No. 5 (*14)
My own dear love, once more. I sit down to write you of myself & our dear ones. They are quite well, I am thankful to say and have been very good children to-day. Tho they have not been able to go out to walk, both yesterday & the day before they had a nice walk it always does them so much good and seem to work off superfluous steam. They
are greater friends than ever, if possible & Frank goes for rides on his horse by drawing her along on it. They are stout things & are longing to see dear Papa again. For myself I am doing my best to get well & strong but I feel very weak still and suffer a good deal from headache directly. I get tired my temples begin to throb oh! I hope I will soon get over it or take what arise I am to do with three children to take care of. But
dearie I don’t think I have your expressed how delighted & relieved I felt when I found it was one baby not two. I was so afraid of it, was I not! But again, I feel how thankful I ought to be to our Heavenly Father for His late mercies vouchsafed to me. I am not able to walk very well yet, my left leg as usual trouble me a good deal. What a poor cripple. I was! I have never anything about the new baby for it is difficult to perceive any
think distinctive as yet but I fancy she (*15) will more resemble Frank than Pussy and she is certainly a large child & a healthy one & reasonable good but you know dear one you always say you don’t care about them when they are babies. You know too dearie how I fretted when I found I was going to have another. I suppose you are well at Kamloops. My heart is with you and I am always picturing things to myself what fun you are having & how
pleased the Charles are to have you with them Morning & Evening. I commend you to the care of the Almighty & pray you may return in safety to poor me. It was a hard trial your going away at that time to both of us was it not my darling? & I told you in my last of the long letter Mama rec’d from E. Ashley. Well yesterday the “Active” arrived & brought a large
mail. I had a letter from Mr. White which I enclose & also one from Dulayreais which as it is in French & the writing very bad, I will keep till we meet. She tells me she is to be married this month. John also had a letter from Mr. White which he will send & he says you will find that he has lost “Aunt Polly”. We learned from E. Ashley’s letter that Mrs. Hunt had gone to Heidelberg for the winter & how it
appears that she is engaged to be married of course I did not mention what Mr. White says about his own affairs to any one here and when you have read it you had better burn it at once as his request. I quite agree with him that the young lady conduct was certainly unaccountable & not very correct and he is quite in the right not to
trouble about her. There is also a letter for you with the Canada Post mark which I send. The photo he sends of the four young ladies all in a group is very pretty it is too large to send on to you & is already
some what damaged, but I am longing to show it to you, indeed I do long every hour so see your dear face. The “Enterprise” brought no express from the high country so perhaps that is the
reason why I did not get any letter from you, but I suppose you from the time you left Mr. Cornwall’s you had no opportunity of writing. John it appears is not going up to-morrow. I don’t know if he will go at all perhaps Joe is going to send some one else. John wrote to you by the last boat. I don’t know if he will by this. The box has arrived by this “Active” it is no pleasure to me when you are not here. I felt no interest or excitement about it. John went into town.
& succeeded in finding it after some difficulty among the packages at the Customs. Mr. McCrea passed it through. Duty was paid on $200 it being insured for £50 but I don’t know what the freight is it only came here late this morning Mashell went in the cart for it. I shall be obliged to open it as I am in want of some of the infants things if not I should let it stay as it is I shall disturb it as little as possible that we may have the pleasure of examining the
contents together. I have great anxiety about Ellen. I am sorry to say her father is threatening to take her away on 1st Jan & which would be a great trouble to me. She does not want to go. Has he the power to force her? It is to get her money I am sure. Had I better give it to him? but dearie you never answer my questions you never told me what you thought of Mrs. Foster her visit or anything I told
you of in first letter. This is my 5th, not understanding my sickness so I am upset with you good Sir. And now good bye my own for this time. With many prayers for your safe return & many kisses from the little ones. I am ever your loving devoted wife
Carry O’Reilly
Mama sent her love she is better.
I thought that perhaps we might never meet again in this world, & that thought pursued me until the danger was over. now My own we may look forward to a happy meeting even tho it should be delayed. Perhaps they will let you come soon if you ask. I wonder if you are at Kamloops to-night if so I hope you will have a cheerful evening with the Charleses. Mama said she wrote you a long letter last boat after I have gone to sleep
I tell her that if crossed it, I am afraid you would not be able to read it. I don’t know if John is going to write but in case he should not. I had better say that I believe everything is going on well. Dan is better Mr. McCrea rode him on Saturday. Thank you my own dear husband for writing from Lytton. Mr. Spence gave it to John, as I have told so many times it is always a comfort to me to hear from you. Now I must wait for some time, I suppose before I can expect to get further tidings. Shall you see your friend who honor you by reporting
you to H.E. Yesterday Mr. & Mrs. Ward called Mr. W I am sorry to say is suffering from a cough contracted at Portland is ordered not to go out at night. I always give your messages to the little ones. They miss you very much & long for you. I am sure they will be frantic when they see you. Puss-pie says you must not go away again in the steamer. They actually made Uncle Joe to give them each a Piggy back ride both
on Saturday & to-day. John plays with them at times. He is struggling to finish his report he says he can’t go up the river till it is finished, and now my own dear husband. I must say good night for it is getting late & I ought to be in bed. I must try to get my strength or else what am I do with three children I feel quite overwhelmed
when I think of it.
__________________________________________
*14 This letter is marked as No. 5 by the writer
*15 It is difficult from the writing to determine if the new baby is a she or a he, this is the first time the sex of the child is mentioned in the series of letters, perhaps it was included in the Telegram which was probably sent when the baby first arrived.
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.