1899
United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka, France
August 20th, 1899
Sydney. Monday
My Beloved Angee,
Your dear letter of July 13 reached me here on the 17th inst. and I was not much surprised that you were feeling so sorrowful on account of being kept so long without letters – I had calculated that my first from New Zealand would reach you a day or two after the date of your letter but was made very glad to find at the close of dear Mildred's note enclosed in yours that my letter from Auckland had just arrived and lifted the burden from your heart – your next letter arrives in Melbourne today and will follow me to Brisbane for which place I leave here today – shall hope to receive it on Wednesday. From Brisbane my face will be turned toward home if the Lord will – hope to get back here for the next Lord's day then to Melbourne and Adelaide by another Sunday – a week in Adelaide then Western Australia and I am hoping to pick up the "Arcadia" from Albany about the end of Sept., unless P.F. wish me to return to England via the Cape which will not detain me much longer than going via Suez – I have been much tried again through the last week with the excessive rains – night and day with very little cessation – it has now been for the last 8 or 10 weeks – rain – rain in every place visited after leaving the North Island of N.Z. It is well that I was so well provided with good sound thick shoes or I don't know what I should have done but as you may suppose it has made it very bad for rheumatism and no remedies seem to avail while the damp continues. The dear saints here are not much deterred from getting out to the meetings by a shower – we have had a most refreshing time together through the week every night except one. The Lord has brought in lately several young men and it has done my heart good to see their first love and zeal – the interest in the Lord's things is a living one and the many little centres for readings around the suburbs is a beautiful testimony of the Lord's pleasure in them and His work among them for blessing. They are all plain working people. As soon as I buy my passage for home I will cable you the word "Arcadia" if returning by her – you can then write to me c/o the P. & O.S.S. Passengers to England, Commander of the Arcadia, Aden and a second letter address the same to Port Said, Egypt – it is probable that as she calls
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