Reference
X919/15
Title
John H Brooks to his daughter Marianne Brooks.
Date free text
24th May 1870
Production date
From: 1870 To: 1870
Scope and Content
Tuesday 24th May 1870
My darling little Wow,
You have been very patient in waiting perhaps a little beyond your fair turn for a letter and now you shall be rewarded! I was superintending the works going on at the farm yesterday afternoon when Charles came in sight on the redoubtable Thoby bearing my precious letter from Paris which I immediately devoured and gave Granny her enclosure in the evening for which she was duly grateful. It is very pleasant to think of you in the midst of sights so new and beautiful and your enjoyment of them and not less so to have the nice accounts of you regularly, I trust you dear Wow are doing all you can for you will hardly have so good an opportunity again while I have anything to say to you!! Only you must not, especially when the weather is very hot, do too much to fatigue any of you, that is if you go out sight seeing in the forenoon stay quiet in the afternoon and vice versa. You have I am sure been very fortunate in seeing the Emperor’s procession and illuminations so soon. Of soldiers you will see plenty, are not the infantry funny little fellows! I dare say though you think much more of the Cavalry and are there not a variety of their uniforms? Hussars, Cuirassiers, Carbiniers. If you see another Royal procession mind and note the Emperor’s body guard the ‘Cent[?]’ they are all officers and the uniform one of the handsomest in Europe.
You should not care to have my letters if it did not mention Packy. I am pleased to say he is very good and polite to me and bears his daily hem pecking with a truly humble and resigned aspect! Fig too is very well and as happy as he can be without you all. I found on Sunday, a chaffinch nest hanging under a bough of the fir near the church door and on going to see the little unknown nest in the wood, from which I had taken 2 eggs the previous day found it gone. I have however too much to do to look after eggs as you would like me to do darling Min, I know. Do you which the Bullies nest taken and handed over to Emma when a few days hatched? If I have time I must go and visit the sick people at East End again today but I am expecting Mr Swaffield after breakfast and I have to go about the farm with him. Uncle J writes that he has sold the pretty little bay pony for £24 which is a good sum. I have not heard of one for you yet darling, but dinna fear!
I am very glad Mama tells me you have another bedroom now which must add to your comfort, tell me in your next how many Byes there are altogether and who has the privilege of one to herself.
I suppose you sit out a good deal in the Tuilleries Gardens during the heat of the day. Has Mudder got an easy chair or a couch to solace herself with, if not she cannot I am sure be really cozy!
I suppose I shall soon hear something of little Katie Dickens, how delighted she will be to see you again. If her school is at all within reach of you I dare say you will often meet: you seem to have plenty of company now at the Hotel, only mostly woolly people, I dare say a great number of them are Americans whom you can always distinguish by their speaking through the nose, and if men by spitting about! By the way, talking of noses the other night when lying awake I heard someone snoring very loud, and in the morning ascertained it was Granny! Cook heard her also from her room upstairs.
I met the old P- the other day, driving along in old Morris’
(the ironmonger) carriage - it seems he has bought him. It is a capital place, and he has nothing to do but drag the old couple about at a snails pace now and then!
And now goodbye darling, give my dear old Kate very many kisses and with fondest love to you both. Believe me your most affectionate, Papa.
Level of description
item