Jan : 2 : 1894 Darling, / I had your note, / with the book cheque en / closed, yesterday - thankyou. / How nice it was of you / to say out plainly that / you felt "flat & X", / though it looked like mu- / sical signs more than any- / thing else. One breathes / freer when the year is turn- / ed. I had a long, bright, / dear letter from your mother / by the same post - / asking me to go to / her when I can. This I hope / to do the week after next, / when I think Phil will be / at home, for he and I have / agreed never, if it can be / helped, to leave Edward / alone. The Kiplings leave / on Friday, and on Monday / Phil has to go away to / finish a portrait. / We had no seeing of / the year out and the / year in with Margaret / and Jack this time, for / his sister lies dying all / these days, and yet can- / not get her clear dismis- / sal. It is one of the most / tragic ends to a good & / useful woman that I ever / heard of - a mystery to / all to see, and to herself. / I am now going to car- / ry off my brother in law / to see Mr. Morris's printing / press, and that will be a / case of "he that now would / bless the poor shall himself / find blessing" - for I have / long wanted to go and see / it myself but could never / fix a time. It is a beauti- / ful day - no doubt it is the / same with you. Don't fear to / open your heart to every cheer- / ing & invigorating influence / - especially to the life that / a bright sun brings in / the country, I think you can / and so expand to all good / influences, and those of na- / ture can be amongst the best. / Bless you, my flat and / x darling. Goodbye for / today. Ever your loving / Georgie / I shall like to know what you / think on re-reading some of those / poems.