#but glad to be sewelling again 😍

[antiquatedplumbobs]

~an excerpt from Violet Sewell's private journal~

Winter 1913

It is fortunate for the increased frequency of train travel between Brindleton and Britechester, or I do not think we would have seen Freddy for his birthday this year! He had only enough time to visit for a short luncheon; coming in on the morning train and leaving on the evening. He is so busy with his university that he insisted he must get back rather than spend the night here.

Despite his short stay, I went all out for the luncheon. I baked a decadently fudgy chocolate cake (his favorite!) and we had smoked salmon sandwiches and potato leek soup. It all felt very elevated to me. He seemed to enjoy himself grandly, and had three slices of cake! The rest of the children limited themselves to only one, in Charlie's case due to my edict rather than choice.

It's hard to believe that he is already eighteen! I'm not sure why, but in some ways Freddy has felt the most like my baby; perhaps because he was so fussy as a baby and required more attention than any of the other children have. As he's grown, that's changed, but I still remember those early days. Even if I only see him occasionally now, I want him to know how much I love him.

"He seems to be enjoying himself immensely at university, having graduated from Britechester Academy last spring. He's full of stories of his lab work and classes — only for disciplines of his own choosing (a thing he's just over the moon about) — though, I must admit, their appeal goes right over my head! Chemicals seem like such a nasty, dangerous business, but I suppose if that’s what makes him happy, I am glad he’s had the fortune to be able to study it."

He really does look like a proper man now, outfitted in his good wool suit and modern city man's hat and with his leather attaché that Hamish gave him for Christmas. He looks every bit the young university student, which I must say looks a bit out of place on a dairy farm. He's been leaving us slowly for a while, but this time as he left for the train station, it felt a bit more permanent. He hasn't lived here for any amount of time in over a year. He spent the last summer working for the Foxbury Electric Co., and informed us he will be doing the same this summer. I knew he would leave, but it's still hard to watch it happen. I just hope he'll remember to take the train to see his mother occasionally.

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huge thank you to @tianasimstreehouse for the delightful sandwiches and soup, perfect for a birthday luncheon!!!