1-154 (Original)

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Parramatta
March 4th 1816.
My dear Mrs. Stokes
We return you many many thanks for your kind remembrances which we received by Mr. Youl. The pleasure was so much greater as it was unexpected for the time is so short since your other kind presents reached us. My Mama is much afraid that you fatigued and exerted yourself too much to get the things ready, as Mr. Youl informs us your notice was very short. He regrets extremely that his acquaintance with you did not begin when first he went to England.
I think if you could have seen Mary & Jane when they first saw the little baskets with their initials on, you would have been as much delighted as they were. Nothing but Mrs. Stokes was talked of for several days, and they were all anxious to know if they had seen you when in England even little Martha who was born here wished to claim an acquaintance with you and was quite hurt when she found she had no pretensions to it. [58] As there was nothing marked M. M. on we gave her the little Birds Nest and I can assure you she was quite proud of her present. Elizabeth & myself admire the new card racks extremely. We are going to have a new Parsonage House built and my Mama intends to keep them to decorate the parlours with. Charles has some thoughts of writing to thank you for the book you sent him but I much fear he will not have time. We are happy to hear such a pleasing account of Henry Johnson, that he was married and growing quite steady. I have often written letters to Mrs. J but Mr. Johnson never mentions whether they were ever received though he repeatedly writes to my father, nor does he ever enquire after our family individually. We are daily expecting the Missionaries from England for Otaheite. The "Active" sailed for that place a few weeks back with Mr. and Mrs. Crook and family on board. My fathers time is now completely occupied with the Mission. When the "Active" is in port he is almost always in Sydney preparing things to send to New Zealand or else employed with the New Zealanders who are at our house, & when she is not here he is generally engaged in writing letters to the Church Missionary Society or to other persons respecting the Mission that his own concerns are much neglected through it. Many persons wonder that his health does not suffer from so much fatigue, neither does he get so much encouragement from the Great Folk as he hoped he should. He is not able to establish a Church Missionary Society at all, but he intends to have another trial at the Bible Society.
I wrote you last Novr. by our friend Mr. Nicholas but as the ship goes round by China it is most likely you will receive the letters about the same time. I hope you will see Mr. Nicholas for he spends so much of his time in our house that he will be able to give you every information respecting us and I think you will be pleased with him. In my last letter I believe I told you we were suffering greatly from want of rain, since then we have had such abundance that we have been in danger of floods. [59] I think the climate is almost as unsettled as England though we seldom feel any effects from it, in the morning it will be intensely hot, and in the evening as Cold.
I am happy to say that my Mama enjoys her health on the whole very much, it was her speech which was affected and not her Memory that is, and always was as good as when she was first taken ill. She does not get the least strength in her arm, that still remains quite useless. She begs you will give her kind regards to Mr. and Mrs. Hughes and also requests you to remember her to Miss Janet & Miss Amy. I have nothing to write worth your reading, but it would have been unpardonable in me had I neglected this opportunity of thanking you for your kindness to us. My father is now writing to you and my Mama & Sisters send their kindest love, accept also the sincere love of
My dear Mrs. Stokes
Yours very Affectly
A. MARSDEN.
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