No. 9
Location: Victoria
Date: April 19 1897
My dearest Kit
It is more than time for me to write to you as my last was dated I think on 29th March. I really forget if I acknowledged the receipt of your very welcome epistle of the 10th of that month or if I thanked you for your loving good wishes for my birthday if not, be assured my dearest Kit. that I much appreciated your loving thought of me.
We often ask ourselves what our dearest girl is doing, wish we could get a peep of you, it is certain that our thoughts are much with you, and though we love, to have you with us once more , still as we have before written, if you see going away to enjoy yourself during the summer particularly as there will be so much going on, we are quite satisfied that you should remain, & I hope have a real good time.
We will enjoy reading again & again.
We are very glad to hear that you are all enjoying yourselves so much – it is good of your Uncle to take so much time to show you & Josephine everything – I feel much indebted to him. He will, I trust, return greatly benefited in every way by this trip. & I am sure the vacation will do him good.
Tell him with my love that I have written several letters to him since 5th January and I am sorry that a gentleman of his known veracity could make such a statement.
I have not time to refer to the man interesting subjects about which you write. You certainly appear to have had a most successful & charming time. It is a pity you missed seeing Mr. Williamson, it is a great advantage to have one who knows some thing of the place, besides he was always cheerful & full of fun. I am very glad you got a peep at the dear Queen. I hope you keep a memoir or diary of where you so what you see
account of you visit to Ireland, it is very well told and we are so glad you enjoyed it. I feel deeply grateful to Sir Richard & Lady Musgrave for their kindness to you.
I hope you will be able to execute your Mother’s commissions, in time to avail yourself of Robt. Ward’s assistance in your shipping but you will do the best you can. You should try to cultivate the R.W.s a little while ago your mother had a letter from Dolly & I had one from Robt. in which they regretted they had not been able to see anything of you owing to sickness in their house.
We all think Mr. Ward is looking a wee bit stouter, & better than I have ever seen him.
The whole Highwood party dined with us on Thursday Kit. WCW, Alice & her husband & Nelly & husband also Mr. Burnaby who is staying at Highwood. Mr. W. talks of leaving Victoria on his return trip in about a fortnight. He proposes to visit all the Mainland branch including Kootenay when he wrote.
The Olivers have taken the McKillican house on Richards St., just below the Laurels. I am glad the Dunsmuir’s have a Castle are _______, he appears to have fared better than his neighbours. He is as usual in great force. but Alice feels the break up of the Highwood establishment.
The Cornwall girls left us on ______ for their mainland home, very regretfully, I think, they had been on here for five months.
Our excitement at breakfast, for the past week has been to watch “Betsy” on the road taking bicycle lesson, her instructor is a man of very diminutive stature. It is most amusing to watch his effort to maintain her in a perpendicular position are most amusing but she perseveres, & may get there in time.
You will be sorry to hear that poor Mrs. Andrews is in great trouble, the story is that Mr. Austin has made away with her money, & that she has but $15 a month to support herself, the children.
The little Commander, is again Admiral pro tem. The Flagship is expected back at Esquimalt about the 27th inst. & the Commander thinks the Pheasant will at once be ordered off to Bering sea, he is not in love with the Commander in Chief. “Barkus” & the “Honker” have been doing the town for about a week, she has been staying with Mrs. Rawlstone. – She is also to pay Mrs. Drake a visit before she returns to Cowichan.
Brian is now quite the soldier, he has been going through a course of drill, he is well _____ in all that pertains to Military matters.
Easter Monday April 19
My letter not off yet – you will wonder why you have been so long without hearing from us, it must not occur again. I hope the boys may have written. And now my dear Kit I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 27th from Rome and to tell you what a pleasure it was to us all to hear such good news from you though written in haste, it is a charming epistle & we thank you much for it.
I received a letter from your Uncle John yesterday, he gave a good report of everyone, but he has not heard anything about coming to B.C.
Mr. Pooley has been so busy with his legislative duties that I have not seen him for weeks. Frank has been delayed here by some business matters, but he will leave tomorrow for Rossland. We shall miss him greatly. Your Mater is I am happy to say quite well. Yesterday we all went to St. Saviours in the morning, and to Ch Ch at 7 p.m. The little church was very beautiful, decorated, & the Rector gave an excellent sermon – but we were disappointed with everything at the Cathedral Mr. Beaulaus was eccentric. The Bishop & Miss Penier leave for England via Ottawa in a week, they are to pay a visit to Rideau.
Your Mater desires me to say she will write the day after Frank leaves.
We all unite in love to your Uncle, Josephine, with a great deal for our dear Kit.
I am always your fond father
P. 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.