Sarah Faraday to Rachel Barnard   2 May 1863

[Royal Institution embossed letterhead] | Saturday | 2nd May 1863

My dear Rachel

Rather than you should be altogether disappointed of your Sunday letter I have volunteered to write a few lines tho I now find Jane has managed to write a little too[.]

I am always pleased to know of you my dear girl & I trust you will find the time you are spending with Miss Reid¹ & Miss Sandeman² will be of good use to you, pray give my kind remembrance to them both[.]

We are going on much as usual at this time of the year full of business & most for which we are neither of us so fit as we were. Yesterday was the yearly meeting of the Institution Managers & Members when there were many complements paid to your Uncle on his having completed 50 years of service to their great satisfaction³[.]

We see by the Newspaper that poor Mary Annie (Mrs Cummins⁴) has lost her baby boy ten days old⁵ - it will be quite a disappointment, we were surprised for we had heard that it was a fine thriving child -

Helen Proctor⁶ came yesterday to tea & hear the Lecture. She went into Redmaynes⁷ with Jane too to make some purchases[.] The Lecture was on Japanese Art⁸ with native illustrations by Mr John Leighton (Luke Limner⁹[).] I was there but have been so deaf for some time that I could not hear much.

Edward Reid has come in he has been attending a Lecture¹⁰ & is going to Islington with Jane[.]

We have had a visit from the Dr who is attending your Aunt Buchanan¹¹ this morning, he has been up to Highgate to see her, & took her a drive with his wife, he speaks upon the whole cheeringly tho’ he says her pulse is much too high.

I must now close this with love in which your Uncle joins[.]

I remain your affectionate Aunt | S. Faraday