| Transcript or Index | Winchester 1852 (in pencil)
July 24th
My dear Eleanor
Without delay, I write to thank you for your kind invitation which it is out of our power to accept, for we are enjoying the family of my dear Grand Children, who have already been with us a month - and we hope to keep them at least ten days longer, that is if Colonel and Mrs Lacy prolong their stay in England until that time. We find the dear Children much improved and delighted to visit us again and to receive the kind audience of their numerous friends in Winton. After they leave, I hope to go for a short time to the Sea, for though not actually suffering from attacks of neuralgia, I still feel rather relaxed by the unusual heat of this Summer, and feel that a little bracing up will do me good. People are too glad to leave our hot town, to be induced to take lodgings here excepting for the handful of havin[g] the advice of some of our medical men, even to come for the Summer to Winton, particularly for the months of July and August.
I am delighted to hear so good a report of your dear Children. They must indeed rejoice in the delightful liberty of a large garden. I should much like to see them though at present this pleasure I cannot enjoy.
You must have been very glad to spend a short time with your kind friend Mrs Owen. Pray remember me to her- did you while visiting her, meet with Mr and Mrs Holmes of St Margaret’s Rectory Bungay? I have received a very nice letter of thanks from the latter for our attention to her dear Boys and had I been able to accept your invitation should have been glad to have had personal intercourse with the family to thank them for their kind wish to see me at their Rectory. Should you see the dear Boys, tell them the “Dinner” was most numerously attended and that their friend Gepp stands fourth on the roll for New College Oxford! An honour so young a Boy seldom attains.
I fear there appears small hope of your dear Husband being sent to the Canterbury Settlement but before the Autumn I suppose this must be settled.
I have just had a letter sent me to read from a Gentleman in New Zealand, in which the preaching of the denoted Bishop Selwyn are so affectingly and pleasingly detailed. What a blessing to be within reach of such an exalted Character as the Bishop, his influence over the natives is quite wonderful. I wish you could have read it, as well as extracts from Sermons on the gold digging and how they (Sermons) are telling men who went to California and despised his previous message! May God long preserve to the World such a lovely and truly Christian Pastor and Teacher.
I must hasten to finish my long letter for the Post. Emma and Catherine join me in love to you both.
Believe me my dear Eleanor with many thanks for wishing to see us, ever your truly affectionate Friend and Aunt
Isabella Cracroft
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