Source Unknown
Found in PEH Transcription Collection
No. 4
August 92
My beloved husband,
In my last dispatched on Saturday evening I sent you a budget of letters, amongst others one from Mr. Stanhope & I then told you to delay answering it (unless you thought it ought not to be) until you heard again from me. I said that because I was not satisfied about the affair and since then I have still less reason to be satisfied. I tried to tell you circumstantially what had occurred, & I wanted to do so calmly, & to read it over but as so frequently happens with us, our friends & their affairs superseded our own. Georgy Ellis
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a chill (sitting in a draught) & the two following days I suffered much with neuralgia =
On Monday I got a letter from Mrs. C. Cornwall asking me to get a lot of things as quickly as possible & Kitty & I at once went to town & accomplished a great deal – the result was that Tuesday I was in bed nearly all day but managed to get up to dinner Georgy & Tom came again & Miss Freer arrived by the boat in the even[in]g – and each day since there has been gadding about that is on Wednesday Puss & she drove to the Tennis Court. Jack & I walked there & back the wind was cold so I was afraid to drive – as my pain might have returned – I cannot say I took any pleasure in the play, there were no new ones. only the same old thing and through all there is the trouble that Kitty has brought upon herself – and she manages to make it a great worry to me as well to herself. I told you that she (on the even[in]g of Mr. S’s departure followed him from the room, & allowed him to take an affec[tion]ate farewell of her. we cannot therefore blame him for imagining that she cared for him =
on Sat. & Sunday she did not say anything to the contrary but on my getting a letter from him, from Vancouver, she had apparently become frightened that he will claim her & she appears very unhappy about it. she says “I do wish father
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so as I cannot by admire his character he having acted in so honourable & straightforward a manner about the affair. When you write you might say that you would be glad to have an opportunity of talking to her on the subject. He asked me to write to him before making a decision & I said I would, but I have not done so yet, tho’ he has been gone a week. I feel so troubled & I may say humiliated about it. I am afraid that she will never make a marriage that will be satisfactory to us probably throw herself away on some worthless fello, like Bartole
Friday – I have had another letter from Banff / in it he says he has written to you again, & more fully. That letter will probably go up with this and you will be obliged to reply. I need not tell you to be careful, & not to say much – say that you do will not feel y[ou]rself in a position to express a decided opinion until you know what he has to offer and it just strikes me that you might also say you would like to see her & talk with her about it =
In this last letter he offers to give up the Services, but that would be a very great mistake for men trained as he ahs been for years are never good for anything else. He also says in this last that she has promised to give him “a final answer” & this looking at it in that light is a relief – as it proves that he does not consider it a positive engagement & that it is just possible that he may find himself unable to make the arrangements he thought of. I shall have to write to him – a difficulty. I will keep a copy.
Now I must tell you that the Miss Woods have come, Lottie & Helen – we drove this morn[in]g to see them = they were very pleased I think – they look very old for their years. Lotty’s hair is white & I know she is only 30. The Wards have returned to Highwood Mrs. W. is in trouble with the domestics. They are all leaving – she is very pronounced about Mrs. Beaulands (I don’t know the cause) & she is in with the Wolleys & the Admiral. I have tried to be diplomatic & steer clear of contending parties =
The Snowdens Y Barnards are going to Vernon to keep house together. Mrs. S. invited Puss & Jack to stay a week but of course, they can’t. I sh[oul]d like to write to Sir Michael but don’t know the address. I think I shall & put “c/o Capt Martley”. I have sent the P.O.O. to the tailor, & ordered the clothes. I asked Mr. Stanhope to choose the material, and I sent by him my diamond ring to have the stones re-set & to await instructions as to sending it. I am always thinking of you on the hot & dusty trail, & praying that you may be kept safe from all dangers & in good health and by God’s merciful kindness be restored to us in health & happiness. My dear Frank also.
Jack is in great trouble – yesterday we drove to the Willows (driving park) to see the Polo. He walked (for he did not like to ride on the box, & I had asked Mrs. Drake to take the 4th seat) and when he had got some distance he found that his dog was following him – unfortunately when leaving the groud Mrs. Croft offered him a seat in her carriage which he accepted – the dog followed at first but he afterwards forgot about him & I grieve to say he has never turned up. I know you will say – it is his own fault & I think so, but that does not make it less hard to bear, rather worse – of course he sh[oul]d have been kept on the chain.
I have, by Shepheard’s advice put an advertisement in the Colonist but I have not hope about recovering poor Dandy – it is very annoying – I don’t know what Joe will say – don’t tell him yet. I feel so sorry about it – I have concluded not to send on the law paper (mortgage) but only the letters – & one from Mrs. Seymour about a young man called “Schreiber” of course, I can’t do anything for him – but I will write to her & tell her I have sent it on to you of course. I have read all about A. Pinder’s wicked folly in writing such a letter – He still keeps the cart, & does the grand.
We have this afternoon been to the Gymkhana. Miss Freer enjoyed it immensely. We went on her ac[coun]t but I enjoyed the Band. The Admiral came & asked us to lunch with him on 15th Sept when there will be Athletic Sports at the Canteen. I wonder if he knows about Mr. Stanhope – we fancy he suspects. Kitty has, at last, unburthened her mind to you, and she says she feels happier. I am sure I hope so for we have had a terrible time the past week, & I don’t know what Miss Freer must think! of course we have told no one –
Jack says he has written to you – so there is no message from him. I wonder if he has told you about the dog –
May God bless & keep you always always & ever y[ou]r loving & dutiful wife.
Carry O’Reilly
Back to 1892 Correspondence
This collection of letters has been digitized from an earlier transcription project and is for informational purposes only. This transcription has not been verified against the originals. Researchers interested in these letters should consult the original documents housed at the BC Archives.