From collection Frances Willard Journal Transcripts
We went to ride-Fan, Nan & I-all about this lovely Reigate wherein each glance mirrors the picturesque. Mrs Pollen came to say goodbye. She is a study-bright, way-wise, worldly-wise-a London Catholic of the artistic set-married to the son of a county baronet-so says I.S.-who is an architect. Much hangs hereby that I might dwell upon of contradiction & surprise, of Humanity's blight [?] & dark. Suffice it Mrs P. has brought up eight sons in London to be decent men & total abstainers
April 18, 1893 [This should be 18 written under 4/25/1893]
Not well-red blotches on tongue-inflamed throat & cough-no appetite whatever. It is "pernicious anemia" I suppose-what my blessed Mother had off & on 2 or 3 years before her final flight. -Somie lunched with his sweet Mother in the pretty arbor & went his way to Oxford. I wonder if it was really his great outing & departure? I watched them from my pretty writing room where I was dictating all day-the tall pleasant faced youth; the gracious Mother-& wondered of all that should be. We went to London-had droll interview with dear Old Stead & Stout-Cossie spoke for me at Highgate-I worked on her proofsheets till well nigh midnight with Elizabeth Andrew & Kate Bushnell.
April 19, 1893 [This should be 19] under 4/26/1893]
We are both greatly "done out" & walk in a vain show[?]. We came down via Red[?] Hill in the lovely summer weather-so soft, so fair. Read great, good things in that Bible of the times, the morning press-read of a static universe now succeeded in our thought by a dynamic; read of Carlyle, Dickens, Ruskin-the onbringers of the new gospel of humanity as against race & country; love & truth as against creeds. We grew thereby-it was Christ ever adapting Himself to current needs & the new radiance of the gospel shining[ ? ].-we sat in the arbor & worked on "Law Suit." [............. -....] [last word could be slept]
April 20, 1893 [This should be 20 written under 4/27/1893-- actually all of these notations of incorrect dates may be in Lady Henry's writing.]
My blessed Nan reading aloud.
[The entries from 4/20-6/17/1893 are written by Anna Gordon.]
The blessedest woman alive namely F.E.W. has been in advance of her time (quite a common characteristic of hers). And in writing up this journal after letting it lapse she has been a week ahead all the way. The dear little diary was forgotten in the trip
