BCARS
AE/Or3/Or3
Point Ellice,
Sept 8th, 1892(?)
My Dearest husband,
I have had no letter from you since I last wrote on 3rd and I shall be very impatient to get tidings of your health & progress, if I do not hear soon I shall be troubled. The ‘Maride’ (?) returned but there is no letter from Frank, so I suppose he & the party were too far away to acknowledge the things. I hope he was well & that they were not spoiled. Miss Freer (?) left last night = we tried to get her to stay another week but either she was dull, or some other reason she persisted in going. The first week she was here she was out every day & then she was unwell & was not able to, but I think she found the evenings dull of course we enjoyed her music, but that was not very lively for her. Jack & Puss went to the ?(Mr) with her = in the afternoon we drove up to the Wards – they had a small tennis party. Mrs. W. was very busy for the Bazaar & full of greivances about the servants – ?tho? who had given her no help about her stall &??. Capt Laubtou? was there, quite gay & Mrs. Langley, ??, & Miss McLa?? very devoted to him. Mr. Williams of the Daphne came up from town with Mr. Ward this ship having just come in. On tuesday we had ??heavy rain which laid the dust and made a delightful change this morning I have been making jam – /large purple plums & Jack & Puss have been to Todd to beg him to send a load of straw while the weather is fine For the rain has passed away/ – and the nights are getting cold. ‘Mac’ has a cough, & Puss says Blackie also. On Tuesday Miss Wade & the children came to lunch on Tuesday & stayed till evening ?: they enjoyed it, but I think Sire Mathew did not & he left soon – they were very good & I don’t see what difference it made to him. There is only one letter from Eng’ – from Carry Hare. Enclosing a Bank Bill for £70 – I will forward the letter to you & pay the money into the Bank – I drew £50 to paid some of the small bills & will now draw some more & pay a few more – when I can find the time, but I am very busy. I drew last month for Marys wages – & must do so for this but am trying to put it off till near the Bazaar as I hope she will be induced to spend some. I wrote several letters on Tuesday amongst others to Sir Michael asking him to let me know when to expect him & thanking him for bringing the things. This I enclosed in a note to Capt. Martley which I addressed to the Grange Lilloch”. I hope that was right. There were two letters to forward to him – one from Mrs. Matson Marked – ‘please forward’ – and I had a short letter from Mr. Stanhope from N. York = the last thing before he sailed – he had been to Toronto & Niagara & and was very angry with the C.P.R. as part of his luggage had gone astray – notably his fishing rods – he did seem to be in a happy mood!
10 Sept. This being Saturday must send you what further news I can. There are no letters from England or from Frank = Two days since I was stung by a wasp = they are very troublesome in the dining room – we cannot find the nest. It has become very much inflamed & this morning as I was in town I showed to Dr Davie, & he gave me lotion for it as the inflammation is spreading up my arm. He says I must not use it but wear it in a sling – fortunately it is the left hand – I wanted to speak to him about Jack who appears to me to be out of health – he has an extraordinary rash on his chest & has a nasty spot of ring worm on his right arm – Dr. D. said it was nothing of consequence so I feel more satisfied. I was afraid it was eczema! Puss drove me into town. I went to the Bank. Mr. Ward let me sign the Bank Bill & the money is paid in. I will write in a few days to Carry & tell her it has come safely – And now for a piece of news – Edith Ward is engaged to marry Mr. Williams you will remember him. he often came last winter with Mrs. Ward – Nelly Drake came yesterday & told us & Mrs. Ward congratulated him – he said it was a surprise to them (to himself & Mrs. Ward) but they are greatly pleased as they like Mr. Williams so much! There is a difference of 14 years in their ages – she is 19, he is 33 = The ‘Daphne’ is to be paid offhere in November and I should not be surprised if the marriage took place then and she go with him – they wd be just in time to have George at Xmas-! We met Capt. Wood in town he was most amusing about it – This will be the 3rd officer of the ship married since they came here – Lieut Martyn, Mr. Bartlett & now Mr. Williams! The Admiral came here on Thursday afternoon he stayed a long time & he held forth about the engagement between Mr. Grahame & Mill Hills – he worked himself up in all excited state. The Flag, he said was a pauper with the tastes of a prince – he is 2 g, & she is a little older – he has no expectations! he said that Naval Officers had no business to marry – of course, where they were Captains it was all right, but Lieut. and Commanders ought not to think of such a thing – We wonder if he has any inkling of Mr. Stanhopes affair! And now that the subject has come to my mind, I must say I am greatly exercised about it = I am so sorry you were not here, I tried to do what was right, & I prayed earnestly that God wd help me & would make things right for our dear child. I am very anxious to know what he said to you when he wrote from Banff! He says to me, that he had written fully – of course, when he reached England, he may think that he has made a mistake! & in that case he may be glad that Kitty did not accept him unconditionally – I can’t make her out whether she would like to give him up or not. She says over & over again that she is afraid to be married, she certainly is very different to most girls. I was really of opinion all the past summer that she was doing her best to attract him! I was careful not to encourage any ideas in the direction of his proposing for I did not think he would, but when she told me that she had promised to marry him, I said, do you think you like him well enough to do so? & she said yes, she did = the next morning she said she was frightened at the idea of going away to live with him as she knew so little of him, it will be easy for him to make use of that letter – I did not post it until 31st ult – so he will not get it till the end of next week – I wd of written before & I think I ought but it was so difficult to get her to express any decided opinion. At last I made her write it & then I copied it – Miss Freer being here made it more difficult & altogether I had a very trying time – I will say no more at present! As I told you Puss & Jack rode to Todds but he has not sent the straw, I am afraid of the weather. I went to the ‘Colonist’ office today to ask why they had not taken out adv. about the dog – for Jack telephoned on the Monday to say he was found – & it was only put in on Sat. They were civil about it, said it was a mistake & I paid them for 2 days insertion 45 cents. so my mind is at rest about that. Mr. Barber came on Thursday afternoon & I invited him to stay & dine which he gladly did he says Jack is working better, but I am not satisfied and feel very anxious he has been working this forenoon but has now gone in the boat to LockEnd & from there intends to walk to Carey’s. I am always nervous when when he is out with the ????! One day before this week – Tuesday he took his ???? to Mr. B’s & after study, went for a walk behind Mr. Pooley’s he brought home 3 birds a pigeon, quail & something that was doubtful. The last we have not yet eaten but it is plucked! We are likely to be very busy next week & the one after with the Bazaar, & Miss Wade told us she had heard from them that Eileen is coming. I hope it will be soon for in Oct. Sir M.. may be here at any time but I believe Mrs. Drake is going to ask Eileen to go there. I dread having her after all I have heard! Miss Wade is to go up on Wednesday poor lady. I am sorry to say she has taken a chill & is far from well. It is a pity for she was looking so much better. The hens have been doing a little better! I am glad to say for I was in despair about them. I want to get a suppy before Sir Michael comes. For old ‘Lee’ is a cormorant for there if any cooking is to be done. He can’t cook like poor Goou & I find him very difficult to improve – he will do things in his own fashion! Mary has not been troublesome of late, a mercy! with so many other worries! but I am anxious to get the Chimnies cleaned & before the rain comes. I must now finish, my dear dear husband. I hope I may get good news of you before I write again. You must be at Babine ?Lake? I trust you may be Gods blessing be kept safe & well. I think both Puss & Jack had the very best intentions of writing to you and will be sorry when they find that my letter has gone! You know you have our dear love and plenty of it. Ever & always your loving and devoted 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.