Pièce 171 - Letter from Janet Trevelyan to Elizabeth Trevelyan

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Stocks Cottage, Tring. - Sweet of Bessie to write about the babies and their whooping cough; they have it 'quite slightly' and the doctor thinks it will last no longer than three months so she and George still hope to get to Wallington, probably towards the end of August. They are going to Robin Ghyll a week on Monday; expects the air there will do the children good. It is a 'foul disease'; 'maddening' that there is nothing to be done to help the children while they have a coughing fit, but at least they do not 'dread the next fit' as an adult would; she has a 'cressoline lamp [sic: cresolene]' which seems to be the one thing the doctors believe helps. Sorry Bessie is worried about Paul; thinks she remembers Mary losing weight in her first six months 'trotting around'; not surprising that with teething and hot weather Paul has too. Bessie's three weeks alone with him must be tiring; hopes she is 'managing not to lift him' [due to her pregnancy?] but knows that must be hard.

She and George are going to have a third child; has only been sure for about ten days; has not even told her parents or Caroline yet, but could not write to Bessie without mentioning it; at present it is 'called Janetina'. They are in the train going to see the Chelsea Pageant and dine with Sir Edward Grey; expects he is being 'extra nice to George because he doesn't want any more inconvenient letters in the "Times" about Russian Exiles!' [cf. perhaps George's letter "Personal Liberty In Russia", "Times" (London, England), Jun 23, 1908; pg. 13; Issue 38680]. Janet can 'still be quite dissipated', and has not yet had to have her evening dresses let out'.