Letter No. 7, Victoria, December 6, 1869

My own dearie, I am fretted with myself for having but you such a miserable letter by the last boat, I only hope that you may receive it with this otherwise I am afraid you will be grieved with it. I was very weak & distressed & I had better not have written at all but I could not help it. I felt that

if you been here I should have been so different & it made me wicked & be repining you will forgive my dear one won’t you. Dr. Helmcken’s information about the Council quite upset me and made me begin to fret and consequently, I cried the whole evening and was not the better for it as you may well imagine I have had a dreary time but thank God for his mercy I am wonderfully better

tho very weak and I have a difficulty in eating enough. My appetite is not good. Yesterday I went out into the dining room. I was able to walk with John’s assistance. Think what a blank it was without you. My own dear love. I felt ready to cry but own dear “____dten” man was very good to his Mama & trusted & loved her very sweetly. I am sorry dearie that I made a complaint about the “Aha” but in deed he was very trying since

I produced my whip he has been quite a different thing, the sight of it has been enough. He always laughs as he did at your tickle Toby! To-day is lovely & they are out for a beautiful walk. They are quite well & blooming. I am most thankful to say. They are very good to the new baby as they call it. Poor Pussy looks with such wistful longing eyes when she sees it in her place and says “Is that your little baby Mama?

and I say “Yes dear” she says “I’se your pie-pie Mama?”. I feel that at present I cannot love the new baby as I love the Puss-pie & the poor little mite. They are not very interested at that age. As I told you before. Frank sleeps in the nursery he is very good at night & he seldom wakes Ellen. Puss is [has] brought in her cot into my room at 9 o’clock & sleeps till morning generally tho she has had restless nights. I think with her teeth which are coming Sometimes she comes into my bed in the morning but when Mrs. Bond gets up & she doors being open she hears the “Ala” in the nursery she wants to be off directly to “Brother” He always makes her warm & comfortable in his cot & wraps the blanket round her

so they tell me. I think Ellen has tried her best for them but already Pussy is getting quite a handful. On Friday we had no visitors which I was very thankful for as I was not cheerful, but Saturday Mrs. A. Fellows & her Julia came. Joe is anxious that John should go up the river but John does not seem inclined.

which I am sorry to say. They don’t seem very friendly to together. John says if he goes at all he will go on Friday next as is to be there when you return from Kamloops. I have not said anything about the keg of salmon or the boots because I have felt annoyed about them. The keg of salmon, I know has been diligence sought but cannot be found.

John is inquiring of Mr. Jackson was told by him that it did not come down at all that he inquired for it at Westminster they said there was no such thing on board the boat & that Mr. Parsons promised to make inquiries at Yale, tho now the steamer has ceased running. I fear we shall lose it. If Mr. Jackson had let us know in time we might have made

inquiries at W thro Mr. Hardisty. Then the boots he gave to Mr. Drake to bring out & we only got them on Saturday. It is provoking of people to behave like that of the things had been sent down without Mr. J’s care[?]. We should no doubt have got them without delay as Mashell went off we immediately the whistle sounded. You never neglect people’s

commissions in that way, but never mind I suppose I it his way. I always ask Dr. H. about Mr. Musgrave & I am bever quite satisfied with what he says about him. It appears that this is still a difficult about the leg the bone does not unite. But the man’s health is good, his spirits excellent is it not strange I am writing now in the evening having got on at intervals during the day

it tries my head & eyes to write much at a time but I know so well dearest soul how much you want to hear all I am able to tell that I struggle on, but you never can know how I have  longed for your presence during my sickness and how dreary I have been. Joe & Julia came again this afternoon on horseback bringing a letter for Mama, from E. Ashley written from Heidelberg dated 24th Oct. She tells of Mr. White having paid them a visit of a fortnight.

and being recalled to England on business & that he was to take her letter over. They are all delighted with him & she says there has been great goings on with him & the young ladies & that he had promised to write all about everything so I hope he may soon get a letter from him. This is not the “Active” but, they say she will be here this week. Poor E. Ashley was

looking forward with dread to her time of suffering, poor thing, I feel for her, about the middle of Dec. She says is the time she expects so it must be very soon now. May the Almighty protect & support her as He has done me. she is far from her dear husband as I was and she is nervous no doubt Oh! dear one when I looked from the window the morning you left.
I should send away the nurse if I had a woman to help me for tho, she has been a good nurse I am getting very tired of her.

With much dear lover & many prayers for your safety my beloved

I am your ever loving wife

C. A. O’Reilly

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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.

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