Reference
Z699/243
Title
Edward Harris Strange to Louisa Hooper 27 May 1849
Ampthill 5th Mo 27th 1849
My dear Cousin
The sight of thy hand writing yesterday morning was very pleasant & cheering & I feel obliged for the suggestion respecting Emma - I took an early opportunity to speak to her on the subject of her wages & she seemed quite satisfied with the scale thou proposed -
It was truly kind of thee, my new & valued correspondent, amongst thy multitudinous engagements arising from Y.M. Company & Y.M. business, the necessary attention to dear Aunt in her impaired state of health and depressed spirits, & the partial suspension of Cousin Emily's locomotary powers, to furnish me with so many interesting particulars of persons and things in which I feel much interested & regret my inability to put on paper a statement of the events & occurrences which have transpired since thou left, with the ease, clearness, & facility peculiar to thyself - Things are for the most part of a trivial character, but having had so many substantial proofs of thy deep sympathy for and warm interest in all that concerns me & my precious children, I feel inclined to scribble thee a few lines to forward by the morning post -
Dear Gertrude's long promised visit to Aspley, has at length been accomplished. I drove her over on 11th day, and I do not doubt but she & her friend Mary Frances will enjoy themselves together, especially if the weather continues fine enough to allow of their playing on the lawn in front of the house. I expect she will remain there about a week or ten days.
Yesterday I had occasion to go a few miles into the country & gave my dear boy Ted a ride with me - it was a great treat to him as he cannot remember that he had ever been so far from home before. - We call'd on a kind old lady who gathered him a fine bunch of flowers which pleased him greatly -
Each of my absent children has favoured me with their usual weekly epistles - both are well - dear M.E. says "give my love to Cousin Louisa & tell her that her nice long letter was very acceptable & that another would be so too"
I am obliged for your kind invitation to self & Gertrude & can assure thee I shall have great pleasure in accepting it, but at present cannot say when I may be in Town, probably in about two or three weeks - I will take care & give timely notice -
My Governess-Housekeeper goes on very pleasantly & the children are already very fond of her - She is I think as suitable as anyone I could expect to obtain - some traces of her former profession are observable but not unpleasantly that I know of -
Poor Cors Coombs is again in trouble - the little weakly boy we met this day two weeks on our return from the park has had the misfortune to break his leg - he was playing in the garden behind the house with the other child & rolled down a very steep part - J.C. is in attendance & understands the child is going on well - Coombs thinks he is fated to misfortune - Trials & troubles in one form or another seems to be the destined portion of the whole family of man at some period of their passing through this probationary state, and however carefully we may manage our plans with the view & hope of avoiding those ills to which it is said all flesh is heir to, we shall find I believe at the end of our race (and often before) that we have been striving to attain to a state of repose & freedom from conflict which is not in the power of the most prudent & sagacious to reach.
I need not enlarge on this topic to my dear Cousin, as thy own experience, though more circumscribed than some of us, will doubtless bear testimony to this truth - I often think of that sweet birth day piece written by the late L.Richmond & with which thou art most likely familiar, commencing with "My years roll on & in their course"
Sad & low were my spirits on parting with thee on third day and have continued to be my portion most of the time since.
I seem to be surrounded by an atmosphere of an entirely new character - objects & pursuits which were once bright & shining have now assumed a sombre hue. I trust however, and am at times favoured to believe, that these black & impenetrable clouds which have been permitted to hang over my present pathway will, at the command of Him who caused them to arise, be dispersed, & that the rays of the "sun of hope" will again shed their revivifying influence on my poor tossed & depressed mind.-
On retracing my steps homeward from the station I was led to view retrospectively days long passed, by which I was introduced to and subsequently connected with, closely & very happily connected with one branch of your family - I was indeed forcibly & painfully reminded of my altered position.
I had just parted for a period at least, possibly a long one, with the last member of this large family to whom I had for many years been affectionately attached, and was returning to what was once a happy, but now alas! a desolate home. I had entertained the hope that the fragile link that was mutual in this much valued connection would have been permitted to continue unbroken for many years, & that my beloved children would have had the privilege of having the guidance & watchful care of an affectionate Mother's prayers - such however was not the will of Him who is "wise in council & omnipotent in power", He who sees the "end from the beginning" has for me dissipated these fond desires, these cherished hopes - The hand of the stranger must now be their guide.
I am sure I ought to apologise for troubling thee with my cogitations, but such is the peculiar construction of my mind that I can find few to whom I can freely tell what passes within, and, altho' I have extended this far beyond my intentions at first, which was only meant as a scrap of domestic news I have only given a portion of what is floating across the mind.
My pens are so bad, & I am too idle to go into the shop for a better that I am fearful that thou wilt scarcely make it out.
Give my dear love to Aunt whom I hope soon to hear an improved account of, to my niece & Cousins & thyself & believe me to remain
Thy very affectionate Cousin
Edward Strange.
Date free text
27 May 1849
Production date
From: 1849 To: 1849
Exent
No. of pieces: 1
Format
paper
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item