| Description | Particular details include accounts of the illness of her mother. On 30 June Charlotte writes that her 'dear mother' had a stroke in the early morning. Although she eventually recovers some of her former health, there are serious concerns about her throughout the summer, and Charlotte makes several visits to London to look after her. Charlotte continues to teach Sidney and directs Mary's lessons, she teaches at the school, takes night school, and continues her other parish work. She 'spent time over parochial letters', 7 May, put on a Christmas meal of roast beef and plum pudding, with games, for local boys 30 December.
Cecil and Harold's schooling is also mentioned. Charlotte mentions that the Haileybury scholarship examination is taking place on 2 April and on 29 April Fred leaves with Harold for Haileybury, in Hertfordshire: 'may God's blessing rest upon our dear boy in his career there'. Cecil's education continues at Radley College, and on 19 July he receives a gift of £500 from Minnie, who is described in entries for later years as Charlotte's 'sister'. On 21 December, Charlotte reports that Cecil has won the Gibbs scholarship, V form prize and the Mathematics prize.
Charlotte enjoys better health, although she reports frequent headaches, and on 30 October, she 'spent the day with my eyes shut on the sofa, my darling husband most attentive'.
Leisure activities include an outing with Mary to see the Radley races on 17 June and Fred goes to an Eton and Harrow match on 9 July. The family take a holiday in Brighton in August and September and Fred takes the boys to see a cricket match against Australia there on 13 September. Charlotte takes hot baths, Fred and the boys bathe in the sea, and they all go for walks on the parade, and visit the beach, the pavilion, the new pier and the aquarium.
Reading matter includes 'Church Quarterly', 'Life of Cromwell', 'Pusey's sermon', 'Life the Prep[aration] for Death', 'Lifelong Penitence', by Carter, 'Hook's Life', 'The Prince Consort's Life' and 'Butler's Analogy'. |