstead – smoke in the
day – & coloring all the sky to the zenith at night – such an awful sight. –
but you will see it all in the papers: – on the Monday being Minna's birthday I went in to dinner & found them terribly
grieved – Mr. Lovell
had been very fond of Braidwood – I never saw Mr. Lovell so cut up in my
life – he looked quite white & hardly spoke – He had been
off before 8 A. M. to the source of the fire – & only
just came back. He said the Brigade men at Watling St. could hardly
speak for crying after poor Braidwood. Nothing for a long time has made such a universal
talk as this fire – they say nothing has been like it since the great fire of London. – The
Phoenix loses
nearly £200.00 by it. & the awful row the
different affairs are making is something indescribable – How Mr. Lovell is worried out
of his life with work owing to it – says he never shall be able to get from Town
at all this summer. It is burning still – & the number of people killed in
it will never be known – The hospitals are all quite full with people injured
day by day, now the firemen just throw on water & stand & look on –
leaving it to burn itself out. They were very much afraid of London Bridge
Station. – & with a slight wind all Bermondsey would have been
burnt down. – the dreadful thing is that if people would only have had the sense
at first to that the fire-proof door between the
warehouses, all would have been safe – & the fire put out in no time. As it
was, the draught spread it in all directions. I don't know if this is
interesting – it's quite a new form of my letters – they are becoming
anti-personal – like my
parent's. who sends me a splendid political essay once a month. He
seems very mild & comfortable – People write to him for my autographs –
& he sends back my envelopes! No doubt he might drive a thriving trade at
six pence a pair!! –
He expresses himself still on the way for Ireland – but never goes. – On
the whole it is a wonderful look of comfort. The dear little Aunts have written
several times – & sent me a parcel of under-clothes that they have been
making for me – in great regret that they were only mine & not a baby's. –
Mlle
Wright is better – Aunts Anne & Jane are staying with
Richard & looking after his children: – very great
victims. – the usual destiny of ancient aunts: – But it's
wonderful how the aunts
have been shaken up – one never hears a word about Wallinger. They have a large
small
portrait of Spurgeon, hanging beside ours.
– Spurgeon preached a
sermon entitled "Fire – fire – fire" on the late event – &
then put a notice in the paper that he wished his friends & the public would
let alone – as he was ordered quiet – & went off to the Lakes. – Marian & I dined at
Vale Lodge on
Minna's birthday
& Mr. Marston –
Nelly – Mrs. James & Miss Coates
& Laura
came to tea. It was heavy – I think everybody
was dull – as one is at all anniversaries – & Braidwood's death threw
quite a gloom over people. – Mrs.
Lovell cried considerably. – Laura did her best – also
the Ziepels – but nobody was
very lively – for Miss
Montgomery has been in a sad lone way – their only hope was
getting her abroad & they were afraid she wouldn't go – however happily
yesterday we saw them – all shipped off. – Laura, Miss M.
Hugh, Priestly Smith (Laura's cousin) & her
brother William
Herford. – Garlick & Mrs.
Garlick to the Lord Warden at Dover – whence they go
indefinitely "abroad." – to Switzerland most likely.
There is to be a change for the
Ziepels shortly – his is so mild – he can't manage Hugh – & Miss M. has commissioned
me to let her know if I can hear of any Cambridge man who would
really take him in hand & do for him. – She is rather frightened for him –
in 4 years the lad will have £5000 a year
& not a soul to control him in any way. – It seems very grand – but when I
think of all the other nice lads I have known – with not a penny to bless
themselves – Craik boys –
& Patons – & Dobells – I am sure they are
better off than Hugh. I never can get up the smallest interest in Hugh. He has bothered
Mr. Ziepel so
extremely that I should think he would not miss him much. – except for the
"tin" – But I'm afraid you will not find this
"interesting." – Well – there's a comet.
Mrs. Lovell met it on
the staircase windows on Sunday night – as round
as the moon – she thought at first it was the moon – & then she thought the
world was coming to an end. according to Dr. Cumming. It stared in at
Minna's window the
whole night – quite awful. I have not seen it yet. – Nelly Marston was here the
other day: she has been a fortnight at Upper Terrace &
goes home much better. They have taken a new house – & Mrs. Singleton is to live
with them when she comes back from Geneva.
Mr. Richard Garnett
– whom you see in Macmillan – spends a good many Sundays there.
Nell seems to
admire him a little. She told me he had taken to
astrological studies – just for curiosity – & was quite horrified to find
how true they were – just like you – For a test I sent him the hour of my birth
– to find out all about the "native" until now: – but I did not wish him to go
on any further. I had rather not have any idea of the future. If good I should
not believe it – if bad I certainly should – & be worried by it. It is best
to "wait patiently" – & believe in the next world for one's "heart's
desire." –
Mrs. Mott – your ancient
enemy – came to see me – & fearfully interrupted work – this morning.
However being only once in a way I took it calmly. – She is a good soul though
you don't like her. Albert has been terribly ill – & is still. – He and
Clara are going by
& by to the Forest near Leicester – & the children are to be sent to Detmore. – He has very hard
work – but he can't do it – poor Albert! I sometimes think with a certain compunction how
completely you have let go Albert & Clara – your own particular friends of your own making – but you
must go & see them when you come home & it will be all right. Still
there is a certain reason in your eulogiums on the advantage of new friends –
anybody so erratic in their movements as you must take a certain amount of
trouble to keep the old ones, – or they drop off – & you have to make a new
set wherever you go. –
I am going this afternoon to try & see Fanny Martin – they are
staying at Mrs. Reid's –
She is terribly grieved by the sudden death of her friend Miss Bathurst – at
Bruges. – a fine friend: but a good woman who has
stuck to Fanny through thick & thin for 10 or 12 years – she used to
come to Camden St.
Fanny &
Jane are both well:
they think of going to the sea as soon as their holidays begin. – my absence
will be longer than I thought: George has been so much worse that it is impossible he can get
his leg by in August – indeed they are so anxious
about him they hardly know what to do – He is very good & patient – but his
health seems to have quite given away – & the stump is not healed yet.
Possible there may have to be more surgical means used. – & then moving
about from place to place must be tried: – at least that is the idea now – that
he & Jane & I
should just go about together – & get him strong if we can. They say they
"can't do without me." – so I shall just go: – for probably two months. – It may
be a weakness – but it goes to my heart their all being so fond of me. – besides
I have such an intense respect for them all. & the more I find out of them
the more I respect them. – The
Tomlinsons will occupy Wildwood – rent free – but
keeping the house – for three weeks – then I believe I shall get a tenant
3 guineas per week: – Mrs. Simpson of Edinburgh – Mrs. Storrar's friend – who
will settle it all for me – She is Dr. Simpson's wife – & a tidy woman
– who would take the house & servants just as they are – for six weeks. –
which will make my mind easy. – Truly never had any old maid a more happy life –
thank God for it! – Mrs.
Laing & her boy dined at the
Lovells yesterday & I went to meet them. – poor Mrs. Laing –
she has lost her husband & two
brothers in ten months – She lives in half a house – on about £120 a year – with the boy too. – & is so cheerful
& brave – not a bit borne down by her poverty – She has promised when I come
home to come & stop here a bit with the boy. – she says she shall so enjoy
the garden – Certainly a good many people do that, besides me – & I do,
unutterably, you did a good thing when you compelled me to take Wildwood. – I must stop now
till the mail. This letter says nothing but home news – I am waiting for yours.
–
Wednesday afternoon. I write a bit more while
waiting for tea. – I went yesterday to say goodbye to various people. Fanny Martin – whom I
missed – the Marstons –
& Wills finally going down
to Vale Lodge for
supper & Mr.
Lovell walking home with me. The comet was magnificent – half
over the sky the tail swept – nearly as large as the old one – & the head
much bigger – It was as grand a sight as that night with Arcturus in his tail. –
He popped suddenly out on Sunday night last in
the middle of the sky – nobody had an idea of him before. – The
Tooley St. fire
is still blazing – of nights we can see it from Hampstead – & there
was another fire visible last night so it was a lively evening – people walking
in throngs on the terrace till
until
11. P.M. – Today I finished & put off my writing – for two months
I suppose – my head aching so that I feel I have done my
possible & may rest. Then I went in to dinner with the James & walked with
Marian part way to
the Marstons. She is so
exceedingly good now – quite affectionate – like the old days before Sydney came up – it is a
real pleasure to me to have her family back again like as when she was a little
girl. – We make no explanations or anything – just "come to." – & are quite
happy & comfortable. – I have been much shocked this afternoon to hear of
the death of Mary
Chambers – she died "quite suddenly" – inflammation – was well a
week ago. She leaves a husband & three little babies. Poor Mary! how soon people slip
away into the other world. It is an awful grief for the Chambers family – the
first they have ever had. Mr.
Chambers & Janet were here last week – We little thought what trouble was
coming to them – I got a letter from Mrs. Craik today. – she
& George are in
Glasgow now –
waiting to see if another operation will be needed. – it will be very hard if it
is so. – & I shall be glad to be with them. – It will be two very anxious
months I know – but if that poor boy can only get well it would be nothing. – I
think if anything went wrong with him now it would almost kill his father & mother.
Friday – Manchester. I brought your
letter & this in my pocket to finish here at Willie Craik's lodgings –
where I slept last night. – your letter came on Wednesday evening: so at 7. A.M. yesterday I went over to Mr. Lovell to get out the
£100 from the
Joint Stock Bank.
– & wrote to Springfield saying I would pay it to him on your account in a
fortnight. Of course he will send me an acknowledgment of some sort – for though
he is "safe as the Bank" he is in business & has a partner. – It would never
do to sell out the funds are so low. I shall take your two next £50 – & then we shall be all straight. –
I went to say goodbye to Marian en route to Eaton Square & told her
your news with which she was much pleased. She is very
good & kind – Minna met me – in pouring rain – & went down with me to
Euston Station
– she asked your news & I read her bits of your letter – about the party
& the robbery. – we made no comments of any kind – I did not tell her the
chance of you coming home – but I told Marian: – who was glad &
did not anticipate so much difficulty in Vale Lodge. – she says she
thinks it would be much better to meet casually – have it out & have it
over. – But I know quite well you cannot stay at Wildwood. – nobody expects
that – I have taken care they should not: by saying "accidentally" – that I knew
after your Brazil life
you will find it so dull, you will never be able to stand it for more than a few
days. – I also refused Detmore this summer on the plea that I hoped you were coming
home before
xmas
Christmas
– & that as soon as you came we would both start off to
Detmore together.
This you see makes all plain-sailing for you – you need not be in the least
afraid to come home. As for my "friends." – goodness knows they are nothing to
be frightened of – there are none of them "fine." chiefly people in trouble who
to come to Wildwood as
a refuge – but they can all be stopped out for the time being if you desire it.
–
Of course Mr. Watson must
either send you the third year's work – or transfer you to Mr. Vignoles – & in
either case you would be away somewhere almost immediately. – If you & O go
on a visit to Detmore no
one will notice that you do not stay at Hampstead. – and the
Vale Lodge visiing
is so desultory that it can easily leave. Sometimes Minna does not come to
Wildwood for 3
weeks – & at Upper
Terrace I dined on Wednesday for
the first time in my life! – So you see, no rencontres need be feared. – I feel strongly that if Mr. Watson does not object, you
ought to come home. – Probably as your year ends in October by the November mail? – you must
tell me as soon as you know. – I was very glad to hear about the party &
your visit – I was sure it was all right with the Ogilvies – you were just
getting your old "suspicious notions." – which will be got rid of in time. – I
think in every relation except falling in love – the one rule holds – Love
people, & they'll love you. – your letter altogether was exceedingly
comfortable – except for the robbery. – which is unpleasant – I hope they won't
come again – one fears a fight more than robbery – but
you will of course take all reasonable precautions. – & you will not be long
at Mapelle maybe. – It
must be so awfully solitary just say what precautions you are taking – for I
feel easy – I am afraid
of them hurting you. – much more that even portable property. – you &
Wilson ought to sleep within reach of one another. –
I like to hear what you think of your books always – I packed up the last two
with the mags
magazines
– & sent them off yesterday – also the Lloyds: – so I cleared
everything off safe before going on my travels. – Annie Miers took your
Brazil book home with
her to keep until I come back – her parents enjoy the Phos
Photos
so much. – I shall be looking out for the next packet. also my watch.
– Inside a mag
magazine
is a lovely chart which I copied for you from Mrs. Tomlinson
I feel rather tired today – that horrid riding journey – & very so even
before starting. – but I made a struggle to get off – as otherwise I must have
stayed in Glasgow all
Sunday – as is I shall get there tonight
& go down to Arran
tomorrow. – Mrs.
Craik wanted the
me
so to stop a night here
& see Willie – he
is so lonely, poor lad – lives hard upon his £80 a year – & actually makes it do – He is off to business
at 9 a.m. – indefinitely till
until
11 p.m. – & hardly ever gets a holiday. – By & by he will be
away to Bombay – &
doubtless will come back in ten years a professors man – but it's some work now
– He almost cried last night because he could not get home to see George. – said he was a
perfect work-slave – body & soul – & it was awfully
hard – however I have started a plan for his meeting Jane & George & me somewhere in
Wales for a week by
& by – if he possibly can get holiday – & that brightened him a good
deal – I brought him a piece of ham & a lot of fruit from Wildwood – Certainly whatever
may be said – there's something
Scotch endurance which always goes to
what a contract between this
lad & Ch
However it's not only
Scotch – for Clarence
such another. They were so glad at
there is a chance of you
turning off
we
will have a grand time there whenever it is –
– You must not go & fall in love with Alice However for I'm certain
almost she is fond of Briton
Rivière. – though whether he cares for her is very doubtful. –
Last Sunday
Mrs.
Browning died. – She now knows the other
world – that she wrote of so grandly in the last Cornhill. – I think the world
is growing very small – & the troubles of it seem so many that one is always
expecting something to be endured – I go to Glasgow more easy – as the
operation that they thought George would require is not at present necessary. It is a great
relief. – After all this dreadful experience I shrink for anything more – though
of course I would have stood it & helped them all as much as I could.
Mrs. Craik writes
that I shall be "such a comfort to her & such a blessing to George" when I come tonight.
– which there's no denying, is pleasant to hear – after you have lived with
people for months & found out all their weaknesses & they yours. – This
is a good long letter – I wonder if you get tired of them & skip them – But
you must take what you don't care for with what you do – your last was
especially interesting & comfortable. – How do you mean that Spanish offer
did not come in tangible form. I thought it did. – Mr. Watson told me Mr. Vignoles would have
you whenever you were obliged to come home – but that he Watson & Ogilvie noted you would not be
obliged to come as they should miss you so much. – I hope you have written
Mr. Watson & got
some definite understanding. – In spite of its
like Saturn's ring. – Remember to say
your health keeps. – I am well considering
– & writing: – but happily the latter will be
two months now. – Goodbye my dearest
Ever your affectionate
Sister
