60 East India Rd
19 April 1888
My dearest Chris
You can’t think how delighted I was to receive your nice photo. Thank you very much for it. I have been wishing for one for a long time. You look very well in Croydon costume but I think I like the other best.
I am so pleased to hear you are getting over the ??? dear and trust we shall indeed see you before the end of the year. I have been wondering if you are coming home to find a wife, if so I trust she may be a good one.
We are living at 60 East India Rd – you put the wrong number on the letter and photos.
Mary has been staying with us ten days. She has improved and grown so much, she is just up to my eyes. Elsie stayed at Anerley for a few days at Easter. Gussie and I went to fetch her and bought Mary back with us. They are all well. Miss Shand has been away for her holidays. Edie came to see us in February. She was looking so well and is very happy at Horsham, the people she is with seem to like her very much. Your Aunt Jeannie has had an attack of asthma, but is getting better again now. She sends her love and would like to hear from you. Her sight is worse than it was, she can’t see to write at all now. Elsie is getting a big girl, she gets on so well at school.
Your Uncle James is on his way again to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. He is in the SS Port ???. She has a lot of 1st and 3rd class passengers. He wrote from Las Palmas and said they were a nice ??? of people.
I am pleased Alex is getting on well. I often think of you both although you are so far away. They are all well at 69 and send their kind love and were very glad to hear such good news of you.
Things are going on here about the same as usual, Alice is not married yet and I don’t know when she will be. There is going to be a fancy Bazaar at the Town Hall next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Your Aunt Gussie is going to help Mrs Marsh at her stall. The Princess Louise is most likely coming to open it. If she does I suppose it will be rather a grand day, but it’s rather uncertain.
The Sobraon was at the Cape the 12th. Archie has got on well, has he not? He is rather young to be Chief Officer of such a large ship.
Sarah (Nicholson) was here on Monday. She liked your photos and thought you very much like your mother, as do I Chris dear. We had a thunder storm here yesterday, there was a house struck by lightening up Market Street not very far from here. Fortunately no one was hurt. The flash looked just like a ball of fire. What sort of weather do you have in Croydon? I suppose you will soon be thinking about your winter. We have had a very cold one this year. I am glad to say there’s a change the last week. I thought this spring was never coming.
I can’t think of any more news so must conclude.
With much love from everybody, hoping you are well and again thanking you for your photo.
Believe me dear Chris,
your loving Aunt
Ellen Tatham
PS: Please give the enclosed to Alex. I should like to see your house so much. It’s nice for you and Alex being together