Tintern
27 December 1888
Dear Mr Elmslie,
I am afraid you must think me very rude indeed, for not having written to you before this and thanked you for sending me your photograph. I was beginning to be afraid that you were not going to keep to your promise, so that I was very pleased when it came.
Melbourne has been very quiet lately – I have not had any gaiety much but skating, if that can be so called. Everyone seems to be reserving themselves for the Exhibition. I expect we shall be very tired of everything when it is over. I suppose you will come down then. Melbourne will be filled to overflowing. I am rather anxious to see it, for I have never seen an Exhibition at all.
Since I wrote the first part of this letter a number of girls have started the idea of giving a skating rink party. There was a meeting yesterday and thirty three names were down. It costs about sixty pounds to give one here in the afternoon – in the evening it would be about double. It is a pity it is not less so that might have more private parties.
We did not see much of your brother the last time he was out here. He was very busy in his position as first officer. The others went on board the Victoria to lunch with Mr Angus last time it was out. They said he was looking very well indeed.
I thought I would go up on the station again this year, but my plans did not come off. They said it was not very nice in the beginning of the year – it was too dry, and now that they want me up – for races and dances, I cannot go, It is rather a dreadful journey to go unless you mean to stay several months.
We have not heard anything of Mr Caine since I gave you his address, except once that I asked Mrs Dickson and she had not seen him for a long time. The Dicksons have gone live on the station in the Riverina this winter, and Fran Broughton – I think they are more your brother’s friends than yours.
I take a long time to get through a letter I am afraid, for I had to stop again. The girls’ skating party is progressing very well. We have forty names now and have closed our list. I am on the committee, but I am afraid I am not of much use at present. We are having a discussion about the refreshments – some want to provide the things themselves, others want them to be catered for. I hope the later will win – it would be much less trouble, and if anything were to go wrong the man would be blamed, and not us. As it is an innovation some of the parents disapprove and would not let their daughters join, so we want everything to go off particularly well, so that they cannot say we did not succeed.
With kindest regards from all of us
Believe me
Yours sincerely
Maggie Williamson