It really is years since we have heard from you! Whose fault is it? I fear it is ours for several months ago - Maurice told us he had received a nice long letter from you, but we never got to see it, or to hear the contents! which was too bad, so we all vote that you write to me now, I will take care all have the full enjoyment of hearing it, for we remember you & think of you with lasting feelings of the kindest regard - So do please write directly you receive this, & tell me first how you are, & what you are doing - Are you still at St Walburga’s?[2] p2Do you have grand services there? Do all the people receive Palms on Palm Sunday, & kiss the Cross on Good Friday? Does any one ever paint Candles for you at Easter? Is there any one able to persuade you to call in upon them sometimes to dinner & spend a few hours to rest your weary bones!
What a long time has elapsed since I began this letter & I have never had a moment to sit down & finish it. Our papers tell us that the Irish in London are going to have a grand Procession[3] today, carrying banners with Irish Mottoes,[4] flags - rosettes of Green, yellow, & blue - & request release of the Fenian[5] Prisoners,[6] make speeches in favour of home rule - &c. &c. & that they have demanded Police to protect them! - I wonder what will come of it. Maurice intends to go to Town by & bye & see, & then tell us on hisp3return. Have you heard of the apparition of Our Lady in Alsace?[7] If you have & can send me any particulars more than I know do - I have heard that Our Lady appeared in a Forest, & such crowds went to see her, that the Prussian authorities interfered & said the Forest belonged to the Government, & no one was allowed to enter any more a guard being placed to prevent their entry. Our Lady then appeared in a field, where the Farmer allows any one who likes to go, & numbers have been. Some Nuns living near the place wrote to a Convent I know in England, & confirmed this report, which I had read in one of our Protestant papers! - I wish Our dear Lady would come to us! - My darling Mary is a happy Novice of the “Good Shepherd Hammersmith”.[8] So if you want to write, & it would please her very much, you know her address -p4I saw her the day after Ash Wednesday, as I had been prevented going the week before,- the Mistress of Novices seems quite satisfied with her & tells me she has learnt by practice to play the Organ very well, so that now they have the beginning of a nice choir of which she is the mistress, & she is teaching others to sing, & to play - that when she leaves, they may not miss her so much. As soon as they finish their Noveship, they are sent off to different houses - She is able to live up to all the rules & do all the duties, without any injury to her health, though when she went, she was still very weak from a severe Gastric Fever[9] she had had, about nine months before - Willy has two little Girls[10] He has been living in Staffordshire but is going to Hazlewood, the large family property in Yorkshire next week. - His brothers & sisters[11]p5are all very much pleased - Oswald goes on very steadily farming, he often pays us a visit, & is here now for a week. Henry also is doing well in New Zealand, so far as steadiness of conduct is concerned - All speak highly of him, & he has been left in charge of a large property belonging to a Cousin of mine Sir Charles Clifford while the real Agent is in England for a year on business, as there are many men to see after besides the Animals &c &c - it is a mark of great confidence in so young a man. I hope after this his pockets will reap some advantage also -
Edward has often suffered from his sore throat & weakness but he is getting stronger & doing very well in his studies now, he did exceedingly wellp6so as to get distinguishing marks in Classics, Mathematics, Greek & one other subject I forget which the last small examens, I hope he will do as well at the Great Examens when they give rewards. Angela is at home with me a great comfort to me. Dottie has made her first Confession having been four times through her Catechism before her 7th Birthday - Father Coffin examines her & was so pleased with her, she made her first confession to him - & will go again this Easter - She gets on very well in her studies, she can read any book now, so I am teaching her French now as well as her other studies she is very quick - Blanche is a merry little fat thing full of nonsense we often have struggles for mastery over the lessons -p7But she cannot bear to be told she is naughty, & very ambitious to know all Dottie knows, so we shall get on - Many days she is very good - the naughty ones are the exception - Maurice has plenty of work at the Bar - & I hope will do well as time goes on - His health keeps very good - Now I have told you all about us, so do tell us all about yourself & Bruges, & do say when you are likely to pay us a visit. I suppose you know there is a prophecy that on the 12th of July, war will be declared, (a general European War I believe) & that on the 15th of August the Pope is to sing the Te Deum, in thanksgiving for the triumph of the Church - And soon after die -[12]
I suppose the three days darkness, will be immediatelyp8before the Feast of the Assumption.
Now I have no more time - I hope you sometimes think of & pray for us? Do please do so - & remember specially in your prayers
Remember me to our good Curé St Anne, when you see him, to Mrs Berrington to the Van Calouns.[13] others who may remember us -
What has become of the Graingers?[14] And how is Mrs Whitgreave’s little boy[15] who hurt his foot at the College at Ramsgate - How goes on the Robinson’s school -
Kind remembrances to the Curé St Walburgh
All wish to be most kindly remembered