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Essilmont
14 Janaury 1885
My dear Chris
Thanks so much for your letter, dear, which I am afraid I have been rather long answering – but I have not been able to write, so please forgive me.
I am so glad you are getting on so well. You will make your fortune before long, if you go on like that. Do you go to many dances? Bedford is very dull in that way this year, there have only been a few, generally, they are every night. I have been asked to two or three, but did not go. I did not care about it.
May Cheyne is staying here – she is such a bother. I don’t know how it is but she seems to put everything wrong in the house. She left the cold water tap on – that is the last thing, the water all came through the ceiling into the hall. She only came for a week or ten days, but she will have been here for a month.
I meant to have sent this off by the last mail, but was too late, so I am going to post it to-day, (to-day is Wednesday), so as I shall not miss it this time.
I was asked to a musical afternoon at the Smiths to-day, but I am not going, as I don’t care about it.
Alex is going to be confirmed this year. He was not going back to school anymore – so Papa said, but Mama thought if he stopped at home doing nothing he would get into mischief, so he has gone back this term. He has been moved up into Mr Dymock’s form. I don’t know if Mama told you he had won a prize last term.
We are having such cold weather just now. There has been no skating as yet – everybody seemed to think we would have some this year. I think that is the reason there have been so few dances.
I am sending you a photograph of Walter and myself. We had it taken in the summer, I don’t like it of Walter, but that is the only one I have that I can send you. I hope you will like the look of him, if not don’t judge him by that, dear because he is really a dear old fellow. I am awfully fond of him and could not live without him now.
I wonder when we shall see you again, dear Chris? The children have colds all round, three of them are in bed, but they are not very bad. I am afraid you will say I am sending you no news, but there is not any. Now I must say goodbye dear Chris.
With much love in which everybody joins, believe me, dear,
Your loving Sister,
Edith Elmslie
Write to me soon dear.
PS please excuse mistakes. I am in a hurry.