I am sure you have a great deal of your own news to share. As you can imagine, I will have scant time for tittle-tattle, but I would be happy to receive word from you. I was obliged to ascertain your whereabouts from the duchess, an odd state of affairs, Margaret, considering the length of our friendship. Your mother forwarded me a selection of your writing from various American periodicals. It was very strange to see them attributed to you. I must assume social mores in the New World are very different from here. Your mother seems to be very enamoured of your talent. I am afraid I do not feel qualified to comment.

I must dash; the queen requires my services! I am so much in demand, and likely to be more so every day when the announcement is made later. Such a whirlwind of activity lies ahead regarding the arrangements. Oh, M., remember how we always promised that whichever of us married first would have the other as her bridesmaid?

I look forward to receiving your well wishes on the day, since you will not be able to attend the ceremony, and will end with my own felicitations for your birthday which is today. What a coincidence! You will forgive the absence of a gift.

With best wishes,

Louise

Susannah Elmhirst to Lady Margaret

Susannah Elmhirst to Lady Margaret

Lambeth, 15 December 1870

Dear Margaret,

I write to you on the second anniversary of Sebastian’s death knowing that you, too, will be remembering my brother on this day. How very proud he would be if he knew of the wonderful work you are doing in Five Points. Though it was his loss that inspired you to seek work in the Ladies’ Mission, it is your own kind heart that led you to battle so hard for your children’s sanctuary. I am absolutely delighted to hear that you have finally found a suitable site. The bureaucracy and the corruption you encountered did not shock me, though it should have—I fear every big city is blighted by self-interest. What a wise benefactor you have in Mr. Gordon Bennett, whose experience in both foreseeing and surmounting these obstacles has proven invaluable. You play down your own role, but I know you too well to imagine it was in any way minor. I look forward to hearing that the foundations are being laid, and this time next year perhaps you will have opened the doors of your sanctuary to the first intake of children.

Your generous parcel of candy and toys for our own Lambeth children arrived safely, and in plenty of time to be distributed at our Christmas Eve party. I could not resist taking a peek at your new book. The stories are very dark, very different from your last set of tales (or should that be tails!), but you have somehow managed to make them hopeful, too, without being mawkish.