1 February 1891 Red Barns Coatham Redcar. Dearest Mother. I gather that you have written to Lady Pease. The little girls are not very much disappointed. I WAS delighted with Mrs Head's letter! The vision of her walking among the leaves of Chamber C....... is too charming, but I don't think a bonne mouche sounds nice-it suggests to me a sort of blue bottle pie. We had an amusing cooking lesson yesterday. We made little tarts and an orange pudding - very good. It was very nearly an orange and crocodile pudding for a piece of half burnt crocodile skin fell down the chimney into the saucepan while Molly was stirring it and was only discovered by Miss Mossop when the pudding was almost finished. Of course we had to begin over again. How the crocodile got up the chimney I can't say. I am thinking of having it swept in case there should be any more lurking in its depths. Papa came home at 3 yesterday afternoon and found us just preparing to go out. We strolled round the garden and he lighted an enormous bonfdire by the racquet court. It burnt famously much to the babes' delight. It is perfectly heavenly today. We all went for a walk before lunch, the little girls have now gone out with Hunt and Papa and I am going later. This beloved sun is bringing out the snowdrops in the garden and you can almost see the crocuses growing. How thrilling about Lady Colley!! I think it's rather a good plan though I don't know Wentworth Beaumont. I foresee the fates will take us to Westmorland this summer - well I daresay it would be rather nice and cheaper than Switzerland which would be a little nicer. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude. (not Gertrude Bell's letter) 15 September (1891) Smeaton Manor Northallerton Dearest F. I have been rather cavalier I feel in never writing to you as to my movements, but I only heard yesterday that you are back home again. I do hope if the suggestion I made is at all inconvenient to you, you wont hesitate to say so, as I can quite well make other arrangements and although it would of course be much pleasanter for me to be at Redbarns I think it quite likely it would be better if I stayed at Saltburn! My present notion is to go on the 23rd for my first bath and stay till the 26th when I am going to Rounton on the Sunday and go back on the 28th till the 3rd Oct when I shall have got in the baths by which time I hope I should know if they suited me or were likely to do me good. I am writing today to Mr Hedley to ask whether he advises me to go to Saltburn on account of the fatigue of the railway journeys every day. I am glad to hear that you had a pleasant time in Ireland and that it has done Hugh good. My love to you all. Ever yours very affectionately Ada Godman. 8 February (1892) 7 Hans Place Dearest Mother, All the sales are over I am afraid; I went to Wolland's this afternoon for the sashes, they had nothing approaching the colour, but I will find it somewhere. I am much interested about your gown, though as you rightly supposed, I'm a little sorry it's black! Yesterday I called on the Grenfells; Mrs Grenfell talked quite incessantly, mostly about David. She had had Mrs Ward to tea and had given her her views on the book, at great length I gather, for she told me much of what she said and scarcely anything of Mrs Ward's replies - the poor lady had no time to make any I should think. However she was extremely kind as she always is; I lunch there on Friday. I went on to Audley Sq where presently Henry James appeared and delivered himself also on the subject of David. Oh it was so good - he is THE critic - so moderate, so just: and so contemptuous! Every sentence hit the right nail on the head, and every nail ran down into the coffin of Mrs Ward's reputation as a novelist. He thinks the Paris part the worst: "the poor lady", said he with a little shrug of the shoulders "and David - a shadow! a character indefinitely postponed, he arrives nowhere-"He had been talking to Mrs Ward about it all. "And did you mention so and so" said I. "Ah my dear young lady there are many things which you would have waited .. .... .. you would have waited a long time to hear me mention!" He was so funny and so brilliant; I wished you had been there. Horace is back in town. If Papa comes up on Friday night we ... bring off our postponed play? I should so like to see A Fool's Paradise and I should like Horace to come too. If Papa agrees he might telegraph to me. Would you mind sending me a packet of paper like this and two packets of the long narrow envelopes to match I have got no more left and I don't like to be always using Auntie Mary's. Papa might bring it with him. Besides my list of yesterday, I want some sashes which are in a cardboard box either in my bedroom or on the high shelf outside my bedroom door. If there are any ribbons I should like them too. I am so sorry for bothering you about my clothes, but what can I do? Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude H.J. thinks Robert a much better book than David, but that is not the general opinion. He said to Mrs W. that he thought this book lacked the purpose of the last. "Purpose! said she "Why this one has two purposes." Isn't that comic! "Two purposes" said he "are as bad as ten or twenty." The two are first the religious one and secondly an attempt to show how completely satisfactory is even the most commonplace marriage. "And yet" said Flora "she was obliged to kill off Lucy before the end!" H.J. thinks the Manchester part the best; Lucy and Dora says he, are good. "Out of that subject she might have made so much" he said. Evelyn Grant Duff is to be our 3rd secretary. I am bored for I think him very dull. He I hear is pleased for he has not found the society of Rome (his present post) good enough for him and he hears that Tehran is tres selected. 14 February 1892. Dearest Mother, Gerald's examination seems to be settled for the end of March - the exact date is not yet known - in which case Auntie Mary wil stay in England till the first week in April, I think therefore that I will settle to stay here till the end of the week after you come and then go to Rounton for three weeks or so; what do you think of that for a plan? Of course I should really prefer to be at 95 with you, I have such a home sickness for you at times Mother mine, but I imagine that that would be difficult to manage and inconvenient. If you think it could be done however, it WOULD be nice. Horace came here about 3 on Saturday and we walked to Kensington Sq where I took him to call on Mrs Green. It was pleasant and amusing. We had a great talk about the position of women which was a little droll; Horace was entertained. Mrs Green told me that Mr York Powell had said to her - this is not a becoming story and suited for the ears of one's very immediate family only! that I was the only girl he had ever examined who knew how to use books or had read things outside the prescribed course and that he thought I had got into the heart of my subject. What a very little darning it takes to deceive his misguided sex! This afternoon I went with Auntie Mary to call on Lady Stanley who was extremely amiable and told me to come again. She wanted to know the name of some history which began history from the beginning, but I never heard of any but Sir Walter Raleigh's' did you? I went on to Audley Sq where appeared Bernard Holland. He and Flora and Harold and I had a long and amusing talk; he asked much and affectionately after Maurice whom he does not know except by report. He is going to dine at the Macmillans' on Friday when I dine there. I am glad for I like him. Lady Edward and Mr Chirol dined here last night and one of the Egerton boys came in in the evening. Poor Lady Edward was very sad; she talked much of Victor who is wildly interested by his political work. What a delightful career he has before him! I send you a letter of Maurice's. You did pay Gerald. You must not tell him that you hear he is ill as he says you are not to know, but I have written like a Mother to him about it. Goodbye dearest Mother. Ever your very affectionate daughter. Gertrude 16 February 1892 7 Hans Place, SW Dearest dear Mother, I ordered the buttons today at Woolland's, I hope they will prove satisfactory. You omitted to tell me how many you want, I have had 2 dozen sent, but if you want more they have heaps. Yesterday I went to see Maggie Benson and had a delightful talk with her, after which we went down into the drawing room where we found Mrs Benson very brisk and charming. They have been travelling in Algeria, about which they told me a funny story. They went on an expedition into the desert, a real sandy desert with plenty of local colour, camels' bones bleaching in the sun and so forth; they stayed the night at an oasis, palm trees, dates, springs, everything all right. The Bensons were extremely pleased and felt they had definitely left civilization behind, but the first thing they saw when they arrived at the oasis was- an omnibus! full of Arabs!! The illusion was destroyed. This morning Florence and I sallied forth in a blizzard and bought what clothes do you imagine suitable to the weather? sun hats! They had plenty in stock; I imagine that there has not been much run on them lately. I had tea with Mary at George St and saw first her and then all her family; it was very pleasant and nice. I regret to announce to you the death of my trumpeter; under which painful circumstances I feel bound to tell you that Lady Edward has been very complimentary about me to Auntie Mary. She is pleased to approve of me. We all dine at D. House on Thursday. The Lytteltons have invited me to a dance of theirs on the 25th. I shall go if Lady Arthur will take me - I suppose I can ask her? It would be rather amusing. Ever your very affectionate daughter Gertrude 18 February 1892 7 Hans Place Dearest Mother, Will you thank Hugo from me for the Postal orders - I had completely forgotten that debt tell him. Yesterday afternoon I walked with Flora. She told me the details of an interesting story which I had already heard in outline - the quarrel between Lady Carlisle and the Cobden Sandersons. They went to stay at Naworth this Xmas and quarreled so fearfully that in the end Lady C. ordered them to leave the house! This they could not do because two of their children had the influenza and were very ill; she insisted that go they must, children or no children, and would have driven them out if the doctor had not refused to let them go. Finally Mr C.S. went to Brampton and Mrs C.S. stayed on in the house nursing her children never seeing Lady C, and having all her meals in her own room. Fancy what a situation! They have only just returned and Mr C.S. is frantic. This afternoon I called on the Lushingtons where I met Mr Clough; it was amusing. Gerald, Florence and I dined with Miss Lascelles yesterday. I do think she is such a nice woman. We all dine at Devonshire House tonight. Ever your very affectionate daughter. Gertrude 20 February 1892 Hans Place Dearest Mother, I wonder when I wrote to you last? Oh I remember, Thursday afternoon. In the evening we dined at Devonshire House. There were there, Lady Edward, William Egerton, Alfred Lyttelton and Victor Cavendish who came in from the House announcing that he must be back in 20 minutes, but finally stayed till 10. Mr Balfour was speaking when he left and they feared that there would be a division that night on the first reading, which however did not take place. Victor C. is tremendously interested in his politics, talks of nothing else, thinks of nothing else; it's very nice to see, as genuine enthusiasm always is and besides it was interesting for politics are so interesting at this moment. The talk is all of a dissolution and I think nearly everyone expects that the government will go out on the second reading of the local government bill. Yesterday was hatefully cold, we did not do much all day. In the evening I dined with the Macmillans where I met the Russells, Miss Pearsall Smith, Bernard Holland, and another man who was not introduced to me. It was pleasant; B.H. took me in and Harold and I had a long and amusing talk afterwards. Mr Holland told me that he is a sort of unofficial private secretary to the Duke of Devonshire; he asked a great deal about all the Cavendishes whom he only knows slightly. It's very foggy and horrid today: I think I shall go and see Mrs Green later. How annoying it is about Hugo, I wish he would hurry up and ...... Ever your very affectionate daughter. Gertrude 22 February 1892 7 Hans Place. Dearest Mother. We shall be delighted to see Papa at breakfast on Thursday - if he does not appear I shall probably go up to Mansfield St in the afternoon and catch him there. About my clothes, they cannot be sent here, for I have no room for them. I want the blue silk petticoat sent to Madame Alexandre, 70 Norfolk Terrace, Bayswater. The rest had better be packed and sent to me when I want them. Yesterday such an absurd thing happened. Auntie Mary had gone out; Florence and I were walking together; the boys alone here, hear a ring and a voice asking for Lady Lascelles, then for me, then angrily "Well it's a very odd thing for I was told particularly to come here this afternoon!" Presently we came in and found Lord Stanley's card - now this was very odd for Lord S. does not know Auntie Mary. We wondered what could be the explanation until tea time when Auntie Maisie came. She said "I heard Henry is giving you Persian lessons." I: "!!!!!!!" Then it appeared that Grisel Ogilvy to whom I had related my attempts to find a teacher of Persian, had sent him - he's a very good Persian scholar! Auntie Maisie had met him at Dover St at lunch and he had told her he was coming here to teach me - oh it was very easy, he would like it, he would soon teach me and had asked if he would be likely to find us in; she had said no, but he had come all the same. Very kind of him, but fancy what my feelings would have been if I had been at home! Today I received a letter from Grisel saying she was sorry not to have announced her uncle's visit beforehand to me, but she did not know he intended to come at once. I shall meet her tonight at Mansfield St where I am going after dinner. I had another offer of lessons on Saturday afternoon at Mrs Green's from Mr Strong! I feel I shall end by receiving special instruction from at least the Shah in person! Mr Strong was most interesting; enormously excited to hear I wished to learn Persian; I felt a horrid fraud while he explained to me all that was to be done with it and how he longed for more people to edit books and translate and so on. He described to me the things he was doing; it was very very interesting. I do think the happiest people in the world are those who spend thirteen hours a day in a library. The Tunis sits on O.W. this morning doesn't it. I should like to see Lady Windermere however. No one knows who Observer of the Times letters is. At first people said it was Mr Chamberlain but I don't know on what grounds. It must be someone who knows Mr Gladstone very well for the last letter is full of his expressions, especially the Oh dear, oh dear! which it seems he is always saying. They seem to think the govt will go out on the second reading so Papa had better be prepared. How exciting it will be! Ever your very affectionate daughter. Gertrude 7 Hans Place 26 February 1892 Dearest Mother. I have been paying a visit to Maclagan this morning, which I think was wise as I have been feeling tired and unenergetic lately. He gave me a tonic and told me to take care of myself and not to do too much, and to come back to him if I did not feel better; but I don't suppose it will be necessary. I was right to go, wasn't I? Yes it is funny about Lord Stanley. I met Grisel Ogilvy at Mansfield St on Monday evening who was full of apologies. It does not seem however to have been her fault at all. She had no idea that he really meant to teach me and apparently he dashed off in a way that would have been quite flattering if it had not very nearly been extremely boring. It was pleasant at Mansfield St, Mr Willie Peel was there (whom Billy dislikes extremely, by the bye, and when Auntie Maisie praises him responds only "He wants a bath!) Horace, Diana, Harold, Grisel, Mildred, Hugh Smith. Uncle Lyulph presently went to sleep; Harold, Mildred and I had a long and amusing talk together which lasted all the evening. She is such a nice girl. On Thursday I walked in the afternoon with Flora and went back with her to tea. Lord Arthur looks terribly ill; I think he is weaker every time I see him. He likes people to go there and kept me talking for a long time after tea. He is making a collection of all his mother's seals (she had a passion for seals) which he showed me and we talked of people and of Persia. Poor old dear! Lady Stanley was there; she was extremely kind and told me to come and see her next Sunday which I shall do. Yesterday morning I went to (END OF LETTER) 26 March 1892 7 Hans Place, SW Dearest Father, I am rather a poor thing today with a very bad cold and I am not allowed to go out, so I shall console myself by writing to you. The Whistler private view was rather amusing. There were a lot of very shady long haired gentlemen in brown coats - one of whom picked Auntie Maisie's pocket by the bye! - and the Rawlinsons and Bertie Crackanthorpe and some beautiful pictures - and some mad ones. Mother and I longed for at least half a dozen for our very own and certainly to a man who can do things so exquisite one can forgive some follies. I had been in the morning to the Institute where I had wandered through three dreary rooms of paint each duller than the last which was a good preparation for the grip and originality of the Whistler pictures. The Stanley dance was extremely successful. There were about 20 little girls and ten big ones and a few young men. We danced wildly with the children and the young men. Horace was there in great form having had the interdict against smoking removed by a venal doctor! Lady Stanley also extremely kind and with much to say about Persia and Persian. At 8 a kind of elaborate tea was provided for the children and for us a small dinner of soup and cutlets and so on. Uncle Lyulph was quite taken aback by the splendour of his party. "I knew we should have shomething to eat" he said "but this bloat I certainly did not expect." He amused us very much by telling us gravely that he considered Bertie Crackenthorpe quite the size of life. He was so much pleased by the success of the evening that Auntie Maisie thinks he will let us give a real grown up ball which she (NO END)