| Description | Particular entries concern health problems of the family. Fred is ill with a severe cold in January and February, and Charlotte reports that 'my dear husband spent the day in the boudoir and coughed much', 2 February. He is still unwell when they visit her mother in mid February. She and Fred are both 'very cramped, sick and uncomfy all day' on 8 July and the next day Charlotte prepares a poultice and c[astor] oil and they 'only got up for breakfast at 9.15'. Charlotte takes Harold to a specialist in London where 'Mr Mitchell..pronounced dearest Harold blind of one eye' on 15 November. All the children suffer from mumps in November and December and Charlotte reports headaches throughout the year.
Charlotte continues teaching the children. Mary now learns French. She also continues to teach at the school. She 'took reading and spelling class at school' on 24 March and 'was obliged to go to the school inspection' on 7 November. She also plays games with the children, including dominoes, and spillikins.
Other activities include her parish work, taking 'Clothing Club', visiting Reading Hospital with fruit after a church service, 29 September, and household chores. Accounts of social activities are also mentioned, although her poor state of health means that she has to travel by donkey for part of a visit to Abingdon and Oxford via Reading. She 'came back for tea being weak and weary' on 15 May, and got biscuits at Reading, presumably from the Huntley and Palmer's store there. She takes a visit to Holmwood with her friends Alice and Edith on 1 June, and 'spent a very pleasant afternoon between lawn tennis, photo's tea and talking'. She records on 1 July that an Eton boy was killed at the regatta on Thursday 29 June. Charlotte goes to St Stephens College, Windsor for the Clewer 'Associates Retreat', 25 July and there is a family holiday to Folkstone in August and September. Activities include walks by the sea, and Fred goes to a concert on the pavilion on 29 August. Charlotte notes the 10th anniversary of the death of her father, 29 January.
Reading matter includes 'Patterson's Life', 'Fasting Communion', 'Light of the Conscience', 'Church's Influence of Christianity', 'Spiritual Guidance', 'Leighton on St Peter', 'book on Normandy'.
At the back of diary is a copy of a letter from bishop Patterson to his sister Joan, dated 1870.
Loose enclosure comprises newspaper cutting reporting the funeral of Cosmo Lewis Duff Gordon, who was buried on 14 August 1876 |