Letter from Emma Evans to her cousin Arthur Phelps.  Transcribed from a scan of the original in January 2013 by Penelope Forrest, born Phelps, great granddaughter of Arthur.

 

Dear Pumps

            I was so exceedingly delighted to receive this morning a letter from Madlle with a great Amorbach post mark on it. She does not mention her direction there though & of course you are too great a noodle to remember the Port town. I think it was Middleburg or some such name.

            Papa is rather better today but he varies very little from day to day & is very weak & languid.  Still Dr Noble, who saw him yesterday, says he hopes he will be better in a few days. He gets up a little in the evening & lies on the sofa in the drawing room. He has not been downstairs for more than a week. Clara is coming here soon I am happy to say.

            I had such a nice letter yesterday from Lizzy James from       . She is in great trouble about her brother who has returned from India in far worse health than they had expected. She herself is I am sure very ill. I do like her very much & sincerely, though her last letter was 18 pages long; can friendship go further? I am half inclined to send you Mlle's to me but I doubt your returning it so I shall not send it except with the strongest assurances from you of your sending it back by return of post. I don't believe anyone has such a set of friends as I have.

            I was so grieved to hear of poor little Janey's back the other day. What does she say to it herself?

            Perhaps it's cruel to cross such writing as this but I had not time to write it all before dinner having been to Hinckley in the morning & as you know there is not much time after.

            Your fuchsia is beautiful. I wish you could see it old fellow. I wd give        to change Staffy for you – as far as I am concerned that is – perhaps it would not be very advantageous to you. He is just as he used to be – not to be trusted 2 minutes out of sight.

            Goodbye old fellow. Your loving cousin Emma

I have read your note – hope you have no objection. She returns to Pesmes in about a fortnight.

 

 

 

The letter is not dated but must be written some time in 1854 before Dr Evans died in November.

 

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