Letter from Emma Hubbard to her cousin Arthur Phelps.  Transcribed from a scan of the original in March 2014 by Penelope Forrest, born Phelps, great granddaughter of Arthur.

                                                                                                Bosworth Jan 3 [1859]

A great many very happy & useful years to you my dearest Arthur. Did you think I never meant writing to you again? I have behaved rather as if that were my intention, I know, but I seem to find less and less time for writing & no one would ever tell me your direction.

            Thank you very much for your second portrait; they are very much alike & both have your dear old ugly face with a most satisfactorily small amount of change. There is just a dash of military sternness which is highly effective & becoming. I so often look at them dear old boy, & wish I could see the original instead.

            The Fagans have just left Bosworth much to our sorrow, for though he was by no means the right man in the right place as Head Master of the school, he & she too were exceedingly kind agreeable neighbours, & had had their wits rubbed up to a much finer edge than one meets with commonly here. Of the new man we know next to nothing. He is a M^r Walters, a brother of Lady Dixie's, & that seems his sole claim to the Mastership, for he has never taken pupils before, & has not even taken his Master's degree yet. Well, 99 people out of a 100 improve on acquaintance, & I hope he may. He is not coming I believe till April as he cannot hold the appointment till he is M A. M^r Fagan is appointed to the H Mastership of a school at Bath, with a small living attached ­ a capital thing for him. They have left their cat behind them for us – Tigger's last & perhaps most accomplished kitten – but it makes its escape back again to its old haunts. I hope it will 'take to us' in time though.

            We had Jack & Bassy here together for a couple of days lately, which was very pleasant. Poor Jack is better, but this time is of course very trying to him. It is a great comfort always to hear such very good accounts of those 5 dear children. I have not seen them for some time. I was to have gone to them next Wed^y for a week, but the nurse there has an attack of fever & they are afraid to let Arthur & me go to them now. We are expecting to hear very soon of the birth of a child at Edgbaston. I can't fancy B coming out in the paternal character at all somehow – fond as he is of children.

            How I should like to show you my Arthur! And I know you would like him. I don't exactly see why or how, but he now & then reminds me of you. He is very wise looking & demure usually – & we think very pretty, with bright yellow curling hair & as fair a complexion as you ever saw – & such bright little brown eyes. He is a brave good boy too & bears a knock or a tumble with very respectable fortitude for 2 years old. I understand his conversation usually – but I confess it is not very intelligible. He is going to be an artist too, Arthur, & has a wonderful knack of seeing likenesses in everything, & "eyes in trees" as he tells me.

            I want to hear from you again dear old boy, very much – & tell me all you can about yourself. You are not going to be married or falling in love or anything foolish of that kind, are you? Do wait & have an English wife. How long will it be before you come to England again?

            I have heard from Fanny since she arrived in Madeira – they had a wretched passage again. She finds she likes Joe very much. I want to see him again too, very much. Are you as High Church as the rest of you? I don't think you can be quite.

            A^t Charlotte is pretty well. Ann Thorp has been very ill this summer, but is all right now. The Copes are all at home – Mary growing so old that she begins to think that only very young ladies can care for balls. Nellie is a tremendous great girl with a very sweet innocent face at the top of her. They have another German Governess now – a Mad^lle Thudichum, recommended by dear Mad^lle Ida, & brought up by the cousin whose name I dare say you remember, Mad^lle Hildebrand. John Edwards is very well. Sophy E is going to be married this month.

            My dear John & I are very well & very happy – though John never feels as if he were a fixture in Bosworth. Goodbye dearest Arthur. I am just going out with him to Wellsborough to look at an Alderney cow we think of buying. Never think if there is a long gap in my correspondence with you that I think the less of you or care the less for you. God bless you dear old boy.

            Ever your loving sister Emma

John's love to you.

These seeds Fanny left without any directions.

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