BCARS
Add MSS 412 Box 1 File 18
Point Ellice
Victoria, B.C.
11th Feb. 1892
My dearest Carry, [Hare]
We have all been so sorry to hear of having such an anxious time with dear Vivian, I hope by now that he is quite well & strong again, & that you have all quite recovered from the effects of that dreadful Influenza. We can sympathise with you in having illness in the house. Jack was in bed seven weeks & was still far from strong when the nurse has to leave us hurriedly & Mother almost directly caught cold and has been laid up for a week with bronchitis, & Father with a very bad cold. I have been well but feel awfully tired there has been so much to do with three invalids, & I sleep in Mother’s room & have to keep up the temperature all night. the Dr. says she requires great care. I think the bronchitis is better, but her throat is sore. I hope she will soon be well. Jack is going on beautifully. He has grown & looks so tall & thin.
We have been intending for weeks to write to Frank to do some commissions for us in London but you can understand it was difficult to find time & also to think about things when we were so anxious. Now Father has just received a letter from Frank saying he was thinking about coming out very soon & we feel sorry that we have not written before. Last evening I wrote a list under Mother’s direction & sent it off to him and I now want to ask you if you will be so kind as to help in getting the things for us. I hope you will not think we are trespassing too much on yr. kindness. I know how much trouble you took in getting the things for us. I know how much trouble you took about the things last year & I am afraid it is because we thought your choice so very satisfactory that we are troubling you again. Mother intended to write to you. We do not know if it would be disagreeable for you to go to Scotter & we have not so far written to her but of course she wd let you have the things if you did go there & if she makes any objection about the money – Frank can get some from Mr. Hughes & pay her. Mother meant to write to her but she has not been well enough to do so.
I hope the lists are clear mine you will think rather long but Father & Mother insist that I want new frocks & I do not like thinks they make here. I have been hoping the dress & jacket wd come for me to wear in the early spring & the dress for Mother, but I am afraid you have not been able to get them. Aunt Em said in her letter to me, “I hope yr. Mother’s dress will be successful” & we thought from this, that you had sent it by post, but as nothing has come we think perhaps it has been lost. Mother did not write about having others as she was waiting to see if that one was right. Father wants me to have a black evening dress. You can understand it is difficult for us to say what we like, as we do not see anything or know what is worn – but Mother says she wishes my evening dresses to be very nice, & some thing new. She thought perhaps the black dress should have two bodices, one for full dress dinner or dance & the other for demi toilette. Jet trimming is very pretty, but we leave that to you perhaps you think it wd not do. The white evening dress I must leave entirely to you. I wd like it to be very nice, that I could wear to Govt House dinner or a dance. The pink silk with tiny flowers that was sent to Frank, I should like made into a little evening dress to wear at home, if it can be managed. Mother says she thinks it might look better if made on a silk petticoat. I sent some cleaned pink silk that I though wd make into a shirt bodice.
If there is anything that is being worn that you think we would like will you please send it. The grey cloak you sent I found most useful last summer, & I don’t know what Mother wd have done without the lace mantle she lived in it in the hot weather & I found the little inexpensive white hat you put in for me very useful. Please do not choose the day dresses too “swell” we want more, neat things but good to wear every day at home or walking to town for shopping etc.
I hope you will forgive this very untidy business letter. My excuse must be, that I have written so hurriedly. The Trutches are quite well. Willy & Annie came back to see Jack on Sunday, their flock are flourishing. Eveline has not been well lately. She was weak & even down, & has no appetite; so we have been taking her jellies & soup to feed her up. She is better, but I have not seen her for nearly a week. Aunt Julia is very nice to her. Please give dear Aunt Em my love, we are hoping to hear better news of you all – she was not well when she wrote. There has been so much illness all over the world this winter – the poor Royal Family – we feel so much for them.
I must stop, there are so many things to look after.
Much love to you all & Kisses to sweet Miss Hare. Frank is in love with her, he says she is a beauty. Every yrs very affecately
C. Kathleen O’Reilly
We are hoping that Mr. Dewdney will be our next Lieut. Governour but it is very uncertain.
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.