WCP1642

[1]

Hurstpierpoint

15^th Dec. 1904

My dear daughter,¹

I have postponed replying to your letter in the hope that something might turn up; but the roses and asters have not come, thank you all the same.

Ma² is better; bit still poorly and has not been up either today or yesterday, the day before she seemed much better and was up in her room; her tiresome trouble is now piles which is depressing and very troublesome; the rest of us are pretty well.

I will try if I can put together the information respecting Spruce,³ which Alfred⁴ asks for, I am a very bad one for reme^mbering such dates, I asked Davey,⁵ the son of the people whose rooms Spruce occupied just opposite the Church ^he [sic] and said he thought he should find some particulars.

There is the matter of his going away from here under very uncomfortable circumstances, just before he left he went to London and then he wrote to me asking to come and live with me, he to pray his proprietor of expenses &c. You know our house was smaller then than now, and that he was no better than a confirmed invalid, continually wanting little attentions; so I at once told him it could not be; for I [2] could not find room for him and another servant which would be required, we had one and I considered my home would be upset by any such arrangement; he said no more on the matter; but within a few days after his return he suddenly packed up and left without taking any leave of us and soon after I had a note from him protesting most vehemently against some insinuations which from some source had been made against him, these insinuations I never heard of except from this note, but I think I can quite understand how the trouble came about. When Spruce was sticking down on papers the named specimens, he had one or two of the daughters of his landlady to help him and probably also for company; for he told me they sang fragments of some old ballads which much amused him. Mrs Davey⁶ the landlady was employed in sweeping and dusting the church, her husband being Sexton; so had the Rector wants to be sure to know how she got on with her lodgers and how he spent his time &c &c. You know how be tried to find out all domestic matters and how ready he was to scent mischief from afar, also [3] you may know how keenly he must have suffered from having two illegitimate brothers living in Hurst in humble circumstances. A little before the time when this was going on at Spruce's lodgings, [illeg.] before he was busy, he contributed some papers to some weekly magazine which were lampoons of the Church and churchgoers which I remember he called therein or worship of the White Elephant &c. I saw these papers which he left about and finally used as waste, to me this was indiscreet when the case is remembered that all tattle would reach the Rector and from that quarter I feel sure the thrust came. The eldest of these girls of the Davey's was married just about the time S. left, she was the one most usually with him.

I had no knowledge of all this except from the indignant note: doubtless S. thought I must in some way be aware of the attack; but in truth I only got it from him; but could essily think how it came about and quite understand how hurt our friend was when the thrust was made at him.

This morning, Saturday, Davey the brother of the girl who was married just at the time Spruce left he tells me she was [4] married on the 17^th Oct. 1867 this then is within a day or two of his departure and corresponds with Ma's recollections that he came here in 1864 and was here about 3 years.

I shall have to write again soon and send this now with love to all.

Your affectionate Pa | William Mitten⁷ [signature]