BCARS
Add Mss 412, Box 6 File 3
H.M.S. “Melita”
Constantinople
22 August
Dear Miss O’Reilly
Then this must be again a letter to catch you before leaving England. All the same I knew you hadn’t left as my mother has several times talked about you in her letters. She makes most personal remarks, says you’re “so nice & she’s got to be so fond of you”, and last letter she remarked “such a pretty girl too”. I really don’t know how she forms her opinions. Well, perhaps she may not be very far out. You must’nt think anything of my mother or brothers doing anything for you. It is their nature to. They each of them want to do everything for other people & wont do anything for themselves. It is a family failing, from a worldly point of view. I’m sorry you could’nt have travelled with Tattie de Winton that was but I hope you’ll be kind to her out there. Many thanks for your invitation to Point Ellice & Klondike. I should’nt mind some of the gold. I think a fair allowance of it, if not conducive to happiness, may save one a lot of cares and worry. So I’m not quite at one with you, you see, about being well off. Dont you think one could do such a lot of good with it? Of course I remember Miss Cornwall, your dearest girlfriend. Do congratulate her from me when you write or see her. I think my youngest brother Charlie knows most of the Barclays. I’m sorry I cant give any date for my visit to B.C. much as I should like it. Although not very attached to this progression, for other people; sake I must struggle through with it somehow – and that means much about what you hear of the popular ship “melita”. My brother recently had a visitor from [Constan?] whom I knew here, and I’m congratulated on having won most of our cricket matches but the talent here cannot be great when I am looked on almost as a shining light. But, alas! cricket & everything is vague. Last Wednesday these armenians started in with more bomb explosions which of course raised a panic & they were afraid of more massacres. So next morning down we had to come here with the idea of giving confidence to the British Community and we have left our pleasant anchorage, & our cricket bags and all the people we have been seein daily at tennis & dinner parties &c and here we are off this vile town without a thing to do, or a person to see and I dont know where we shall get back, if at all, as the ambassador having got us down here will not be in a hurry to say “come back” as it would look as if he had got us down here without real reason. Anyhow there is no necessity for us here as everything is quiet. Please excuse this long growl. Will you tell me more of Miss Effie Dunsmuir’s engagement when you hear. I should like to write and congratulate her when it is made public. I have’nt had any photograph taken of myself lately, or for a long, long time and I wont ask you for one of the unrecongisable ones you had taken at Folkestone. I will rest content with the one I have, which was also taken there, I suppose, on your last visit to England. I think I have inflicted a very long letter on you, & I hope you’ll forgive me by doing something of the kind yourself when the humour takes you but anyhow when you get back to B.C. and give me Victoria news.
In the mean time good-by & wishing you every happiness
Ever yours sincerely
Harry Stanhope
Back to 1897 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.