Kohlhöher Strasse 29
Bremen
8 September 1891
My dear old Chris
It is a long time since I wrote to you and quite expected a good scolding from you as your letter arrived a day ago. It isn’t because I haven’t thought of doing so several times. I’ve begun a long letter, got through four pages and then torn it up. At present there is one on my desk eight pages long – begun the beginning of August, but so full of grumbles that I was ashamed to send it.
The 7th July Frau Schüste suddenly gave me leave to go to England for a month. So I went and enjoyed myself thoroughly, being most of the time with old school friends. I was at Bedford over a week and found the old place much changed, and all the old acquaintances grown up. Hardly anybody knew me.
At home they were busy packing for Lancing and on the 2 August I left Anerley at 1 o’clock and the whole family and luggage vans left at 2 o’clock. So you can imagine it wasn’t very comfortable, but that didn’t mind we had a jolly time together.
I went and came back over Southampton with the large American steamers. The journey there was lovely but back again we had a rough passage and I was dreadfully sea-sick.
Herr and Frau Schüste left two days after for a three week trip and the little boy Franz was away, so I was left quite alone. Next month the nurse is going to marry so I hope we will have a few less troubles this winter. She did her best since I came back to make me unhappy and that was when I wrote the letter to you. Now I don’t take any notice of her which is the only thing to do.
Altogether I am getting very sick of this place and should be jolly glad to get out of it if only I knew what sort of one I should fall into again. I shall save up as much as I can ‘til Easter and shall perhaps try where I can be more with the family and also where I can learn good housekeeping as here it’s impossible. I am always in such an unsettled state now but believe in the end that I shall stay here, as the only drawback is loneliness and I can’t bear it when Frau Schüste is always so proud.
Chris! You can well imagine how happy I should be to join you out there but I tell you openly I won’t be a burden to you. If you really mean it tell me in plenty of time. For example if it could be about the end of next year then tell me directly and I shall change my place at Easter going to one where I can learn thorough housekeeping. I never mention it to Mama or Papa about wanting to go out as they would only laugh, but I should love it.
All I say is that is if you want to marry then don’t let me on any account be a stoppage between it. I daresay I should jog on alright here. I have had some proposals since I’ve been here but can’t find the right one. I suppose it will be of a sudden if at all.
I saw Edie in London and thought she was looking well. She expects to join Mrs Dalton again in October. How’s Monsie? It is a shame I haven’t written to him for so long but I belong to the Elmslie family and so I am a bad letter writer. He shall have a long one soon. You are lucky winning such nice raffles!
I haven’t anymore to say now so I hope you will go on as well in business as when you wrote your last letter, and also hope that luck will soon bring me out.
Good bye old boy, much love & kisses to Monsie and yourself.
Ever your loving Sister
May
Does the photo keep well? Ask Monsie to send me one of his. Yours are very good.