Mary Cholmondeley

In Praise of a Suffolk Cottage

Warsaw 2022

Contents

In Praise of a Suffolk Cottage

In Praise of a Suffolk Cottage

Written as the introduction to The Romance of His Life: and other romances

Most of these stories were written in a cottage in Suffolk.

For aught I know to the contrary there may be other habitable dwellings in that beloved country of grey skies and tidal rivers, and cool sea breezes. There certainly are other houses in our own village, some larger, some smaller than mine, where pleasant neighbours manage to eat and sleep, and to eke out their existence. But, of course, though they try to hide it, they must all be consumed with envy of me, for a cottage to equal mine I have never yet come across, nor do I believe in its existence.

Everyone has a so-called cottage nowadays. But fourteen years ago when I fell desperately in love with mine they were not yet the rage. The fashion was only beginning.

Now we all know that it is a parlous affair to fall in love in middle age. Christina Rossetti goes out of her way to warn us against these dangerous grey haired attachments.

She says:

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.

This is a free sample. Please purchase full version of the book to continue.