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I have long wished for a letter from you but I know that your ill-health prevents you. I hope however that you have been better since we left next month it will be two years since we saw you all the time has passed very quickly with me for we have been in four different dwelling houses in this country the one which we are in will be ours for four years and a half before that perhaps the most of us may be in the Hades. We have not had a servant maid for 7 or 8 months and of necessity there is much to be done. I dare say you think the good people do not care for dress here but I can assure they are as fashionable and more so than they are at home the ladies walk every day in black and the lightest colored satins thro' the streets and in Church their dresses are superb neither Mamma or I will be so extravagant as to wear satin for a dress costs about 20 pounds and the making £4 10 but that is included in the above muslin and calicoe are proportionably dear as for linen you cannot get any fit to be used and that enormously expensive. Mamma, Papa and I were at the Government house the other evening at a nice party, the most respectable people in this side of the Island were there I danced merrily all the evening, all the Officers were there theirs is a very nice regiment and they are our constant and almost only visitors (for Mamma does not admire the Colonists at all) one of their officers Captain O'Hara is nephew to the Governor of Gibralter he was there at the time Papa was and the best Military friend he ever had. Papa was very glad to meet the relation of his old friend General O'Hara another Lieutenant Stapleton is nearly connected with Lord Stanley I am very sorry to say they expect to be moved in a few months. They are shortly going to give a party they asked me to assist in making pastry custards and things of the kind but I am afraid I shall not be able as I am no cook. [164] I shall now tell you every thing about myself as Maria and Anne Jane complained of my remissness on that subject in their last kind letter which I hope you will thank them for my dear Charlotte is still at school I suppose yet bye the bye I must not think of her as the little girl I left but a fine grown up woman she must write to me in the next vacations as Maria said she was not allowed to communicate with any but her immediate family. I am as happy as the day is long I love my dear Mamma more and she is everything my heart could wish I know you would like her if you were better acquainted tho' we have all the cleaning to do we do a great deal of work both plain and fancy Mamma's chief delight is in having the house nice we are always thinking of some new ornament for the drawing room which every one says is almost the nicest in the island. Maria and Anne Jane & Susanna are very handy will you ask them when they next write to describe some things of the kind which they have seen lately they are always inventing new things in England. I hope poor Susanna is better the last accounts were not very good which gave me sincere regret but I hope that change of air may do her good as I suppose you have moved before this. I am sure you will be sorry to hear of the scandalous behaviour of Walter we have long since given up the acquaintance of him and his infamous companion for we can hardly suppose him to be married to one like her but any thing would be mean or fallen enough for him to do when they first came out Papa would not have asked them to our house but Mamma persuaded him to invite them which he did no sooner did they come after having the greatest work at Mr. Gages who declares if he hears what he suspects about Mr Synnot to be true he will come all the way from Hobart Town to fight him. Would you believe it he and Mrs. S. did all in their power and Walter you know had some influence with me I used to be very fond of him to make a disturbance between Mamma and I and to make me dislike even Papa. Mamma bore all this and stopped Papa several times from turning them out besides she treated them with the greatest civility when they did go they tried to take away Mamma's character in the most dreadful manner to all their acquaintances who are all among the lowest of the low. I do not suppose more than one or two gentlemen speak to him and no ladies. However when this came to our ears Papa as his father would not say any thing to him but Mamma wrote to him which letter he said he would send home [if he] did so you may be sure he did not tell the provocation which would make it seem very violent. I would never have told you this if I was not afraid that you might see it and not knowing the circumstances you might think it odd we were here for 7 or 8 months before he came to see us and then only once because he heard Papa was very ill it was before what I have told you happened he never inquires whether we are dead or alive tho' living about two miles from him have not seen him except in church for this year nearly if I did I would not open my lips to him Mrs Synnot I cannot bear to call her by that name but I do not know any other for her has met several gentlemen in this country who knew her well at home every one here and at Hobart know about her much better than we do as you may be sure we never ask as we know quite enough but I have written enough on such a subject... [165]
Papa hopes to be able soon to send home wool as the sheep at Port Phillip are increasing wonderfully and to commission you to get us some articles of clothing. I know you have a good taste in that respect if you send us any more papers I would be very much obliged if you would send those in preference which have the fashions in them. They are greatly altered since we left England.
Mary Anne Catharine & Nugent are greatly improved, George & Monkton are at home the latter attends a day school in Launceston. Marcus and Albert have been at Port Phillip since June last. Mrs Trappes is quite well but has never come to see us the expense of travelling is too great. I will drop a few seeds in the letter in hopes that they may reach you if you have a green house at the place you go or are gone to.
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