1897
South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Hawaii, Canada, USA
August 21st, 1897
Melbourne
My Beloved Angee,
You are the most constant correspondent I have and your dear and most welcome letters are so far an unbroken series of weeks since my departure, I only wish it had been possible for me to have done likewise. On arrival here on the 16th inst. From Launceston in Tasmania I received your letter dated July 2 and on the 10th inst. Another dated July 9 & on Monday (today is Saturday) another mail is due and you will also be receiving a weekly letter from me during my stay in Australia. I am very sorry that you grieve so much because of my absence and do trust you may cheer up as it will not be long now before my return – you may rely upon it I will make all the haste possible. We have had very fine weather in these parts considering it is Winter but coming on toward the Spring – I have no need of my light overcoat most days so you can judge. I am thankful to be out of the hot weather you have been having in England and if I get away from these parts early in October for Vancouver I am not likely to suffer much from excessive perspiration in that part of the world or in the journey across the continent and Atlantic in November and December. Was glad to meet Mr Whittaker of this place and the few saints with him – we have spent every evening together in one or other of their houses. Last night I was at Mr Whittaker's and called with him on a gentleman living not far from his house called Clements – he is breaking bread with Mr Stuart's company of Reading. I had no idea that of any person I should have any home links with but found many and very interesting they were to both of us. In the room Mr Whittaker and I were shown I noticed the photos on the mantelpiece of dear J.N.D. & Mr Wigram also two others a lady & gentleman about whose faces there was something I recognised as having seen before although the gentleman had a very white beard and moustache – this was Henry Withers and his wife who are now both with the Lord. The Mr Clements at whose house we had called was a brother of Mr Wither's wife and has stayed with them when living next door to us in Barnstaple. Mr Clements well remembers the little meeting room at 39 and was delighted to speak of all the early associations there. The Wither's family however met with disaster soon after leaving Devonshire and lost very heavily by his consignments of goods to Mr Collier at the West Indies and to another agent in Delago Bay. Mr Clements was also acquainted with Stephen Goss who is in New Zealand but has passed through great trial and is now much afflicted with lumbago and rheumatism – his poor body almost doubled with it and has gone to look quite the old man. Mrs Lowe of Ealing gave me his address but I have no time for visiting those in the outlying districts – he has recently left this place and removed to the Thames a large mining district near Auckland of which I heard a good deal when there. He too poor fellow seems never to have got properly on his feet so as to be able to make a living.
I enclose the Santa Fe cheque duly signed which you can now send to the Bank or which you can change through Maince if you wished. On enquiring for my letters at the P.O. here there had been one there for some time addressed to Mr Edgar Petter so suppose Arthur's son is in these parts.
I was delighted to receive letters from dear Daisy & Angie – it is pretty evident they have both made up their mind to be stars – I can hardly fancy Daisy repeating or rather reciting 100 lines of Shakespeare and explaining all the classical references. The effect of heat on substances I could give a pretty good demonstration of in the way of a wet shirt &c. when the glass is about 85 or 90 in the shade.
Melbourne, August 23rd 1897
My Beloved Angee – I have just received your letter of July 16 and am quite cheered to hear that you have been out for a nice little run with Arundel and enjoyed it so much. Am glad to hear that you will have company on your journey home and trust Daisy will enjoy the change. I had a very happy day here y'day (Lord's day) returned to Middle Brighton with Mr Whittaker to dine and remained for the day – many of the saints came out to his house in the afternoon for our reading – tea and a meeting in the evening. I am purposing to move on to Adelaide by overland express tomorrow. I sent my tailor at Hastings a cheque for his a/c a month ago and told him to send the receipt to Barnstaple. My very kind love to all our dear ones and my enquiring friends and again commending you to God our Saviour believe me my dearest Angee with much love.
Being very affectionate Husband