Stocks Cottage, Tring. - Wants to know more about Bessie's pregnancy: what she is getting for the baby; when it is due to arrive and where; whether she has 'secured' her nurse and if she is having Mrs Scharlieb. If so, Janet will be the only member of the family 'left benighted with a male doctor"; unless Molly has 'her little George' in London and has Janet's doctor too. Asks if Bessie will be 'bold enough to stay at the Shiffolds' for the birth; it is 'much more fun' to be in London, and she hopes 'selfishly speaking' that Bessie will come, but suspects she and Bob want the baby 'to arrive really on his native heath'. Offers her pram, as she will need to get another one when her own 'Tommy' arrives; can also lend her many of the first baby clothes; feels she and Molly have had an 'unfair advantage in clearing out all the Wallington stock'. Asks what the baby is going to be called.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Happy to go with Elizabeth to see the doctor; says she should make the appointment herself and gives Mrs Scharlieb's Harley Street address. Will be back in London on Monday. Glad Elizabeth is going; believes the doctor is 'very able in all such matters. A real pity the dress will not fit. Sir George is recovered from his [rheumatic] 'feverishness' now. Aunt Margaret [Holland] cannot have them on the 13th, and Sir George will not go in Ascot week, so thinks their visit will fall through; asks if they could still visit Elizabeth and Robert for a day as Sir George 'seems anxious for it'. Will 'ask the Sangers &c' but fears she is now 'getting too full'.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad that Elizabeth is coming north earlier; the weather is so fine that they have been wishing she and Robert were with them now, but thinks the arrangement 'very good' and will expect them at the start of August. If Robert will let her know the time, she will invite R[oger] Fry to meet them here. Has deferred the school children's party till 16 August, as Sir George thought it would be nice if she and Robert were here. Asks if a garden party would 'bore' Elizabeth; thinks she should do something this summer for the neighbours. Asks if she should get Miss [Mary] Wakefield to come and perform: her 'lecturing is very bad, but her singing was very popular'. Tells Elizabeth to send a box of clothes direct from London if she likes, and asks if they are going to The Park [home of Annie Philips] in July or after the visit to Wallington. Thinks Elizabeth is right to go to Mrs Scharlieb again; tells her to asks how much she ought to walk.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Elizabeth's box and the key have arrived, and her things have been unpacked; is glad she is in a cool place and 'none the worse for the journey [to Seetoller]. Has no more time to write since George has been 'reading his first Chapter... for the last two hours'. Is glad Elizabeth saw Mrs Scharleib.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad to hear things 'are comfortable at Pinewood'; they hope to go there for a day in November [to see the Knutsfords] as they will probably be in London for a while to give Sir George 'a little change'. Very amused by Elizabeth's account of the church, which must have been the Irvingite [Catholic Apostolic] Church at Albury, for the sect founded by Edward Irving; describes this; Elizabeth should read Carlyle's life of Irving in his '"Reminiscences " and "Miscellanies" if she is interested; Mrs Oliphant also wrote a 'very readable life' of him. The Duke of Northumberland of the day 'was a great Irvingite'; believes 'the present family also belong to the Church'. Asks if Elizabeth saw the 'Silent Pool' at Albury, which is very pretty. Tells her they should not be in a hurry to move. Thinks it a good idea to be revaccinated if there is smallpox about. Asks what she thinks of doing about Mrs Scharlieb; good that she is stronger, but this does not mean she should not 'have the weakness put right'; Mrs Scharlieb might advise her by letter what she should do. Will be in London for a few days around 4 November; asks her to remind Robert to reply to his father's letter if he has not 'as it seems rather indifferent'; a postscript says that a reply has just arrived.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Will be eager to hear what Mrs Scharlieb thinks and what Elizabeth decides to do; very sorry she has something 'so unpleasant to look forward to' but sure she will be better afterwards. Would like it to be when she is in London herself, but Elizabeth must decide; Sir George says he will pay for it. Thinks Elizabeth and Robert's arrangement with their landlord very good; sure they will want to move before long but does not think the time has come yet. Hope [Roger] Fry has returned and the book ["Polyphemus and Other Poems"] 'will advance properly'. Quite cold at Wallington now; Sir George has a fire in his study but otherwise they only have them in the evening; hopes Elizabeth will keep herself warm. Sure Elizabeth would like to keep chickens and have her own eggs. Has seen 'Miss H's' letter and will get her article. B[ernard?] Shaw is 'really beneath contempt'.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Relieved that Elizabeth will only have to be in London for four or five days [for treatment carried out or advised by Dr Scharlieb]; advises her to 'get it over as soon as possible'; expects she will be a good patient and that she will not 'feel much pain, as there will be nothing to heal'. Will not come down to London if Elizabeth feels 'quite comfortable about it', though she and Sir George are agreed she will come at any time Elizabeth wants. Reassures her that it is not serious, only 'an unpleasant "setting to rights"'. Is going to meet Annie [Philips] at Leeds today then they will go on to The Park together tomorrow. Booa [Mary Prestwich] thanks Elizabeth for her letter; she is sending a cream cheese. Miss Martin is staying with Sir George while she is away. Has heard of Mrs Butcher's and knows it is 'a good place, & excellent nurses'.
The Park, Prestwich, Manchester. - Anxious to hear what Elizabeth has decided [about treatment carried out or advised by Dr Scharlieb]; hopes she has managed to arrange a room in the Home. Joined Annie [Philips] on Friday at Leeds 'where she had quite a party of relations' and made everything 'quite comfortable at the hotel' for them. Went to a concert in the evening, and the morning performance on Saturday; will send Elizabeth the concert program. The Brahms and the 'Russian music' were very interesting. and Elgar's "[Enigma] Variations" 'curious & amusing', if music can be described in that way. On Saturday, there was a 'very fine Bach cantata' and Beethoven's Mass in D. The chorus at Leeds is 'wonderful', and she thought 'the Band splendid'. [Joseph] Joachim was there, and his solo violin part was 'lovely', show she could not see him or the other performers because of the 'rows of hats'. Came to the Park on Saturday afternoon, and spent a quiet Sunday with Annie; is going to Welcombe this afternoon, then returning home [to Wallington] on Thursday. Asks what news there is of the book [Robert's "Polyphemus and Other Poems". Thinks Sir George and Miss Martin 'are getting on all right'.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad to hear good news of Elizabeth and that she can walk fairly well again; the 'Bath Chair was a capital idea'. Does want Booa [Mary Prestwich] back again; hopes Elizabeth will not miss her; Robert must take her out, and Miss Martin will accompany her on her journey home. Hopes by next week she will feel pretty strong again; she should ask Mrs Sch[arlieb] about her journey abroad as she must not jeopardise her recovery. Had a busy day doing accounts yesterday. Thinks it is 'sharp practice [by Elizabeth's nursing home] to charge the whole week' and hopes they use the other days to clean the room, but doubts they will; still the existence of such homes is 'a great blessing'.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Thanks Elizabeth very much for the shawl; the weather is very cold here now so it will be most useful; hopes the storm is over for their crossing to the Netherlands. Would like to 'hear the truth about the Queen [Wilhelmina of the Netherlands]; she is very young and probably strong-willed, so there 'may have been some little friction between her & her husband to start the scandal'. Dr Ethel Williams lectured at Cambo yesterday and stayed the night with them; says that Mr [William] Scharlieb 'was a Eurasian, whom Mrs Sch. married in India, & that you see the type in the children'. Will put the money she owes Robert for the books [copies of "Polyphemus and Other Poems"?] into this letter. Sir George thinks it a very good plan for Elizabeth to learn Latin. Postscript notes that she has 'forgotten to send for the [money?] orders' so will have them put into a note for Robert at the Post Office.
Menaggio. - Glad that Elizabeth is better, and had 'a satisfactory interview with Mrs Scharlieb'; they were also interested in the Dorking meeting; parts of 'Mr G. M.'s letters' appeared in the newspapers; glad that Robert took a share in proceedings. It is lovely here, and they have spent a 'lazy day' sitting with Aunt Margaret in the garden and going with her and Lionel on the Lake [Como]; Margaret is much better. They are thinking of going to Baveno for a few days on Monday. Spent a day at St Moritz on the way, which she did not like much; it also rained heavily when going up there and down the Maloja [Pass], but they have otherwise had good weather. Mrs Humphry Ward has had to leave in answer to a telegraph about her brother [William Arnold], whom she thinks Elizabeth has met though she herself has never done so; fears there has been 'some fatal turn to his illness'. Sir George is well, and Booa thinks Italy is 'wonderful'; she agrees it is very beautiful, and 'even the great number of houses & villas on the banks cannot spoil it. Hopes that the building [of Robert and Elizabeth's new house] can now begin. Sends birthday wishes, though apologises for forgetting the exact date. Hopes the opera was good, and that 'the invalid at Cumberland Place' was better; Mary 'seemed so kind about her'.