To cope with Mrs.
Duff-Whalley and her daughter one had to be in a state of robust health and high spirits.
"We ran in, Jean--positively one has time for nothing these days--just to wish you a Happy New-Year though a fortnight of it is gone.

And how are you?
I do hope you had a very gay Christmas, and loads of presents.
Muriel quite passed all limits.

I told her I was quite ashamed of the shoals of presents, but of course the child has so many friends.

The Towers was full for Christmas.

Dear Gordon brought several Cambridge friends, and they were so useful at all the festivities.