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Bedford
2 July 1885
My dear Chris,
I am afraid many weeks pass here without you being remembered except in sending you the weeks Times, and they are often forgotten.
Mater is always busy house-keeping or making clothes for some of the children. Edie in a similar manner, or writing to her young man – he is away seeking for employment at present so she can’t spoon with him. Archie is not much of a writer – he is at home just now. The others are all at school. Alec is getting on well but as he is now past seventeen and persists in saying ‘don’t know’ if you ask him what profession he would like to take to.
I have given notice to remove him from school at end of term and am going to bring him out. He has good ability in several ways but as long as he is at school and absorbed in Classics and other studies, his mind is not capable of thinking over other matters. If you can see your way to place him in some subordinate position at first I think he would soon wake up and take to some definite course soon. He is the ???? ideal of his Uncle Robert this habit would soon be knocked out of him.
I have bought a nice enclosed small house in the Bronham Road nearly opposite to where we lived – enclosed grounds, but the house must be enlarged, and am offering for sale or let the house we are in at present. I want to reduce my expenses. This house is much too expensive. I hope to arrange this and get the new house ready to let by the time we go away.
May and Mary have to be placed out somewhere and Edie also if she is not married. All the others come with us.
See what you can arrange for Alec and write often to me and say how matters look with you. You must contrive to come to Melbourne next season when we are there and if the depression lasts with you as no doubt it will, we can discuss money matters more easily and in plenty of time.
I have no money to spare at present. When I can reduce my annual expenditure to a few hundred instead of over a thousand as it has been I shall have some to spare.
I hope you keep your health and get strong. All are well here and at Poplar.
There are no changes to report. I will leave room for some other letters. Meantime, with much affection –
I am your loving Father
Jas A Elmslie