Westbury
WILTSHIRE
Tuesday, September 5th, 1892
My dear old darlings,
(if ma would like to write to Mrs. Hardy - I will here for her address if you let me know).
It is just 10.30 and I am only just up - I am getting very lazy I am afraid. I will be up very early tomorrow for I have to get the 10 past 9 train to Up-Avon, I wrote to Uncle yesterday and said I would go on Wednesday and will be back again on Friday. I hope I will have nice weather there - the weather has been quite cold since last Thursday - it is nice today though. The winter will soon be here now and I really think I will find it very cold this year. Well dears we are going to Amy and Willies to tea this afternoon and for the evening & of course there will be some good fun. Bobbie is going to Bristol tomorrow so he will go as far as Snowbridge with me. Now I must go back to Thursday, I suppose after tea Emmie and I went to see Francie and the baby. they went out for the first time on Sunday - the baby has the loveliest gown I have ever seen 0 it is just delicious - when we came back Gyp came up and we all played card "Hearts" all the evening. I practised a lot on Friday and after tea Bobbie, Emmie and I went down to Mothers' - it was Ethels last night - Amy and Willie were over too. Mr. Watkins came down after tea so I drove down to go down to Mothers will him and to the bank - Bobbie didn't go down then so I drove back here with Mr. Watkins to meet Bobbie and then drive up to Watkins and Bobbie walked back with me - but he had gone another way so I couldn't have my drive after all. Mr. Watkins says I am a very good driver. Well I walked back to Mothers' and called in to see Francie on the way.
Saturday morning
I had just started to make a plum pie for dinner when Carrie Beale drove down in the dog cart and wanted me to drive to the station with her to meet Carrie Allen from London. I dorve both ways to the station. Carrie Allen is going to stay with the Beales for a fortnight - we were invited there Saturday afternoon but it was too cold for the baby and Emmie wouldn't go without her. After tea we went to Mothers' for a bit and then to Willies' and then Gyp came up with us and we played bagatelle. We didn't go to Church Sunday - mother, father, xx and Toby came up after tea and we all went for a nice long walk. I made a tomato salad for supper and one last night too.
Sunday morning
I made stuffing for the fowl. Ethel went to London Saturday morning - she is coming back here again before she goes to Paris. I practised all the morning yesterday. After tea we went down to see Francie and then to Mothers' - and Arthur, Emmie and I went for a lovely walk to the first lodge at Sir Henry Lopes' - we came home then and Bobbie and I went for another walk and then played bagatelle when we came back - oh I was so tired. We went to bed soon after supper. Well pets I think I have told you all the news. I hadn't time to write to Harry last week - I will do so today and I think Bobbie is writing to you this week too and Harry's gloves will be sent too. This letter will be posted at Up-Avon. The cholera here is spreading rapidly - in Hamburgh there have been thousands of deaths - and the death-rate is daily increasing. Bobbie and Emmie are afraid to let me go back to London as it is spreading there so quickly and is so deadly but I must go back. The London hospitals are filling quickly. Goodbye for today pets - I hope you are all well - fondest love from Jessie.
Up-Avon, Thursday
Well darling here I am at Up-Avon again it is just 12 o'clock. I want to finish your letter before dinner if I can and Jim's after dinner because I am going out this afternoon to call on some people. Up-Avon is just the same - very dull and quiet. Uncle, Auntie and George are all quite well - George has grown very tall since last year. It is so dull here I shall be glad to get back to Westbury again. Tuesday afternoon we went to Amy and Willies for tea - they have a lovely mulberry tree - so we all did full justice to the mulberries. I had a letter from Hedley Tuesday night - he is still at Carlisle. I have just had some wine and biscuits - I don't feel very well today. This sick and pen are very bad - I hope pets that you will be able to read this. Well we had great fun at Willies on Tuesday night- we didn't leave till 12 - Gyp was there too - we had music and played cards all the evening - we played "donkey" it is great fun - only you must be very sharp over it or you will be made donkey. We were not in bed till after 1 - but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I have not had your letters this week yet - they will be at Westbury this evening and I will not get them till I go to Westbury tomorrow. I had my breakfast in bed yesterday morning and was up at 8. Bobbie and I left at 1/4 to 9 and walked to the station. Bobbie bought my ticket to come here. Our train left at 9.10 and we had to changed at Snowbridge - Arthur was going to Bristol and he had to wait at Snowbridge an hour for the Bristol train - I only had to wait 20 minutes for mine so Bobbie saw me off. I only had a small gladstone bag with me - Uncle sends his love to you all and will write soon - but he is very busy now. I got to Woodborough at 10.18 and Auntie met me with the trap and we drove 4 miles home. It was so cold and raining a little and I got quite stiff. After dinner I went and called on Mrs. Abrahams - they were so pleased to see me and think I have grown much talled and thinner. Mrs. Hardy is stayed with them - so of course I saw her - she had been wanting to see me. Her name was Emilie Bonner and she used to go to school at Pewsey with ma and shared the same bedroom. She thinks I am very much like ma was. She is a chemists' wife at Salisbury - and is very nice looking and very ladylike - and of course dressed beautifully. They are very well off - she has her ponies and carriage with her here. I am to send her love to ma and to tell her that she has 8 children and the eldest is 26 - I am invited to stayed with them at Salisbury - she is staying with Mrs. Abrahams until Monday. I stayed a long time with them and am going again tomorrow to see them before I go back. After there I went to see the Bucklands - I saw them all and stayed there some time, then came back and wrote to Westbury to say I got here safely. After tea Auntie and I drove to Rushall - and I went to see the Strattons - I stayed there for a long time and then walked to meet Auntie at another house and we had some apples there and then drove on to Mrs. Lewis' and saw them and then we drove home - and soon after supper went to bed for I was very tired. I had my breakfast in bed this morning and didn't get up till 11. I will get the 4.32 train from Woodborough to Westbury tomorrow - we will leave here about 3.30 and drive. This is such a lovely day so I must take advantage of it and clear off my calls - but I don't feel very well. I will be back in Westbury at about 6 tomorrow - if Bobbie doesn't come here for me - he will meet me at Westbury. I will be eager to get your letter pets. I wrote to Harry on Tuesday. Arthur said he would send you the paper this week. We are going to have pork, stewed rabbit, french beans, new potatoes and apple pie for dinner - it is nearly ready. I haven't much news pets for you this week.
The country here looks lovely now the harvest is being taken and there are heaps of artists from the Royal Academy down here painting. Our holidays will soon be over now dears and then I will have to be preparing for my concert - I do hope I won't be nervous.
I must say goodbye for another week pets - I hope you are all well - give my love to Auntie, Mrs. A. and all at Darling St and with fondest love and a thousand kisses to your own dear selves,
from your loving Jessie
xxxxxx
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