Leamington
Warwickshire
I hope you have not quite forgotten me. When I was living some 18 or 19 years ago with my husband & two little Baby girls[1] at Bruges, Quai Ste Anne - you often came to see us, & I always think of you with great esteem & respect. We used to interchange books sometimes I lending you some of mine that interested you & you bringing me yours to see - I have found among my books one that I have not come across for a very long time & I cannot be sure if it is yours or mine, It is called[2]p2it is bound in white parchment. I have felt quite scrupelous about it, for fear it should be one of yours that through some mistake was never returned & have fears of suffering in Purgatory for it! I have procured the address[3] on this letter from a Priest[4] at St Anne’s in Bruges, I suppose the Curé as I adressed my letter of inquiry to him, so I hope my letter will reach you -
Will you write & tell me if the above book is yours, & if there is any other you miss - that you lent Mr. Kavanagh, or myself - On my return to England, my husband sold the greater part of my books, furniture &c - so that numbers of works wentp3recklessly & many sets spoiled by odd vols - being sold - for I never saw the things, on the sale - If the book I have is yours I will return it to you - & if you name any other I will look for it among the few books I have now & if I do not find it, I hope you will understand that I have not willingly detained it & forgive our carelessness if it has been overlooked before we left Belgium - I have been living apart from my husband the last 15 years[5] My two little girls are now grown up young ladies. And I manage to keep a home for them here, & keep them in their own rank of life though my means are so small it is with difficulty I manage to do so. They are very dear good girls, a great comfort to me, & beloved by all who know themp4We have a lovely Church here, very zealous, good Priests & all our services so well carried out. Tell me how you are - what position you hold at Courtray - & how long you have been there. Do you remember my son Edward Vavasour a boy who walked in the Procession of the St Sang.[6] as Philipe le Bel[7] with the sons of the “Van Calouns”?[8] He went to New Zealand for some years, & has now come to England having been very unfortunate after very successful farming in which he invested all his money, by unexpected & unfortunate circumstances lost all! He is at present with me, but most anxious to get some employment - My eldest son is now Sir William Vavasour - Do write to me soon & make my mind easy about your books if I have any & let me know your correct address