ew you would not accept me
for such motives. But I am very tired and very worried. Many things
are difficult for me. My health included which makes strenuous
attention a bit of a strain. I know you understand--Tell me what I
shall do.

Yours affecly

FRANCES CHESTERTON.

Between this letter and the next Gilbert and Frances celebrated
their silver wedding.

July 12

MY DEAR PADRE--

We have had such a week of alarums and excitements that I had not
even time to thank you for the spoons. They are just what I like and
incidentally just what I wanted. I feel so hopeless at getting out of
this net of responsibilities in which I am at present enmeshed and to
find time for instruction. I feel I have a lot to learn and I think
after all I had better go quietly to Father Walker* and talk to him.
Gilbert is writing to you himself. I know he thinks I have made
myself rather unhappy about things--and he is so involved with the
paper (I pray he gives it up) we have not been able to talk over
things sensibly. Please be very patient with me, because it is so
difficult to get clear. My nephew Peter is very ill and I have to
spend a lot of time with my poor sister.

[* The Parish Priest.]

Yrs gratefully

FRANCES CHESTERTON.

[Undated]

DEAR PADRE--

Many grateful thanks. Did you receive your copy of the "Incredulity
of Father Brown." It was put aside for you, but I do not know if it
was sent off or appropriated by somebody else. I have written to
Father Walker and after having seen him and had a talk I shall know
what I ought to do. It is only the mass of work, the paper, my poor
Peter and money worries that keep me on the edge from morning till
night. I feel the paper must go, it is too much for Gilbert (4 days
work always) and consequently too much for me who have to attend to
everything else. Trying to settle an income-tax dispute has nearly
brought me to tears.

You will understand how difficult it is to get time to think and
adjust my conclusions.

Yrs affect.

FRANCES CHESTERTON.

This group of letters is for Frances amazingly unreserved. I have
never known a happier Catholic than she was once the shivering on the
bank was over and the plunge had been taken. One would say she had
been in the Church all her life.

This was indeed a year of fulfillment: the year of the completion of
their home,