Sylvia Llewelyn Davies to Margaret Llewelyn Davies

Description

Letter from Sylvia to Arthur's sister Margaret, 5 July 1906

[No original available]

Transcription

Egerton House, Berkhamsted,
Thursday [5 July 1906]

Darling Margaret,
Arthur has written to you about the visit today and we feel butter after it. He does seem a little stronger, my M. and has been more cheerful and he still keeps in bed for breakfast but alas you do not bring it up now. He also gets to bed sooner and the nights have been better.
He and I walked to the fields yesterday and watched George at cricket, and he was not too tired afterwards. How I miss you and what you are to us – we can never never make you know.
The little boys are really wonderfully good and so far I think all is well – you see they are so much away, and when fine (and it is always fine now) so full of things, as you know.
We have to go to Mr Farmer on Monday and Wednesday, so he must rest well before that, but he is so good. Dear, dear love,
Sylvia.
Charley came to dinner yesterday.

Peter's comments:

It is curious how little Charley Davies has come into the story of the last few weeks. Similarly odd is the lack of references to Gerald du M. (living in London), May (at Chorley Wood, I think), or Trixie, so near by at Felden, and with only Gerald Arthur at home. But it would be a mistake to draw any particular conclusions, as the correspondence is, after all, not complete. Guy du M. was serving abroad, Harry Ll.D. was at Annan, and Maurice at Birkenhead with his family. All the dirty work was nobly shouldered by Margaret, with Crompton in support, and J.M.B. powerfully in reserve.
Of the two survivors of the older generation, J.Ll.D. was by now rather frail, and cut off also by mere distance, at Kirkby Lonsdale; while as for Emma du M., she evidently helped with money, but she doesn't seem to have come to Berkhamsted much, and one’s guess is that she wasn't comfortable with the Davies family. lt may be remarked that when the new outbreak of the disease was feared, in September, Margaret, J.Ll.D. and J.M.B. were informed, but not, at first, Emma du M.