The letters in this collection span 1898-1899 and are written to his just married daughter Helen, detailing his life as under-secretary. The collection contains nearly 400 pages of Godley’s light-hearted thoughts about family and government matters, about his travels (he was especially fond of visiting churches and reveals keen knowledge of architecture), his reading, the cause of women's rights (Helen was a supporter of women's rights), dinners and other occasions with imporant people. He also writes of other matters, including religious bills before Parliament, bicycling, the perils of foreign travel, and the memorial windows to Jane Austen newly installed at Westminster Cathedral. Among the people mentioned in the letters are the Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Curzon, Rudyard Kipling and the dukes of York and Cambridge. The majority of the collection consists of complete letters, with a few undated partial letters, two photographs of Helen at the age of three and an autograph letter signed by William Gladstone's wife, Catherine, to Walter Charles James referring to the installation of James's son-in-law, Godley, as Gladstone's private secretary.