Consequences - Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32 - Charles’ Diary for November

1 November TUESDAY

Have told Mary that we must make plans to have Mary christened. We cannot delay it any further. Decided on November 27th & Mary will send out invitations to friends & family for the service to take place at the church after the morning communion & then tea & cake back here afterwards.

5 SATURDAY

Uncle Henry at station came to tea with us after. Received monthly part of Household Words, 2 nos. of the American Magazine, Punch's Pocket Book, Parlour Mag & the Ill. London News.

6 SUNDAY

Jones came down & had tea last night & finding the house comfortable wouldn't turn out so he stayed all night sleeping on the floor in the parlour. This morning Mary agreed that we needed a break, so leaving baby Mary with Sarah, we took tickets by 1st class train to Barnet Green, from whence we walked along to the brow of Lickey Hill & round it; down the Lickey we walked into Bromsgrove & went to Mr. Russell whom we found alone, refreshed on Bread, cheese & ale & then Mrs. Russell came home & we all talked other matters & then we had tea with them & took the 1/4 to 6 train to Worcester; Felt guilty the whole time I was away. Mary seemed a bit brighter for the experience. Mrs. Russell obviously did not approve of our having left the baby in the care of a servant while we enjoyed ourselves.

7 MONDAY

This morning before work at garden to see progress made - satisfied. Yorkshireman from home. Mary has invitations for Christening ready for sending out; 30 people. Tomorrow is Mary’s birthday; she will be twenty. I had hoped to take her to the theatre to celebrate, but she shuns all my suggestions for outings in public. She is so frightened of the opinions of others. Bought her a vase at Chamberlain's.

8 TUESDAY

Had letter from Mary’s Father yesterday morning in which he charges me with not having a regard for Mary’s health; an accusation quite wrong for it has always been a subject of deep concern to me. It was very painful to have such an unjustifiable accusation brought against me; I wrote to Mr. Eagle, perhaps rather more warmly than I ought to have done or should have done upon consideration, saying I thought such a charge “heedless & needless” & “highly inconsiderate to say the least!” & that it is painful (referring to his opinion on our Sunday excursions & other past matters) to have my well-meaning acts so perverted.

9 WEDNESDAY

Worcester is gay with visitors of a sporting character being the annual autumn Races & Steeple Chasing in the evening walked in the town, paid Deighton's, called at Grainger’s, met Jones who then came down & had tea with us & then he & I went to the Theatre at half price (Mary having declined to come along); the Theatre is newly decorated & furnished & looks well; the actors of mediocre talent; saw two “screaming farces” “Alarming Sacrifices” & “The Unfinished Gentleman” both extremely laughable & after all with a sort of moral in them, which one fears the audience paid but small ear to, not being too awake to the drolleries; not back home until 12.

10 THURSDAY

I had stern words with Mary today about our accounts which are very close to being overspent. I said I felt she had been spending freely without regard for the amount. Realising her delicate disposition at the moment, I didn’t want to be too harsh, but felt she must be made aware of situation in order to keep the problem from escalating. At least we are not yet liable for the new land tax, as we are not land owners.

11 FRIDAY

Letter from Lindsay this morning; as the Queen's visit to L'pool gave him holiday; Mary still feeling deeply Aunt Thackray's slight of her & Aunt Clephan's letters; these Aunts sting as bad as wasps.

12 SATURDAY

Wrote a letter of great length to William Dewse last night on the ‘Pen Ink & Paper’ & the delay of the latest offering & on his contribution & suggesting alterations & recommending him to condense. Reading London News in evg. At garden before breakfast to see all that has been done; Rummaging among old letters all the morning & reading many recalling old feelings, memories pleasant & otherwise, of much enthusiasm & much foolish haste, seeing wherein I have been wrongfully blamed & also where I deserved reproof & did not have it, until now from my own conscience. After dinner we took baby Mary in the perambulator up to Boughton & had tea with them; talk about the forthcoming No. of the P I & P, now 10 days behind in time; reading Punch the month etc.

14 MONDAY

Letter from Father this morning; enclosure from William Dewse acknowledging my last. At Mr. Needham's house; he being unwell & could not come to the office. His sister caring for him. Sent Ill News to Father in the evening; writing at an article for our forthcoming No. of the ‘Pens Ink & Paper!’

15 TUESDAY

Mr. Needham not able to come down to office today; we communicate by letter. Planted new willow tree for baby Mary in the garden. Harry called down in the evening; He lost all the bets he had on the Steeple Chase - deservedly, he had made an error at the Bank by which the firm would lose £97. Wrote to Charlie Cox on the P I & P, correcting an error of his in a quotation from my last; sent him 1/2 quire of paper for his article for the mag. I promised to write again speedily as to the topic of his last which I had left at the office. Mary says she no longer has friends. Nobody calls & she doesn’t feel brave enough to call on anyone else.

16 WEDNESDAY

Harry called & his presence always a wet blanket - glad to see him leave us, with his unkindly unfriendly manner it is quite painful to associate with him. Lent him several Nos. of the Parlor Mag & Harry Punch's Pocket Book.

17 THURSDAY

Received Yorkshireman. Wrote to Father on latest. I received Mr. Eagle’s reply thanking me for the interest concern & care I manifest to Mary, but after quoting & remarking on the above remarks in my letters, terms them “false”; but I will not reply to his letter for our opinions are so widely at variance that discussion would only lead to ill feeling; I cannot but think the word an uncharitable one since his own letter had justified the language I had used, at least with the warmth he must have seen I had written in; but these things are best dead. Mary is my concern now, not his.

18 FRIDAY

Mr. Needham has been very unwell all this week & did not come to the office until this afternoon. I had called at his house twice & found him swathed up in flannel, a violent cold having taken its lodgings in his head. Jones down this evening; At Hilbourne's earlier, arranged with Adelaide to have a couple more shirts made, etc.

19 SATURDAY

At Statford's this morning for Illustrated London News, which I now get from them as Grainger is so very dilatory in procuring any books ordered from him & in executing orders in general & I find Statford's people more obliging & attentive & possessed of a larger stock. At the office until past nine o'clock. The London News filled with details & engravings of Rossetti's enthusiastic reception in the provinces.

20 SUNDAY

Jones here for breakfast; reading Leader & other papers until 1/2 past 12 & then Jones & I (with Mary’s permission) turned out & walked by the river to the Droitwich Canal, then to Ombersley, looked through the Churchyard & then on to Holt Fleet & had tea at Mrs. Smiths, who knew us again; left there at 1/2 past six, walked home, quite dark, saw the toll-keeper's wife who had been robbed & beaten; reached Worcester by 1/2 past 8; Mary had gone to bed & was not happy with me.

21 MONDAY

At work found Mr. Needham had gone to Birmingham this afternoon on a visit to Mr. John Wadger for remainder of the week - Read London News. Jones came down in evening to office; walked with him to Wilson’s but went home after short time. Played with baby Mary for half an hour before her bedtime. I enjoy trying to see if she will follow my finger with her eyes as I draw the finger back & forth. She can almost do it.

22 TUESDAY

Read that new Opera composed by Jacques Offenbach debuts this week at Theatre de Bouffes Parisians in Paris. I greatly enjoy his work & hope I will have occasion to hear this latest.

23 WEDNESDAY

For ten days I have had no letters, an event unprecedented almost. Wrote to Editor London News for a reply as to the course the Amateurs are taking from Bristol, & when they may be looked for at Birmingham. Sent Ned Walker an old London News. Harry came & wanted contributions to the Mag.

24 THURSDAY

Letter from Father this morning wondering at my silence; mine would reach him this morning. Publication of very controversial theory of evolution by Charles Darwin. I think we will be talking about this for some time to come. Very exciting!!

25 FRIDAY

Picked up the shirts made for me by Adelaide. Mary very upset at my asking Adelaide to make them. She feels it is her task as my wife to make my shirts now. Also aggrieved at my creating expense after my cautioning her. However, Adelaide has been doing it for ten years & knows my size & my peculiarities & I feel strongly that as her friend I should wish to continue to use her services. However, Mary will not be convinced. I think she is worried that I might be too involved with Adelaide on a personal level. We are friends only, but very good friends.

27 SUNDAY

Mary was duly christened today. All went well. Several unexpected visitors from York who came on the 3.12 train yesterday afternoon, including Father & Mary Wilson & Mrs. Eagle & sister Elizabeth. Mrs. Eagle had brought the Christening robe that had been Mary’s so of course we used that rather than the borrowed one from Harry which we had intended to use. Mary seemed upset that only 1/3 of our invited guests came, but those who did come seemed very normal in their regard for us.

28 MONDAY

Letter from Mr. Needham at B'ham speaking in pleasing terms of my efforts & says I am to go to Leominster & Ludlow on Tuesday. Letter from Father this morning. He had been thrown from his horse & was hurt. Letter from Charley Cox this morning promising a contribution & hoping it may swim well.

29 TUESDAY

At 1/2 past 2 started outside the Ludlow had pleasant company past Abberley; beautiful scenery from Abberley to Tenbury; there it became dark & snew & I reached the fine old ‘Feathers’ Hotel damp & cold; our man Tranter met me & I at once commenced my canvas & made a fair beginning; after tea, I wrote home - growing very anxious to know how Mary & baby Mary are & describing my visit as far as it goes. Wrote also to see how Father is faring.

30 WEDNESDAY

This morning, after breakfasting with another Coml. gent. in the coml. room, I & Tranter started & made good progress; Mr. Cooper (Cooper of Bluck) proving my main hindrance; the afternoon I devoted entirely to the inspection & view of the noble old Castle & its neighborhood. Ludlow Castle is in far better preservation than most ruined Castles are; all the apartments are clearly marked, fireplaces, chimneys, ovens are there, & staircases, one being of oak, the only known to exist of Elizabeth's date; the Chapel is a model of the holy Sepulchre, the best existing. Crossed the river & ascended the Whitcliffe to obtain a fair view of the Castle & river; pretty; Went by the Engineer Coach at 5 o'clock to Leominster dark again, lost all the scenery, Charles Allan met me & we did a little this afternoon.

At Ludlow I had received a letter from Charley Cox, pointing out Ludlow's notabilities; promising his contribution for the P I & P, if it can be done at no cost! At business all day on the Friday, got on very fairly; called on Spraff, saw Mrs. Morris there. Mr. Allen's is a very comfortable house, Mrs. Allen his Mother a good caterer, tho my vegetarianism caused the Barmaid (Miss Crookes) no little alarm.

Left Leominster by Price's coach at 1/2 past 9 & had fine ride through very picturesque country up to Worcester; clear frosty morning, views extended. At office by 1/2 past 1; Mr. Needham satisfied with my journey & I may have to go again. I had received at Leom a long letter from Uncle Clephan; he has escaped from his loss better than he expected - his letters are always welcome. On the morning I left for Ludlow I had received a long letter of 20 pages from William Dewse; talking of xmas & its pleasure but decides to visit Wors in summer; of his books having bought quite a library & general chat. He enclosed me two pieces of Homer Thackray’s poetry.

On reaching home I had a letter from Bellerby enclosing a beautifully artistic heading to my contribution for the PI&P- Also a letter from Father, who has been ill all the week from his fall, but is now better. It was good to see baby Mary again & also my wife. She is still very cool with me & does not believe my lack of interest in Adelaide Hilsborough.