Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Elizabeth seems to have had more snow than they have at Welcombe. Will be very good to see her and Robert again; asks if they will stop a night on the way through London, or prefer to get home then come after they are settled. Is thinking of hosting 'a weekly dinner on Tuesdays in March, & a "small & early for MP's & young people afterwards'; Elizabeth and Robert must come to one. Henry James arrived last night and is 'most amusing & delightful on his American experiences'. Audrey T[revelyan] and the Bells are coming today. She and Sir George go to London on 23 February. Will give Elizabeth her club subscription when she returns; she will then have to make enquiries about which is the best club and change next year; Caroline thinks the Gr[osvenor] Cr[escent] club has 'become very common & inferior'. Is glad Elizabeth saw Shelley's villa; the coast where Byron burnt his body is 'wierd [sic] & beautiful too'. Asks if she has read Mrs Shelley's "Life" of her husband, which Caroline thinks is better than [Edward] Dowden's. Mary has had to give up nursing Pauline, having done too much over the election and got run down. Charlie has accepted the position of Parliamentary Charity Commissioner, which is unpaid and not much work, but 'keeps him "in the running"'.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Hopes Elizabeth is 'getting on with the Quest' [for a new governess]; wonders whether the two candidates Annie says she has suggested will be suitable. Hughie has been 'very ill'; Lady Bell is also ill with shingles, so they are 'a sick household'; does not know whether the elder children have gone to Cambo this week as planned. The lambs here are 'charming' and Julian would love them. Sir George is well, though '"up & down"', probably due to 'anxiety & excitement' [over the war]. Have just had an interesting letter from Lord Reay, who is good at keeping up correspondence with his friends here and in America. Is reading a 'long but interesting' life of Wordworth by [George Maclean] Harper; asks if Bob has seen it.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Thinking of 'the dear boy' [Julian] this morning, and hoping to hear [his operation] has gone well. Janet and Sir George send their love. Encloses something to be spent on amusement for Julian during his convalescence. Mary writes that she has ten children at Rounton; Lady Bell is 'very good natured' to have let them have the house. Reassures Elizabeth and Robert that it was right for Julian to have the operation.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Mary Bell has been to stay with her parents; the father 'very nice, clever & pleasant'; the mother 'has an unfortunate manner & voice' and sometimes 'talks a little foolishly', but she is sure she is very 'kind & good, & seems sensible in practical matters'. Mary was 'beaming & happy, & much quieter', so they all got on well. Hopes that Elizabeth is well and that business [about the new house?] is going well. They are going tomorrow to Rownton Grange [sic: Rounton, the Bells' home]; she goes to Welcombe on Thursday.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Elizabeth and Robert are very kind about Charlie's engagement; she and Sir George are 'more & more satisfied about it', as Mary 'writes very nicely', and Charlie is 'extremely happy in a quieter way' so she thinks 'her influence must be good'. The family are 'very well thought of' and her father has been 'frank and sensible'. Thinks Mary was much in love when she was here 'and found it difficult to behave quietly'. Charlie likes the family; hopes they will visit next month. The Bells are going to Berlin for a fortnight while Charlie goes to his constituency. Has had many letter; 'rather an undertaking' to have two sons engaged at once. Hope Elizabeth and Robert soon have their agreement so that the architect 'can get to work [on the new house at Leith Hill' in the fine autumn weather'. They are going to Belsay [home of the Middletons] and she will tell them why Elizabeth could not come. Dr [Thomas?] and Mrs Hodgkin, Mr [Herbert?] Paul, Sir John and Lady Evans, and the Henry Gregs are all staying; they are 'agreeable & easily amused'. Would like to asks the Russells back again, but next week must be quiet, and there is 'so much to settle'. A postscript says she knows Elizabeth will tell her about Holland when it is settled.
Wallington, Cambo, Northumberland. - Glad all in order at home, and that Elizabeth and Robert enjoyed their stay at Wallington; wishes the weather had been better so they could have made more excursions. Now very cold, but yesterday was 'delightful' and they drove in the afternoon to Capheaton for a sale of some of Sir John [Swinburne]'s cattle. Miss Fitch recovered quickly and left yesterday, returning all the books; the good uncle [Charles Augustus Fitch?] will be relieved. Glad to hear the negotiations with the V[aughan] W[illiams]s are 'satisfactory' and that they 'propose a lower rent'; hopes the agreement will be drawn up and the architect will get to work soon. Has been reading Madame de Lieven's memoirs; they are 'amusing up to a certain point', but she thinks her 'much over-rated'. Thinks George has returned from Wales; Charlie has gone to visit the Bells before 'starting his campaign of speaking'. 'Old Anne' is visiting, and Booa [Mary Prestwich] is very happy; Booa hopes Elizabeth got the parcel. Asks whether Elizabeth is having friends to stay, and whether she wants a melon, also whether she is quite well again. Glad she enjoyed the music at Chillingham; hopes she finds a good violin before long but it is right not to hurry. Has been looking through her autumn and winter clothes. A separate sheet says she thinks it is possible to get good dogs cheaply from the Dogs Home in Battersea. If Elizabeth wants a Dandy [Dinmont] 'like Pepper' they can get one in Wallington. Annie [Philips] also knows about them.
Wallington, Cambo, Morpeth. - Has found the photograph of Julian which she likes, and put it into a frame so she does not lose it again. Asks if Elizabeth knows Lady Bell's reading book ["Pauline's First Reading Book"?]; will send it if not. Asks if she likes teaching; she herself liked reading to the children, but 'never managed to teach them anything'. They hope to get through [to Welcombe] on Wednesday. Hopes Mrs A[bercrombie] is better, and that Elizabeth's nannie returns in better health. Janet and the children are coming on the 9th; there is news of G[eorge], and a 'very interesting letter from Rome'. Annie [Philips] is expecting Robin [Price] for a short stay at Pen Moel; supposes he will go abroad soon. Sends best wishes to Mrs V[aughan] Williams and Margaret, and love to Robert; his 'little "pome" looks nice in print'.
Welcombe, Stratford on Avon. - Robert has just left; they have much enjoyed his visit and he was 'most helpful & cheerful with the guests'. Sir George is taking a few days holiday [from his book] so was delighted to have Robert to talk to. The weather was fine, and the [neighbours at the Welcombe parties] 'enjoyed themselves... thoroughly'. Has just had the piano moved into the drawing room, where it looks very nice; Mary is coming to stay for a fortnight in July so will 'have the benefit of it'; has heard how Elizabeth enjoyed playing with Lady Bell. The move to Wallington is on Monday; Booa [Mary Prestwich] is going to stay with some relatives for a week tomorrow, so there is much to arrange this morning. Elizabeth must be very busy, but it will be a 'pleasant excitement' to arrange their belongings in the new house.
8, Grosvenor Crescent, S.W. - Will send this letter to Florence as expects Elizabeth and Robert will leave Ravello today; sorry that they have not had good weather. Has been very busy this week visiting Cheyne Gardens: [George and Janet's new baby Mary] is very sweet and Janet is doing well; George was worried until it was over but now is cheerful. He and Sir George, and perhaps Charlie, are going to Cambridge next Friday to vote against compulsory Greek; they do not expect to succeed but there is 'a great rally on both sides'; it is said it would be carried if it depended on the residents. The Watts and Whistler exhibitions [at the Royal Academy and the New Gallery, Regent Street] are both 'most interesting collections', and there is a 'wonderful show of Oriental China in Bond Street'. Asks if Elizabeth and Robert will prefer to go straight home or stay the night in London; is anxious to see them again. It will be interesting for them to see the [new] house and the Enticknaps' baby. Sorry that Charles Booth is still so unwell; has not quite understood whether Mary and Imogen joined them. Glad Elizabeth is not going to Holland; thinks it would be too cold and damp. There is much illness about here; Uncle Harry has bronchitis, and Nora [Trevelyan?] a bad cold. They have decided to keep the old Broadwood piano in London, and want Elizabeth to choose a little one for Welcombe before Easter. Has heard no music, but they have been to a Bernard Shaw play ["John Bull's Other Island"]. Booa [Mary Prestwich] cheerful and looking forward to seeing Elizabeth; Janet much pleased with her letters. '"Mother" [possibly Florence Bell?] is very active and... good on such an occasion'.