60 East India Road
19 February 1886
My dearest Chris
I was so glad to hear news of you a short time since ???? your letter to George ????. I was thankful you got back safely from New Guinea.
Edie sent your letter for us to read also. I am so pleased you are still getting on so well and trust Alex will do so also. It will be nice for you to have him with you. Your father said in his letter that the passage out had done him a great deal of good. Give my love to him and tell him I wrote to him last, so it is your turn this time. I hope he will answer my letter soon. Were you able to go to Melbourne to fetch him? I hope you were, as it would be nice for you to see them all again.
May and Mary spent their Christmas holidays at Uncle Robert’s and with us. They were looking well and have improved very much. They like being at Ramsgate and seem very happy at school. Poor May did not like going back but I dare say she soon got all right after a little time. They stayed with Edie for a week and enjoyed themselves. The weather was so miserable while they were with us that they could scarcely get out – nothing but snow and hard frost all the time. We have not had such a severe winter for years.
Your uncle Walter and Aunt Bess have been home for about five weeks. The ship has been at Bristol and your uncle had to go backwards and forwards and about a fortnight ago the ???? went to Antwerp to load for Bombay. There was not enough cargo there so they have to come to London. I expect she is in the Albert Dock this morning but we have not seen your uncle yet. I expect she will leave the beginning of the week. Your aunt has scarcely been able to get out all the time she has been at home. Her cough has been so bad and last week she had an attack of asthma and was quite laid up for a week, but she is better ???? and is able to come down stairs again. I hope the voyage to Bombay will do her good. She is going to write to you so will tell you all the news.
Your aunt Jeannie sends her love and says she wishes she could write to you but her sight is so bad that she can’t see to write letters at all ????. Elsie is growing a big girl. She sends her love and kisses to you and Alex.
There is a great deal of distress about this winter. There were riots at the West End last week and a good deal of damage done. I hope they are once ????, these as a for there is a fund got up at the Mansion House. It has amounted to ₤52,000 already, so I should think that will relieve a good deal of the distress.
Have you heard that Charlie Shores is engaged? He went away to Wales for his holiday last September and fell in love with a Miss Ward, and the wedding took place on 20 January. They are living at Caterham in Surrey. I have only seen Alice once for a short time so can’t tell much what she is like, she paints and plays very well. They went to Paris for their wedding ???? ????
They are all well as 69. Your aunt Julia is living at Dulwich quite close to Edie – she goes there sometimes. Mrs Traill will not let her come to see us. I wish she would. She would even not let her come for Xmas.
There’s no more news so adieu. With much love to yourself and Alex in which all join hoping you are both well.
Believe me ever, your loving Aunt
Ellen Tatham