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28 December 1881 — Canford Manor, nr. Wimborne, Dorset | |
Wednesday. 28th December [1881]. I did not go out but sat all the morning listening to Lady Randolph’s playing of the piano. Maria & Cornelia & the children all walked into Wimborne. After luncheon I & Nelly & Gus went up to the Racquet Court to play lawn tennis & had some very good games of lawn tennis the marker Johnston playing with me. Little Ivor & Francie came & also wanted to play so we let them into the game for a little while. I went to tea in the schoolroom & so did Alice & we were nearly deafened by the noise the children being all in wild spirits. After tea they rehearsed a play they had learned & it was a quaint medley of buffettings scoldings—spirits & melodrama– I retired to rest in my room—& hearing Monty had arrived went down & fetched him up to our room– A lot more people arrived to stay in the house viz, Lady Margaret Charteris & 2 girls, Mrs Cavendish Bentinck & Venetia, Miss Margaret Ashley, Prince Dolgorouky, Mr & Mrs H. Farquharson, Lord Castlerosse, Lord Garmoyle, Sir J. Hannam, Mr Vane Tempest so we were a large party at dinner. I fell to the lot of Castlerosse as lots were drawn who should take people in. After dinner we persuaded Cornelia to let the young people dance & I & Mrs Bentinck played walses but no one responded & we gave it up & had some singing. Miss Venetia sang—a powerful voice but very much out of tune. Monty sang also & the eveng passed sadly away. When we ladies got upstairs Lady Randolph & I had a frantic desire to relieve our minds by jumping somersaults or screaming—instead of which we retired quietly to bed. | |
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