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Bandarra
1 October 1900
My dear old boy
I received your long letter from Thursday Island three days ago – it was very welcome I assure you. You seem to have had a fine old time on the steamer. I can imagine how your tongue went when you were with all your old mining friends.
I wish you wouldn’t say such things about that ???? morning couple, you make me feel you know her. You had better come back soon, I am pining for you. You are missing a lot but I expect it is a good thing we have been parted for a while.
Alec told me on Saturday that you are going to stay six weeks at Croydon. I do hope you are not, but dear if you must and if you want to visit any other places and mines I hope you will., I must not keep you from doing what you would if you had not me, and now you are once up there you might as well stay as long as you want to for I won’t let you away again in a hurry.
Poor little Kenwyn is getting those horrid big teeth and I think they must be sore. He gets very restless at night and is very cross sometimes, I do hope he
will get them quickly and without trouble, Mother says they are the worst but others have told me they are not.
Tomorrow Emmie Douglas and her two children, Auntie, Baby and I are all going to Glen Retreat for the day. We were supposed to go out in a train at 8.30 in the morning and they were to drive us from the train. It is the only one but I said it was too early, so Emmie and I are going halves in a cab – 5/- each to drive out and the Parkers will drive us back in the afternoon.
I suppose Mr Hart will be up at Croydon before you leave. If he is and says anything to you about me, you simply shut him up pretty sharply. He is always sending messages to me in his letters to Mother – if they will be received as kindly as they are meant “ etc. My word, he does with go ???? letters to Mother and it all goes down.
Mrs Macdonald Paterson came to see me today. Like everyone else she is in love with little Bubs. The little pet was so good in town last Friday – he enjoyed it all so much. We took him to see Papa, so Mr O’Dwyer got him and carried him all over the office to see all the men.
Every Sunday morning Mr O’Dwyer comes in and takes him in to see the ‘gee-gee.’
Last night I went with Ada and Emmie to All Saints. I thought of the last time we were there.
I have not has a letter from you from Croydon yet. I suppose it will come in a day or two. I am quite sure it is too hot for you up there.
Mabyn and Arthur are going into their home tomorrow.
Mother is going to bring Worden(?) down the third week in the month – there will be an awful crowd in this house then and I suppose the nice servant will leave – she does make nice soup.
I will write to you again on Friday. If you are coming back in the Eurimbla I won’t write after that, but perhaps you will be able to let me know by then, or will wire.
Have you seen any of your old girls yet?
I do hope you are comfortable and taking care of yourself.
I must stop now and go to bed, I am tired as Kenwyn was very restless last night, I don’t like putting him out of my bed now his teeth are troubling hum, and I feel so nervous if I wake up in the night when I am by myself.
With heaps of love and kisses from your affectionate Wife,
Katie