Reference
X955/1/135
Title
To Mrs Sarah Colenutt
Date free text
23rd December 1902
Production date
From: 1902 To: 1902
Scope and Content
Lord’s Well Lane, Crowborough, Tunbridge Wells
My dear friend
Thank you for your affectionate letter. I am grieved to find you were unwell a little while ago and it disturbs me that I know nothing about your trouble. I wish I could feel assured that nothing of importance for good or evil could happen to you without prompt communication with me. I suppose you have not got a telephone in your home in Queen’s Road.
Molly has been away for more than a fortnight and it will be another five weeks before she returns. She has been staying with her friend Mrs. Bright in Lancashire and now she is in Cornwall with Willie, Jeanie and the children. She has not been well. The doctor says there is nothing radically wrong with her but that she is suffering from weakness. The effects are trying. Her appetite is bad, she cannot walk far and is very depressed. She says she is getting better and I hope so.
What would I not give if she were near you and could always be apprised by you! As for myself I am rather dull. My niece, Blanche Borthwick, has kindly offered to come here tomorrow and stay over
Christmas with me. I cannot leave home just now and our travelling has already cost us far too much this year. Otherwise I would have gone away. My health has not been good lately but I suppose I cannot, after
three score years and ten, expect it to improve. Ancient troubles seem to strengthen themselves and I cannot walk very far, a grievous trial to me. However and Carlyle used to say “Patience, patience” ah, I forget the following pious words and do not know where to look for them. I never need patience more than when I pine for a friend separated by a long journey. I feel this very much when I last saw your dear Kate. How precious her strength and unerring instinct would be to me in Crowborough, but Whitby, alas, is as far away as the next world. Her responsibilities since her husband’s death seem to have developed her
force of character, which was always great.
Excepting Molly, my children are well. Willie is strong again, but at times overdone with his increasing practice. Jack is still in Spain and likely to remain there: Ernest is at Rugby.
Love to Charlie and my best wishes to both of you for the new voyage which will begin next week.
Ever affectionately
W.Hale White
Level of description
item