Letter from Emma Evans to her cousin, Arthur Phelps.
Transcribed from a photocopy of the original in July 2012 by Penelope
Forrest, born Phelps, great granddaughter of Arthur.
Bosworth August 20th
- Janie's birthday -
Many happy returns of it to her.
[1853]
Dear Pomps,
I was glad to hear from you & you will be
glad to hear that Papa is going on well.
By well, I don't mean quickly for he varies very little from day to
day & looks sadly thin & weak but his doctors are quite satisfied with his
progress & that is a great thing as they find themselves almost useless, no
medicine agreeing with him.
Dr Noble came again yesterday.
Mamma hopes he will get into the drawingroom again today, for the
first time for several days.
Mind you send me back Madlle's
letter soon & uninjured - if you don't I will never forgive you.
If you hear anything of my "Phaethon" which I lent to Fanny Wright,
you may send it per post to me.
She may bring it to Bth perhaps.
I have been altering the arrangement of my books - having discovered
the "little boys' shelf" - & put really readable books there instead - prose,
and poetry on the other side.
You know I take a childish delight in the good looks of my library so
if you send the Ph be careful how you pack it, as it is a special favourite -
outside & in.
Before I go on, let me ask you how you dare
send me such loose, ill-devised, fall-to-pieces 'D's for D?
You Disgust1 me with such Disagreeable Detestable
Distortions - never Do it again I beg.
Also what do you mean by wanting Mr Durham to mend your
pen? You
great baby!
I see you are beginning to want me about your ears again.
Talking of ears, the 2 Copes went to Rugby on Tuesday.
Papa heard from Tom, & Mrs Cope from Sam this morning.
They seem to like themselves very well there though Tom does say that
"the boys began to bully Sam & I yesterday."
Staffy is precisely the same as ever - eats
as much & cares as little.
We certainly are very antipathetic.
However I suppose it is wholesome to have him here or he would not be
here, so I try, now & then, to bear him with an approach to patience, to which
though, I seldom get nearer than laughing at him & making him ridiculous on
every occasion.
However as he never knows when he is ridiculous, it is perhaps not bad
for him, & certainly acts as a safety valve to my own temper.
What do you want to call on Mrs H
for? I
object to her strongly.
If you want anyone to call on in town there is Miss James - a sort of
cousin of yours. (She is a cousin of "Aunt Rachel's", Mrs Peyton P)
and she is decidedly worth calling on.
Besides she is very unhappy about her brother Hugo, who is come back
from India wounded, & worse than they expected.
She is very near Montague Place & the Haywards at 20 Harrington
Street, Regent's Park.
I had another long letter from her the other day.
I had asked her to write so she did it at great length.
But it was a very nice letter & I like her very much - & wish very
much she would not look so ill.
I had to write to Clara the other day to put
her off for a day or two - till Papa was rather better - as all Mamma's time is
taken up with him.
Dr Noble had told him he ought to go to Brighton in which
case of course Mamma would have to go with him & Clara must stay & get rusty
with me & help me snarl at Staffy.
Anne seems to be enjoying herself at
Ramsgate.
Aunt Grover is going, or gone, there too.
I have not been over to Osbaston since I came home but I hear that
Miss Hook is very well, though becoming gradually blinder of course.
I have been working lately for the bazaar
for an Orphan Asylum that is to be held at Leicester next month & have done
another frame, that is very nearly.
The first is come back from being gilt & looks well we flatter
ourselves.
We, B & I, are at work on a clay woman that I did & he has been dressing -
who sits on a heap of stones & looks sentimental with her head on her hand -
2 - only she is not so awkward as that.
It does not exactly appear what she is distressing herself about so I
put a large bow-legged toad before her yesterday to account for it, but it was
hardly thought an adequate cause so I removed it.
I am glad you are learning singing.
The thirds you mention were the first I have heard of it.
Do you remember your old cow's horn that used to be lying about in the
yard & study, always in everyone's way?
Bassy3 took possession of it & polished it & has had it
mounted in silver & is going to sketch some Swiss scenes on it - blowing the
Ranz des Vaches4 &c - for the Bazaar.
Is it not a good thought?
Mr Whitby has the appointment to the Dixie
fellowship.5
May I ask what authority you have for
forming your A & F thus? "Aunt Fanny"6- you will write like a gent if
you don't take care.
Eschew those Ds if you love me - which I really think you ought to do
after such a long letter as this.
How dare you pretend to have found any difficulty in reading my last?
I won't send you any more if you are affected.
Be a good boy in & out of school.
Love to Janey & Aunt Fanny7 & some to yourself if you like.
Your affte Emma
I don't think I shall write to Madlle now because though I think
Miltenberg was the post town she used to write on her letters, I cannot see such
a town among the postmarks on her letter.
I wish she had sent her direction.
Is it not a nice kind letter? Just like her.
1. Emma reproduces the slovenly letter D which she objects to.
2. At this point there is a small sketch of the clay figure.
3. Bassy = Emma's brother, Sebastian.
4. a simple traditional melody played on the horn by Swiss cattle herdsmen.
5. This enables me to date this letter with certainty.
Time & Chance tells us that
Sir Alexander Dixie presented the fellowship at Emmanuel College to Richard
Whitby in August 1853.
6. Emma reproduces his untidy A and F.
7. Arthur, and his sister Jane, must have been staying at Bramblebury.