Kensington Gore
LONDON S.W
My own darling parents,
( I am sending Auntie my photo this mail - tell me if she gets it alright )
Our room is being cleaned out so I am going to have a little chat with my pets. How are you dears & I hope you are all quite well. I have been to my piano lesson this morning and what do you think. I am to play a piano solo at one of the college concerts next term - I am so please but I will be fearfully nervous I am sure. I am going to play an impromtu of Chopin, it is fearfully difficult. Mr Pauer said he had spoken to Sir George about it. Are you pleased too Pets? I am so glad that I am the first to play out of the girls that came when I did - Lots doesn't see to like it a bit and said she won't tell her people that I am going to play before her. I must go out this afternoon and order my piece. Mother, Lots & I are going to Bebie Troods studio to tea this afternoon - it is such a lovely day.
I had a letter from Arthur and one from Gyp this morning. They are all well at Westbury, but miss Granny very much. It is a fortnight on Wednesday that she died. Don is coming to London next Thursday week - so I will soon see him now. When you get this letter pets - it will be about the beginning of our holidays. I am addressing this to Pa - it is to be Alice & Pa's birthday letter - and dears I hope that you both will have "very many happy returns of your birthdays". I will think of you then dears. Your dear old letter came Saturday night - the mail was early - thank you so much for the 3 pounds dears - I shall be careful of every penny - I am so sorry that you haven't more of the neeful at present - but there is a good day coming I hope.
It was very good of you to send it to me - it is all I have.
Friday afternoon
Mother, Maggie, Lots & I all went and had tea in High St. (Mother had some money sent her). Lots and I were coming home later and we met Mr. Rennie and Mr. Dickie. Of course it was a splendid chance for me to speak to Mr. Dickie about the smoking - well I just spoke to him properly and made him promise to do what I asked him - after I made him promise, I told him I wanted him not to smoke so much. After a good deal of persuasion he said - he would only smoke very very little, just to please me and because I was so good as to speak to him about it. So dearies I was quite satisfied and I really think I have done a kind action but I must find out if he keeps his promise. They both walked home with us. My pink dress came in the evening and it is just lovely. I am so pleased with it and it suits me perfectly - but the bill for the two dresses is 2 pounds 4 and 7 1/2, which I am not going to pay. Lots bill was 2 pounds 4 and 6. We are both going to her about them - it isn't for the making that she has charged so much but it is for the extras - she has charged 12/6 for the making of each of my dresses which I think is quite reasonable for London.
Saturday morning
I went out on the river in the afternoon and didn't come home till 10 and Lots brought me a lovely large bouquet of flowers - oh so sweet and also some sweets from mother. I practised nearly all the time they were away. I had Cissie and Ethel up to tea in the afternoon. Saturday night mother and Maggie slept with us and Peggy sent us all our breakfast up yesterday morning - we did have fun and we read books, etc. and only got up in time for dinner. We all went to the concert in the Albert Hall - it wasn't a very good one - mother is going to sing their next Sunday. Directly it was over Miss Roberts and I went to the "at home" - at Miss Lickle's sister's - we walked there, it isn't very far. It is a magnificent home and the furniture etc. is dazzling. Her sister is The Hon. Mrs. Butler - her husband is Governor of Madras or some such place - he wasn't there. Well it was a very grand "At Home" there were such a lot of ladies and gentlemen there and I enjoyed it very much. Miss Roberts sang 2 songs and I played for her and also played a piano solo and I was clapped for it. We had lovely strawberries and cream coffee, etc. We got there a 5 - Mr. Southey (a real London conceited fellow) sang a good many comie songs - La-ra-ra-boom-de-ra. Mrs. Butler is very nice indeed, her little girl was in the drawing-room too dressed in a loose pure white silk dress - Mrs. Butler was in black and heliotrope silk. Dr. Addiusell was there and I had a long talk with him. I had never seen him before, but when he was introduced he said "I saw you in the hall at Alexandra House last Wednesday". I didn't remember seeing him but he evidently saw me. He said he had been to Miss Grants' "at home" in the drawing-room and saw me when he was leaving. He knew me by my hair. Wasn't it funny? He often comes here it seems - he is very nice, his wife is ill and not expected to live. There were such a lot of grand people there - after I had finished playing Sir James Bain came and sat by me and thanked me for playing. He is such a dear old fellow - he is in parliament and he said he hoped I would some day be able to go with Lady Bain and hear a debate - Lady and Miss Bain were also there. They live in Glasgow. He couldn't believe I was an Australian; because my complexion was so fair. He sat and takled with me for about an hour and when he left he thanked me for the pleasant talk he had had. He seemed to be very much taken up with me - and he himself was so interesting.
Mrs. Butler was very sorry I wasn't going to the dance to-night with them. The Lady Coquhoum of Liss. - Sir Fred Reade, etc. - Lord Amiral something else, are all relations - they are very swell people. It was raining when we left - so we had to take a hansom home, 6' each. We got home at 7 - I wrote to Emmie and Arthur until suppertime - this morning I wrote to Hedley while I was waiting to go to my lesson. I had such a long letter from Jim - he says Trentham is a good place and he can make at least 500 pound a year - isn't that a good start pets? Jim says he takes 8 1/4 in gloves - so I will send him a pair as soon as I go to Westbury - fancy David Davis the artist being married. I am anxious to know about Johnnie F's next visit to Ballarat and also the result. What a match Maude Carty and Allan Attwood are - I suppose they are married by now - Maude Carty is cracked - she always was a bit gone. It certainly would be nice if the Sleeman's went to Trentham to live - he must feel very lonely up there alone - give them all my love - I hope Fanny is better now. Emil and Annie will be splendid cooks when I go back. She xx seems to think that John is going to have Emil. I hope to hear in your next letter how you like the gloves I sent Pa and Alfred. I must stop for lunch now darlings - Goodby for today with a loving kiss from Jessie.
Thursday 12 o'clock
I have just come in from my harmony lesson - oh it is such a miserable wet foggy day exactly like winter and yesterday it was baking hot. This climate is fearfully changeable. I went to my piano lesson at 9 this morning and had a very nice one - and had the first lesson on the Impromptu - it is fearfully difficult. I am having a glass of milk and some biscuits, Peggy sent it in to me. I had a letter from Bobbie this morning - they are quite well at Westbury - Arthur's house was sold on Tuesday and Dr. Reed bought it. It is the second study concert this afternoon at 3 - Bebbee Frood and her sister are coming here to tea first and then coming in to the concert with us. I think College closes about the 24th July - so we haven't much longer now. Now I must go back to Monday - at 4 mother, Lots and I went to Bebbee Frood's studio to tea and had great fun tehre. We came back to dinner and Mother and Bebbee went to the theatre. I had a letter from Hedley and one from Madame Monday night - Madame wanted me to meet her at St. Jame's Hall on Tuesday afternoon and go with her to a piano recital. I couldn't go, because I was going to two "At Homes" that afternoon. I don't think I have told you about them yet. Lots and I had an invitation last Friday I think - and we accepted it and Fraulein Noedel invited me (not Lots) to her "at home" last Tuesday in the Council room at 3. Lots was so wild because Fraulein didn't ask her too, because she went to Germany with her - and Lots says she knows her better than she knows me. Mother was invited and several others in the house. Well I was in bed until after lunch - with a pain. I went to Frauleins at 3 and was dressed ready for the Hamilton's "At Home". I wore my pink and grey - and it was greatly admired especially by Miss Palmer - and she said she thought Lots and I had great taste in the way we dressed and that we were ornaments to Alexandra House. Fancy Miss Palmer saying that. We had a lovely tea at Fraulein's - Miss Palmer was there. Fraulein told our fortunes after - she was behind a curtain and couldn't see no - I went first because I had to leave early. She told it splendidly - I am to have health, wealth and great happiness - I will never be very strong, and mustn't exert myself too much, but I will live to 50 or 60 - and heaps more things she told me. At 1/4 to 5 Lots was waiting for me and we left for Hamilton's - just as we were going out we met Dr. Hooper on the steps. We got into the hansom and off. It is a most lovely place in Cadogan Square. Tea and refreshments were in the hall - Miss Hamilton looked lovely - there were 5 men servants standing in the hall and 2 other maids waiting at the table - everything was big and grand - strawberries and cream, ices, etc. Gwen was engaged to play and sing at it - 1 pound1. I played the accompaniments for her songs. It was a very swell "at home" - such heaps of grand people came. I had another old gentleman paying me great attention there. General McGowan, he was so funny and asked me such a lot about Australia - he knows the Wilkies and Robertsons of Toorak - he wrote my name down and is going to write and them them he met me. Lots and Gwen couldn't hear all he was saying to me - but I heard them laughing once and after he had gone they told me why they laughed. They heard him ask me if I ever went in the Park and from that they thought he was asking me to the Park with him. Colonel Hamilton wasn't there. I think he is away. We met some very nice people there - we got home at 7. Mother sent a telegram to Madame for me, because there wasn't time to write and then I wrote to her yesterday morning and asked her to come to the second study concert this afternoon, but I am afraid it will be too wet for her to come. I went to Choral and Music classes yesterday - and after tea Lots and I went out to High St. for a walk and I paid 1/3 for my boots being mended. Well pets I must go to to lunch now - so Goodby for today with love from Daisie.
Friday 1.30
Well my pets mail day again - I have been practising all the morning and we have just had lunch - this is a most perfect day and it was so wet and foggy yesteday. Madame didn't come to the concert, it wa so wet. Bebbee Frood came and stayed here to dinner and after dinner Lots and I went out with her for a long walk in the Park as far as Hyde Park corner - it cleared up beautifully at 5 and was a lovely evening - we stayed out until 8 and then Bebbee came back to tea and she went at 9.30. Lots and I slept down with Mother last night, because Maggie was away at Ramsgate singing. The second study concert wasn't much good - we came out before it was over. I had a letter in evening from Sir Rodger, writing Lots and I to stay with them at Anerley tomorrow week from Saturday till Monday. We can't say yet whether we can go. Sir Rodger is away in Scotland.
It is my singing exam at 2 next Saturday (not tomorrow) and Lots is at 3. I must go out this afternoon it is such a lovely day. How are you today my darlings? I am always thinking of you. It was 15 months last Tuesday since I left Melbourne - isn't the time passing quickly? I will soon be with you again. I forgot to tell you that last Monday Mr. Pauer said I hadn't been looking well lately and that he had been speaking to Sir George about it and wanted to know where I was going for the summer holidays. I told him that I was going to Paris now - so he asked where Lots was going and I said I didn't know. I don't know, but I have been thinking that very likely Sir George is going to send Lots and I to Switzerland for the holidays or part of them. Lots and I have only been thinking this because Peggy said something about it. I wish he would send us both there - of course, it would be at the College expense. The scholars are sometimes sent away - so we hope we will be. It would be lovely to go to Switzerland and then I wouldn't be so disappointed about not going to Paris. Now darlings I must finish for this week as I have nothing more to write about. Give my love to everybody and with fondest love and a big kiss for all at "Enara".
Every your loving daughter
Jessie
(Lots sends her love to you all and to Jack).
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