Dabton
Thornhill
Aug 15th 1870
My dear Papa,
Thank you very much for your letter received this morning – & which assures me that you feel comfortable about our travellers & their prospects – I think they have quite made up their minds to wait now till a more settled state of things before setting forth on their journey home – & although it is a little disappointing to feel that they might have been in London today – yet on the whole it is more satisfactory to know that they are not going to expose themselves to the risk of any thing unpleasant – I have not a very good bill of health of the household here to send you today, though Connie is quite convalescent, & down stairs – & the housemaid also – yet John took the same affection of the throat yesterday – in a mild form – & it makes him uncomfortable – He has only been half the day in bed, as he would not consent to stay there any longer – Holdstock took it also last night, & was feeling so ill this morning as to be unable to leave his house – & a boy who helps in the Stable is also complaining but in his case the symtoms <sic> are scarcely the same. I suppose it must be something in the air – It is attributed to the unusual heat of the weather – Are we gradually progressing towards the sun or what is the matter with the Seasons? and is it the heat which has initated <sic> Europe into the present state of war? I wish the Prussians would gain another battle & so bring every thing to an end by also ending the Empire – I suppose then we should have peace in some form.
Love from all here Thank Mama for her promise of writing – yr most affecte daughter
Tilly