I suppose a mother must expect to come off _second_ best when her son
marries and I ought to think myself lucky to hear from you once a year.
But I confess I was put out in the summer only to get news of you
through Lucy's mother. However, your letter written August 3, after
Lucy had joined you at Hangodi, came to hand a few days ago. You must
have had a terrible time getting her up-country. She seems so feckless
and born to trouble. As though wild beasts and accidents sought her
out.
I've just had a line from Ann Jamblin. _She's_ got her head screwed on
the right way. She left a month after Lucy and yet reached your station
nearly as soon as you did. She didn't need to hang about that place--I
can't spell its name--where you got married, and, she travelled
up-country, she says, in record time with a missionary lady, a Mrs.
Stott. She didn't fall off her donkey or have a lion in her tent or get
ant all over her or turn sick every few weeks. Nor yet have herself
looked after by free-thinking captains on the voyage out. But there.
You've made your bed as the saying is and you must lie on it. It's far
from my wish to come between husband and wife, and I'm glad Ann's gone
to your station. She'll have a steadying influence on Lucy and be a
great comfort to you and your companions. I suppose by now she's
married to your friend Anderson. If so he'll have got a good wife and
her bit of money will be a help.
Father's as well as he's ever likely to be. He suffers from brash, a
sure sign of overeating.
Sister Simpson is going to marry Brother Wilkins the sidesman of our
Reading Chapel. At present she's suffering from boils, but hopes to be
well enough for the marriage next month. The Bellinghams at Cross
Corner, Reading, Bakers and Fancy Confectioners, are in a bad way--going
bankrupt they say. There's been a sad scandal about Pastor Brown at
Bewdly wanting to marry his deceased wife's sister. It's forbidden I
know in Holy Writ, though at time of writing I can't remember where, but
see Leviticus xviii. and xx. Emily Langhorn has gone to London to learn
dressmaking. Time she did and good behaviour likewise. I never listen
to scandal, otherwise I should say it was all on account of her goings
on with young Gilchrist. She took it very hard when he suddenly married
Priscilla Lamb of Lamb's Boot Emporium, Abbey Road, Reading. I'm very
glad I wouldn't have her here to the Dorcas meetings. She'd got her eye
on you, I'm pretty sure. Sam Gildersleeves and Polly Scatcherd's got
married, just in time it seems, to save her good name. People was
beginning to cut her. Clara Josling, your wife's sister, is engaged to
young Harden, a good-for-nothing cricketer. Plays with his brother and
friends on Sunday afternoons. But I suppose you won't think the worse
of him for that, now you've come under Lucy's influence. But oh what
wickedness is coming on the world. Well, it can't last much longer.
The vials of the Almighty's wrath are about to be opened and the Last
Day is at hand--I feel and hope. I've advised your father to spend no
more money on repairs at the Manufactory--It will last our time.
Meanwhile may God have you in his holy keeping. Father sends love. He's
taken up with this new drink Zoedone and expects to make a lot of money
out of it. Money, money, money and eat, eat, eat is all he thinks about.
Still, that's better than breaking the Sabbath and running after strange
women, which is what most of his neighbours is doing. And as to the
women, it's dress, dress, dress and play acting. Mrs. Garrett's bustle
was right down shocking last Sunday. I couldn't keep my eyes off it
during Chapel. They've been making so much money lately out of sanding
the sugar and selling dried tea-leaves for Best Family Blend Afternoon
tea that they don't know how to spend it, so Mrs. G. has begun to dress
fashionable--at _her_ age too--and Mr. G. goes to St. Michael's instead
of coming to Salem chapel where his parents worshipped before him. And
as to this play acting, its one of the signs of the times. They've
opened a theatre at Reading and have afternoon performances.--Several of
our Tilehurst folk have been seen there and Pastor Mullins spoke about
it in last Sunday's sermon.
Your loving mother,
SARAH BAINES.
_From Mrs. Spencer Bazzard to Mr. Bennet Molyneux,
Foreign Office._
H.B.M. Vice-Consulate,
Unguja,
_Novr._ 1, 1887.