Durham, Sept. 3Honey dear :-
This is our last Sunday, we regret to notice. A week from today we'll be well out in the Atlantic. Durham is just as beautiful as I remembered - and the town just as sordid, really dreadful. But I'll go back to Thursday, for I remember things better so.
Pause - about 2 hours - while the sister in the family recounts her ailments. I think she's a brave woman, but life is hard. It's either like Mary Galt or different - but insidious. She gets about with a cane. Charlotte is now playing hymns to her. It's a powerful religious family - and the arch-deacon has just died, and the atmosphere is saddened. The only organ music per se we've heard was the funeral march played after vespers this afternoon with all the audience and clergy and choir standing. 'Twas wonderfully played - and no cathedral could have suited its solemnity better.
To go back. Thursday forenoon we went to see Prof. Schäfer's department at Edinburgh Univ. The secretary, a charming girl, took us around and talked about "the chief" most interestingly. She introduced us to a Dr. May Walker who was doing some research. I thought the guinea-pig under ether might die - we talked so long - but finally she asked the rec., Charlotte and me to go in her car all the next day to Melrose! Just think of that friendliness! Miss Charlton took us more than a half mile, too, to introduce us to the librarian at the College of Physicians who showed us all about including Prince Charlie's medicine chest - and talked, as they all do, about the prohibition amendment! They surely do not approve! This man was a gay bird or I mistake, but able and keenly intelligent. He really listened when I told him some of the changes the amendment has made, imperfect as it is and as its enforcement is. Most folks don't listen!
In the afternoon I went to the Castle and to the Church of St. Giles. had to skip lots of things but that's always the way. Didn't skip the candy! The best I've seen - new things and good - not all chocolate! And the cakes and pastries - oh, Edinburgh has varied charms. I hated not to go into one of the old houses, Knox 'or Lady Stairs' for instance. The outward and visible poverty in Glasgow & Edinburgh, oh yes, Stirling, seems worse to me than anything in England. We didn't get much distracted over the shops - some very expensive things, but a lot of tourist junk.
Friday we went to Melrose as planned, though the auto acted somewhat badly so we were late in starting, and also it rained nearly all the time! But those Scotch young women were perfectly charming, and so friendly. It turned out that the Sec. had never talked so much with Americans, so she rather enjoyed us, and Dr. Walker is keen to go somewhere, just for variety of experience. I think she'd love to come to America, and from the little I saw, she'd be a good one. We had lovely views all along the Tweed valley, and lunch at Clovenford, where as lunch was being made ready we were taken to vineries across the way where there hung maybe 6 tons of Hamburg grapes and Muscatels under glass, perfectly lovely! One vine was specially favored by Queen Victoria! Also it appears that these charming little tomatoes we have enjoyed so much all summer are practically hot-house grown! They are superior to ours in flavor, I think, and the skins are so thin as to be negligible. We have them fried with bacon so often for breakfast.
Melrose doesn't seem to me equal to Glastonbury, but it may have been partly the rain - though it rained at Glastonbury, too! We see Fountains Abbey tomorrow, and I hope it will not pour there, too. There wasn't time for either Abbotsford or Dryburgh, owing to the delay in starting and a dinner engagement at the other end, but we were glad to go with these acquaintances rather than in a heterogeneous char-a-banc! They are a last resort, but yet we've struck, luckily, decent crowds and haven't been killed. There have been many accidents, for they are deadly things in these narrow roads.
Yesterday we came to Durham, getting here about two o'clock, in time for service. We've been here for three lovely services and have had time to walk around a good deal - to our delight. The cathedral is wonderful, and we saw more of the castle (now a part of the university) than I did before. We got up the main tower of the cathedral, but they just will not let you around triforium galleries anywhere! I'm so glad we went at Amiens, for none could have been better.
But owing to the lady's conversation the time has gone - so I'll be saying good-night. I'll remark again that I expect we sail on the 8th. Some boats have been changed, but ours not as far as I know. It's supposed to take around 9 days, I believe, but I'm not counting on less than 10 at the best, and it may be more if we strike fog or get afoul of tides or ground in the St. Lawrence, both of which last [sic] seem to be frequent. I guess it strains the channel a good deal to get even our size of boats to Montreal. The Empresses stop at Quebec. I'll wire as soon as we land and tell you when I appear, so that you can get Mr. Snow or Mr. Buss to meet me. Mr. Snow took down my steamer trunk in his machine with me, but I suppose that's too much to expect on the return when it's really not necessary. But I do want a machine for that suitcase - it's too heavy to take on the trolley & down to the house from the corner. I have enough U.S. money saved to pay the bill. Charlotte goes home for a day so will not reach So. Hadley with me.
I'll be glad to see you, honey, very. I have your letter telling of the Hussey occupation - no, I don't mind tobacco, and Charlotte heard all the year at table about the boy's perfections!
Speaking of guns [?] - do have the table problems fixed before I get back! They looked troublesome last spring. Do anything you feel like. I said nothing to H. Patch because I wanted to leave her quite free. I didn't love her mother a lot, though she might have been much worse. Whether G. Hyde can stand Miss Randolph another year I don't know - it was pretty hard for her at times. The whole thing seemed to me in the open when I left, except that I wanted to sit with you, and felt a certain loyalty to Miss Randolph. She has been sweet about sending me cards the latter part of the summer, and maybe I neglected to say that she gave me three firm linen handkerchiefs before I left! I regret not being able to get them & other linen over here - but the stores are so bare, and it's all so high, almost as high as with us, and less of it, it seems to me. If I saw a way to carry a velour hat I should try one. There are lots of them, and only medium expensive. I bought one pair of woollen stockins for warmth (literal) but they're shrinking, though they were excellent quality for the price. I want to get some more if I can, but Scotland wasn't as good as Eng. in price.
Lots of love -
Abby