[1]

(about July 18 1881)

DOWN,

BECKENHAM, KENT

RAILWAY STATION

ORPINGTON. S.E.R.

[22 July] Friday

My dear George

We were very pleasant on Sat & Sunday. Mrs Lushington is a jewel & kept F. in a state of admiration at her pleasantness & graciousness & amusingness. The only drawback was dear old Vernon, who is a great bore (ask Ida) & never followed the conversation but broke into it —

[2]

Miss North & her beautiful drawings were here & she sat in open — mouthed adoration of Mrs Lush & her playing & her beauty — "she is more beautiful than ever."

Mr Collier is finishing today & I think it is a great success — I want the family to get him to make a copy or replica of it —

Maidie is a wonderful

[3]

contrast to Mrs Lush — She is so dead & indifferent that it almost amounts to incivility & she is not even nice to him —

They drove over to the Spottiswoodes yesterday evg w. was a blessing & we got rid of her for an evg — & today they are going — we had a school feast w. great success —

Bessy was in a gt state of fierceness & almost resolved

[4]

to call her Mrs Collier; & then at dinner she wd take the trouble to talk a little pleasantly which mollified us — She is like a person blaze who has no spirit left —

Jack is very nice & I think finds no fault possible in her — I did not ask her to sing as I thought I should have to be too civil & I only aim at being civil enough to deceive him —

Poor Parslow is quite calm & likes serving people —

[5]

Ward the fly driver was horribly smashed on the Railway last week — but of course killed at once — Frank I hope comes on Thursday next & the Farrers on the Friday. The Ida's stay a little more than a fortnight I am glad to say — I have asked Miss Gladstone for the 6th

Hen — called on Mrs Whitmore & heard but a bad acct of Mrs M'L. She finds it difficult to set about the M.S —

[6]

yours my dear George

E. D —

The wind has changed & it is trying to rain — We want it dreadfully —

(Did you have extraordinary darkness & cold on Wed. mg — Like a London fog)