Miss Eden to Lady Theresa Lewis.
RICHMOND,
Monday evening [October 1860].
MY DEAREST THERESA, It is just bedtime, but I must write a line of warm congratulation on the advent of the grandchild and our dear Thérèse’s safety;[578] I missed the announcement in The Times this morning, and it was not till the middle of the day that Lena, with a railroad sort of screech, made the discovery, and then with infinite presence of mind I said, “Then Theresa cannot be come to town and I shall hear from her this evening.” And so I did.
What a discovery chloroform is. By the time we are all dead and buried, I am convinced some further discovery will be made by which people will come into the world and live through it and go out of it without the slightest pain.
Don’t you think that if Thérèse continues to go on as well as she has begun you will be able to drive down here? Lady Clarendon sometime ago got an order for Lena to see Strawberry Hill, but as Lena only returned from Wells on Saturday I made no use of it till to-day, and then we found Lady Waldegrave was living there. However, an imposing groom of the chambers showed us the pictures, and Lena saw the rest of the home, while I was all the time longing to ask him if he knew anything about Thérèse, but felt too low in the scale of creation to propound such a question to him.
My best love to her. Do come here. Your affectionate
E. EDEN.
Miss Eden to Lady Charlotte Greville.
EDEN LODGE, KENSINGTON GORE,
October 24 [1863].
MY DEAREST LADY CHARLOTTE, A sudden wish has seized me to write to you—not that I have an atom of a thing to say except the old hacknied fact that I am very fond of you, and also that I heard constantly of you when I was at Richmond through your sons,[579] and the Flahaults,[580] and that now I do not see how I am to hear of you at all, except somebody at Hatchford (not you) will have the kindness to write to me.