From collection Frances Willard Journal Transcripts
man-ponderous but agile-minded-Gladstone look theremnant of what he was-so old-so shrunken-but spoke well tho' [entry continues onto space for 12/9]not so smoothly as the Chancellor. Practically he is gone already-I speak of his physique. Lady H. had not the heart to speak to him-he slipped away-but H. spoke to her warmly taking no notice of me naturally enough tho' he married our Motley's daughter & Lady H. mentioned that I was an American. The 4 women on the delegation were utterly ignored & Florence Balgarnie was left to stand during the entire hearing tho' I saw a younger man give his seat to an older. But the two statesmen stood squarely to their work-more so perhaps than our more polite Americans would have done who would certainly have begun by saying "Ladies& Gentlemen." Downing St House-the Prime Minister's home-is a tomb-I don't see [entry continues onto 12/10] how any mortal lives there. They ought to make a glass room on top where he could take a sun bath-when London atmosphere permits-or they'll lose their Prime Ministers. We came home Thursday eve after I.S. had presided at a mtg in the interest of Industrial Homes for Inebriate Women & we had taken tea with Canon Leigh & wife (she is the daughter of Frances Kemble Butler.) And on Friday Cossie set out for her campaign in Wales- Edith G. going with her that she might dictate to her on the train St in [...] intervals. Nan, Bess& I are here with Leaney
& Morell. In C's absence we rise at 7:30 breakfast at 8; bed at 9& we accomplish lots. I go out on bike & am getting the mastery!- Tyndall is dead-how sad. His wife gave him chloral by mistake-he cried out "O my poor darling you have killed your John!"
[no entry on 12/11/93]
December 12, 1893
Yolande left us 2 long years ago! I was sitting at breakfast in dear Rest Cottage when a telegram was bro't. I had been talking with Mother who poured the coffee as always during 60 years of housekeeping & though just completing 86 years. We were cozy& pleasant as possible-Toots sitting beside me in his chair. Our topic had been what gifts we would send to Yolande& Hoodie since now, although the former was so much better, they would hardly get home before the holidays. And this is what I read: "Yolande is with Christ-sudden hemmoragh." Alice Gordon Gulick was V'at the table I now remember. We did not speak we couldn not take it in._____
That was the first stitch unravelled in the skein of the old life now in shreds!' Yolande gone-Mother gone-Mary West gone-Rest Cottage closed-an invalid year or more for me-Nan here-factions& flurries in white ribbon ranks on both sides of the sea-World's Fair-financial calamity-alienations-& Yolande known the world over as "Julia-Stead's spook!" Alas& alas!
December 13, 1893
