Blackwell Family
Kitty Barry
From Ward, Fanny139 Alexandra Rd
St John's Wood, NW
Feb 17th 1876

My dearest Kitty
I suppose the dear doctor
& Florence are in Paris & you
are alone with Miss Marian.
So I must have a little chat
with you this eveng & tell you
we are really here at last.
We (Baby, nurse & self) came
up on Friday, & arrived in
the most terrible fog I have
ever seen.  We were an hour
& a half getting from Paddington
here — & then had to be escorted
by two torch bearers & a 
gentleman with a Bull's eye
lantern. This was, as you
may suppose, being trying
for poor Harold after the longjourney, & the fog did me
no good but brought on
an attack of Gr[???]sy again.
I was only just-well from
a similar attack.  So next
morng, I thought it best to
send for Dr. Frances Hoggan
as I wanted also to consult
her about poor Harold's arm
which is still very sore.
Under her care we are both
getting better, but poor Harold
has other troubles to contend 
with.  Dr. Frances discovered
this morng that he is 
cutting his eye teeth, & the
poor little fellow does not
at-all like the change in
his diet.  Much is going on.
I wish you could come & let us
have a peep at you.  When
is the doctor coming back?
I shall be savage if I cannot
see her while we are in
town.  I hope Mr. & Mrs. George 


do not intent cheating us
out of their promised visit
to Caerlow.  Mrs. George has
left a most pleasant
impression here.  I hear she 
is quite charming.
John came up last night
& stays till Monday but as
he has come up on business
we shall not see much of
him, he is working much 
too hard just now.
I find them all except nephew looking very
well here & they seem more
than satisfied with the
change.  Mother's asthma
seems rather worse than
better, but this is a trying
time of the year for her.
It is so difficult, indeed
it is impossible, to realize
that this house is in any
way connected with the
old home at Abercarn.
The few things which oughtto remind one of the old
house, look so different
here that I have difficulty
in picturing them in
their old places there.
I do hope Cousin Marian
is really better give my 
love to her dear, & do write
some soon & tell me about
the doctor's movements.
& if there is any chance 
of yr coming up to town
any time this month.
I must not stay to write
longer.  Much love from 
all here dear Kitty &
with very very much 
from myself & a sweet 
kiss from Harold
Believe me
yr most affecately
Fanny P Ward


Caerleon upon Usk.
July 28th 1876
My dear Kitty.
I am often thinking of you
& the dear doctor & wishing
with all my heart that I
could see you both again.
Have you found comfortable
quarters in Weymouth?  & do 
you still think of spending
the next few months there?
We are obliged to content
ourselves with going to
Southerndown again for
our holiday, tho indeed I
like few places I know better.
I did hope this year we might
have gone abroad for a week or
or two but we found we could
not afford such an expensive
journey.  We had taken rooms
at Southerndown for Saturday
next, but Harold & I are neither 
of us well enough to leave home
this week, & they will not keep
the rooms for us so we must
wait now until we can get
other lodgings.  I am not sorry
to be obliged to wait, as my
Cousin Kate Evans is to be
married on the 16th of August
& we must have come home
then, besides which I have
a dress to make up for the
occasions & you know how
difficult it is to do any
dressmaking at the sea side!
Harold has been very poorly
for some time but was getting
better when most unfortunately

he took cold & has been very
miserable poor little fellow
for the last week.  This & the 
hot weather has pulled him
down terribly & he is so thin.
I too am laid up with
a cold & have been quite a
prisoner for the last few
days, perhaps it is a good
thing I am obliged to be quiet
for a week as I have had
more going about than I hae
cared for all this summer.
We have been unusually
gay in our neighbourhood
with garden parties, pic-nics,
&c.  Maggy is now staying
with us & I have been glad
for her that we have been
rather gayer than usual.
Now she has to go about alone
or rather with any kind friend who will chaperone her.
Yesterday to an Archery meeting
today to Choral festival & 

& a concert.  She & Lily are going
down to Southerndown with us.
I hear Lil is working too hard
at her lessons but she enjoys
them as much as ever & I hope
will be quite strong & refreshed
to begin work again after the
holidays.  I suppose you have
heard that we are expecting
my brother William home from
Japan?  Mother is staying in 
town to welcome him, but I am
quite distressed that she should
be kept all the Summer in 
London.  She complains terribly 
of the heat.  What news
have you from America?  The
screens have not gone yet.
Tho' I was very nearly sending
them [by] across the water by
a lady who is going to the Southern
States.  A Mrs. Gilchristioliose daughter
was one of doctor's students at
the Women's Medical College.
Mrs. Gilchrist is a most charming


woman.  I suppose you never 
met her?  Her son is chemist
at some works in this neighbourhood
& some London friends introduced
them to us.  It was quite
refreshing to have a talk with
Mrs. Gilchrist.  However, to
return to the screens, I thought
it better not to trouble her 
with them, but wait till I
had some [other] opportunity
of sending them direct to
New York when Mr. & Mrs. George
are settled in their own house.
I have done a good deal of
painting Cathy, but am so 
behind hand with my
sewing now that I must
not do any more till we
go away from home.  You
cannot think how many
little things Harold is always
wanting in the way of work.
& his nurse gets no time forsewing for he is at that troublesome age when he wants looking after every moment. He can walk alone with the help of one finger but he prefers the quicker & more independent way of getting about on all fours.
Do you get any look at Weymouth? We are very badly off for reading just now but are forming a book club in connection with [?] for the winter.
Baby Bell & [?] are flourishing but I have not yet begun to try again & keep fowls. I am lazy & do not see how I am to find proper time to attend to them, but I do not give up the [????tion] of consulting doctor's friend

& making a fair experiment once more. Our garden, especially the Kitchen garden, is looking very well this summer, we say. Pumpkins are growing finely out in the open air & the others in the little greenhouse. I wish we could send you some of the fruit. But, here's John come round to dinner so I must put away my writing, his just in time to send best remembrances to you & doctor.
My fondest love to dear doctor & many sweet kisses for you from your little nephew,
& believe me, dear Kitty
Yours most affecately
[?] [?]
As you are not going abroadis there not some faint
hope that you & doctor may
be persuaded to give us a
few days this Autumn?
When you write (soon I hope)
with you please give Mrs
Carmen Marian's address.  I want
write to her--

Courteau upon Usk.
Nov 8th 1876.

My dear Kitty.
Thank you much for yr.
Post-Card & the information
About Mr. George. I was distressed
to hear of Cousin Marian
having a bad attack again
& of you and Florence believing
as badly - I do hope you are
all better - do let let me have
some tidings of you soon again.
This weather is certainly
enough to give every one

[*more of the sketchy you inquired about for
us in Bristol? They have not yet reached us
I am very glad you have some pleasant
companions for yr. walks.
I hope you will soon
be able to relay them
again. Kindest
regards from John &
yrsefl & Florence - & to
Cousin Marian - & to
Whom with [O?] please give my
love & Believe me
dear Kitty
Yr Very Affec adrly
Janny Ward.

Do you remember yr. promise
to answer my question which 
I asked you the night before
you left us? -


wore of ?t?e I keteley you conquered abroad for ?? ?? Mreetol? Heey die??eBronchitis - We have escaped 
wonderfully - but had our
turn in anticipation . If
any of you are writing to 
Cousin George so that he 
may get yr. letter before 
leaving Liverpool. Will you 
please tell him from me
that I am quite ready to 
receive them any day after
they arrive. We talk of 
giving an eveng. party
while they are with us 
& inviting two other brides 
to meet Mrs. George. Will it 
not be a curious coincidence 
to have three Brides, 2 Bridegrooms
in a small party. I am 
all curiosity to see Mr George.
Our land lady with a 
great deal of persuasion
has consented to repaper

the nursery for us. We have
chosen a white paper with
a white and blue wainscoting. 
& I am going to try & paint
the door & window shutters
I mean to paint a flower on a dark ground
in each panel, so yr. little
[?] must repay me
by learning to be very fond of 
flowers. I am going to try too
to go into Newport once or
twice a week to attend Uni
School of Art classes. & so
work up my drawing a
little - if my servants will
only behave well. I ought to
have time for this now - 
but my old nurse makes
a lazy housemaid & Ann
is out of her element - so far
I am very well satisfied with
my little nurse Sarah.
John really came home from
the office early yesterday & weWent for such a lovely drive - 
It cleared up in the afternoon
& before we came home the bright 
new moon rose above the 
west - The Centennial tents are 
very beautiful just now & we 
brought home such a lovely
bouquet of coloured leaves & 
berries - If Cousin George
come to see us on his way to 
you I shall ask to trouble him 
with a basket of Apples for you 
all - We have gathered all now 
& made 150 gallons of cider -
I have had that little room
next to the one you slept in 
made into a capital store 
room for fruit - I hope to keep 
an abundant supply for the 
winter but the weather has
been so wet that the fruit has never
been thoroughly dry, so I am 
afraid will soon decay -
Our dear doctor will tell
you that yr little replica
is not very well - He sends
you & Florence sweet kisses - 
Did you hear anything