Saturday, in haste

Posted by Tania Kindersley.

It is the Older Niece's wedding day so HURRAH HURRAH. I have been doing auntly cooking (more of which later).

But very quickly, before the festivities, I have to tell you about the dear reader from yesterday.

A parcel arrived from Fed Ex. MA, it said. I do not know anyone in Massachusetts, I said. I got slightly side-tracked on why I did not know anyone in Massachusetts, and was that a terrible failing. Then I tore the thing open.

It was from a reader, near Boston. She had made special needlework pictures of the Duchess and the Pigeon. She had stitched them herself, it must have taken hours. They looked exactly like my dogs, I could hardly believe it. Then she packed them beautifully up, wrote a most touching and kind and utterly lovely letter, and sent them all the way to Scotland.

Yesterday was a black day, let me tell you. I wrote six condolence letters for my poor cousin. SIX. But this lovely, lovely thing happened. I can't really put it into words, it was so extraordinary.

The Reader wrote: I am just an ordinary housewife. I say: No. Not one ordinary thing about her. Sheer raging goodness and big-heartedness and kindness and generosity of spirit. Quite out of the ordinary, I should say. To make such delightful objects, to take the time and thought, to pack and send, and then to write on top of all that.

I am overcome.

Today is a happy day, because of the darling Niece and the glorious Man in the Hat, and their union. I must run now, because I am doing the canapes. (I have been doing mysterious things with leaf gelatine all morning.) But I carry the cheering thought of the Dear Reader's kindness with me into this day, and it will add to the celebration.

I send you all thanks, because you have all been so completely wonderful through this dark time, and the comments never cease to lift my spirits, and today, one special, special thank you to the magnificent J, from Massachusetts.