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

                                                                                                Bosworth August 18^th 1854

Dearest of Stumps,

            I wonder if I shall get on at all with this if I begin on this very extensive scale¹. I must try for I don't like writing across this paper. In the first place, many thanks for your letter: it really was not a very nasty one, considering who wrote it. I am sorry you are among a set you cannot like at all, but from what Lizzie James says, it would be much the same into whatever Indian reg^t you went. I wish you knew her brother Hugh – but he is out Calcutta way. I have just been reading an interesting report of a meeting about a mission to the Afghans which he has a good deal to do with. He believes them to be of Jewish origin, & brings forward various very curious corroborations of this idea. He has translated part of the N Test into Pushtoo for them – & does a great deal among the natives. I want Bassy & John to know him, for if they are working in the right way for the good of India, he would be a great help I should think, as to supplying information &c.

            Papa & Mamma stayed a fortnight at Brompton – but Papa did not gain all the good we hoped he would from the change. Indeed when he came home, I thought him looking decidedly weaker & thinner & paler than when he went away. Since then he has looked rather better again, Mamma hopes in a fair [way] to be as well as before, in a day or two. He went to D^r Watson when he was in London, who gave him precisely the same prescriptions that M^r Hubbard had tried & found to fail last year, & though he tried them again of course the time was worse than wasted. He now has left off taking medicine – as they all say it is of no use – drugs never having the same effect on him that they have on other people. We play at whist in the evening regularly – he likes it.

            If you expect this letter to be in the smallest degree amusing or anything else you will be mistaken – for I am in a mentally threadbare condition just now – so I shall give you 'news' & no 'comments' this time.

            The day Papa and Mamma went away, Lizzie James broke a small blood vessel in her lungs – so I did little while they were away but nurse her. We were engaged to go to Osbaston that day to see the wake, & positively Lizzie never mentioned what had happened, but walked there, danced at the wake, walked all about the village & walked home at night, before telling me. It is a marvel that she was able to do it, & an almost greater one that it did not bring it on again – but she has had no return of it. She went away yesterday to my sorrow & her own. I liked her very much before, but in sickness – she insisted on not being ill, but could not help it – one sees so much of people & the more I saw of her the more astonished I am at her. Not so much at what she does – that I knew before – but at what I could not be so sure of: the wonderful simplicity, purity & singleness of motive with which it is all done. I do wish she would not kill herself – but somehow, though I do talk to her about it, I feel as if I hardly dare, or ought – & when she says that she does not feel that she has more right to shrink from work that she sees should be done for the chance of overworking herself, than a soldier would have to shrink from his work for fear of being shot, I confess I hold my tongue & don't see what to answer. She makes me feel that I do nothing for my wages – it is so hard to begin. I am to go & stay with them in the winter & I mean [her] to take me wherever she goes if she will. What a parish she lives in! a district of St Pancras, with 13,000 in it only about 200 of whom have any fixed income – all under one ill-paid man who works as hard as he can, but can of course make but very little head against such a 'sea of troubles' as that.

            I am going away from home soon to stay with the Lewis at Sandbach, and though I hate moving I am glad to go – for Lizzie's illness & Papa's state & Anne's & another rather heavy worry have rather worn me out. Not that I am at all ill or anything of that kind – but I feel I want change. I want to get pushed out of the old round of thought & feeling.

            The Haywards mean to stay at M^rs Wood's till Nov^r when they intend to go somewhere to the sea & take Anne with them. Anne has not gained so much from going away from home as she usually does & Mamma found her looking as thin & pale as when she left home. Since then she has been under two doctors & they say is looking better again.

            Of late Bassy has been almost the only pleasant thing I have had to think of. You are too far off; I cannot realize anything about you. B is working very hard & very happily. He is often invited to the Brixton Manor House. M^r Goldney wrote a kind letter to Papa about him a day or two ago. John finds him a very useful & efficient help – & in spite of all his business, he goes on writing on his own account. He is very good too about writing me – & says much more of what he is really thinking & feeling than he used. He is a very dear fellow. I know no one "fit to hold a candle" to him.

            I have not seen M^r Crompton yet but he seems rather liked by all who have seen him. Can you fancy Harriet in love? I can't. The way she writes about him always sends me into fits. She tells Fanny, "I think you will like him; there is such a bewitching simplicity about him" & things of that kind. It seems they came over in the same vessel when H^t came to England before but as she says they had neither of them any ulterior views at that time. I wish Fanny were going out to the wedding but there is no chance of it. She is by no means strong or well – & her visit to Margate has done her much good. Kitty is to stay here till the end of Sep^r which has disappointed her a good deal as she had hoped to be allowed to go on the 1^st. She does not have very good accounts of M^r Bayman I am sorry to say. Uncle Phelps seems much better. The wedding is to be a very gay affair I believe – 12 bridesmaids & other pomps & vanities in proportion.

            I think I told you of the subscription that was being raised to get something for M^r Edwards. The plate is to be presented to him today. They have got a silver snuffbox & a silver inkstand – very pretty & appropriate. Charles Martin is coming for the occasion. I believe he is to be the presenter. M^r Edwards knows about it, & is of course very much gratified. He was very much overcome poor old fellow when he first heard of it. They (the plate) had just arrived at Hollier's & the things were on the table when M^r E unexpectedly walked in & took them up & read the inscription. I am very glad they have done it.

            Collett's gable has been pulled down & they have built two cottages instead. I cannot quite forgive them but as they are built of the old stones & have still kept a gable (though a too low one) to look down the street, & have put in a bow-window, they are not quite so bad as they might be.

            All the people about go on much as usual. The Copes are all well, with the exception of Polly I am sorry to say who has another slight attack of bronchitis. She is better again & will soon I dare say be all right, but one wishes she would outgrow the tendency to it. She improves so much in every way & begins to talk a good deal & make herself very agreeable, without losing any of her old simplicity & naturalness. The other day there was such a capital evening at Osbaston & she looked very nearly very handsome, & kept reminding me of Nellie Haines though I don't see why. They had all the little curates there & M^r Greenway, M^r Hubbard, the Haywards & me, Charley Bourne & Miss Goldney Sen^r staying in the house. And after quoits & a 6 o'clock tea, we all set to work & danced in the hall. The gentlemen brought the piano in as we could not hear it quite loud enough & we went on dancing till long past 11. I don't know when I have enjoyed an evening so much – & the tiles were so pleasant to dance on, one could not help going.

            Charlotte Bourne is going to leave them & keep house for her brother Charles in London & M^rs Cope is trying to hear of Mad^lle for a successor. Would it not be nice to be within reach of her honest brown eyes & bright laugh again? I have not heard from her once this year though I have written at least twice. M^rs Cope has sent her letter to Amorbach. I do hope we may hear soon for I cannot help feeling as if all was not going right with her. However she has once or twice before made me wait a long time for my letter, so perhaps nothing is the matter.

            I meant to get Kingsley's Alexandria² & send you by this mail – but as you see, I have not, so you may still have the pleasure of expecting it. I have been reading various things lately. A book by Emile Souvestre Un philosophe sous les toits³, has pleased me a good deal. One of Lizzie's many book presents to me. I dare not mention any book in any way that I cannot shew her on my shelf. She is dreadful for that. Such a copy of Longfellow's prose works she gave me the other day, finding I did not know them – for she is not above the weakness of good bindings – & this is in plain dark blue morocco – very pleasant to behold & even yesterday when we were on our way to Atherstone, she produced Tennyson's Princess out of her pocket as she had found I had not it.

            Charley Martin has been here, also Lady Dixie & Miss Barnquin & it is unpleasantly near post time. This is hardly worth sending but I don't like to wait any longer. M^rs Lloyd has been staying at the Hall for a few days with her husband & baby. People do get on at such a rate now. Charley Martin is nearly bald. Indeed all the boys are going either bald or grey-headed in a way that makes one feel very old. Which are you? And have you suffered your unlucky moustache to make its appearance yet? Remember my request about it when it is in fine condition.

            Mamma took Staffy's parrot up with her – & saw him at last, though of course he would not answer her letters about it. He seems to be much as usual, & is I think going to his Uncle Theophilus in his holidays. He says (of course) that he is working very hard. Capⁿ Haines's affairs seem going on better from Nellie's last letter to me. Aunt Charlotte is very well. Miss Sarah, I think I told you, is dead.

            M^r Bailey is gone out for a few weeks' holiday – not before he needed it. And there is a report, for the truth of which I will not vouch, that M^r Adnute intends to commit matrimony. I shall believe it when I see M^rs A. I gave Miss Hook your messages except the 'apui bahut'⁴ &c – & she was very grateful & told me to send her kind compliments or something to that effect, to you. It's a fib that I promised you any of my hair, but if you like I'll send you some, though I don't see what you could do with it if I did.

            Poor Strettel. What an uncomfortable friend! I am glad you try to put down bullying – go on & prosper. There is a word in your letter I cannot the least make out – "and your seal with the turst on it". I will hope it stands for twist.

            Goodbye my dear old boy. Send me your direction when you can. This will be very vague. Papa, Mamma & everyone, Haywards &c send their kind love. Mine of course to you dearest Pump.

            Ever your loving

                        Emma

1. The letter is written on a large but thin sheet of paper.

2. Charles Kingsley's Alexandria and Her Schools, published in 1854.

3. Émile Souvestre (1806 to July 1854) This book has been translated as An Attic Philosopher in Paris.

4. 'appui bahut' is French for 'chest support', though Emma clearly writes 'apui' and would be unlikely to misspell French, so this may mean something else.

The sheet has been folded and sealed with a wafer. It is addressed to Arthur Phelps Esq, 11th Regt Bombay Native Inf, East Indies. Someone else has added "Asseerghur". The letter bears postmarks of Hinckley, Bombay, Asseerghur and one other.

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