WCP6970

[1]¹

Feb 1898

Cwm Hir

Kensington

W Adelaide

S. A.

My dear Mr Wallace

I was very gratified to get yours of July 9th & to find that you were well & still writing your Orchids it must be a great delight to you, [1 word illeg.] the "book 60 years a species" & among the notables I looked for your face but did not find it. Why was this — I am fearfully affected with rheumatism & with gout so I am withered the [2 words illeg.] can my general health is good. Enjoyably my dear children who were merry things I can wish get along [2] very well — my youngest son Ernest who is a great admirer of your books is now completeing his medical course in Melbourne Isir in our hospital hull broke up old splendid medical school & [1 word illeg.] all the [1 word illeg.] students to go to Sydney or Melbourne minorities [1 word illeg.] I trust he will get the M. B. award after next year then he will be qualified to practice, but he requests to come to London for the higher degree of M. D. he is a truly fellow & friend of his profession just 22 & good cricketer & La Crosse & Tennis player too he resembles his father and grandfather whom you will remember — my oldest son Algernon is married has 1 small [3] boy he is practising his [1 word illeg.] Adelaide & doing well my oldest [1 word illeg.] is [1 word illeg.] W. W. M. body and Englishman very highly commended he is a front player at Beukant on the Money he earns brought up from the army but failed in his last exam [1 word illeg.] sent him on to the Colony [1 word illeg.] May 2nd is in the [1 word illeg.] & only [1 word illeg.] slowly was not punishment has turned down all salaries & promotion in a very long time in writing — [1 word illeg.] our oldest is [1 word illeg.] I must get him to send you a letter of some sort then and [1 word illeg.] but many [1 word illeg.] lake spiders — your cousin Edmund & his family all here this country they are home to very [1 word illeg.] & [1 word illeg.] with [4] [5 words illeg.] and his will very meticulous & thrown away many good chances of doing well for himself but oh such a temper! — [1 word illeg.] too is very poor but tolerably unfortunately Agnes died of lepropsy about 2 years ago [4 words illeg.] & he is unwell & died just before Agnes consequently the means did not suceed as colonists but many of the old colonists have and succeeded within after [1 word illeg.] the very [1 word illeg.] colonists to [1 word illeg.] times I am glad to hear of your son & daughter [4 words illeg.] very well here the [1 word illeg.] in [8 words illeg.] [5] which is something the same is it not? The heat waves here have been completely hard and have been terrible. Now since Oct: & awful bush fires have been agony in the North and other colonies lots of local families & mammals declared homeless. Ernest the curator of Adelaide Museum [3 words illeg.] & he told him he (with Dr. Stirling) lets tidy up the skeleton of the [2 words illeg.] but one bone was missing but they they hope to find — the bones [2 words illeg.] it at Lake Callabona & all very numerous there but it is far up to the country & difficult to get the specimens down safely. I see your cousin Cybil died 10th Feb 1895 — she had [6] her husband [2 words illeg.] died partially of a stroke & paralysis few months before & I suppose you [1 word illeg.] will remain in America now. His [1 word illeg.] there was within a celebrated engineer was he not? I still live in the old house it is — a rather large for us and our lucid family our garden has suffered much from the long drought this [1 word illeg.] has ruined the apples and pears it is a sad [1 word illeg.] & [1 word illeg.] of [1 word illeg.] will have to be buried. I fear the [4 words illeg.] has here a great museum & exhibits in the lush country have fairly [1 word illeg.] out the [3 words illeg.] our colony, has not prospered as it used to back in the [7] times the Labor Party & the great have too much [1 word illeg.] & all currency the place will then bad legislation I heard from Edgar J. Laguard the other day he is living in Deunehill very quietly & goes fishing yearly — sometimes too distracted he is very old has married again & should like to come & [1 word illeg.] orchids how can you partake your only daughter? I think she should live with you & Mrs Wallace but all the new ladies now seem to strike out for themselves in a most inappropriate way. I teach [1 word illeg.] of marrying I hate the new woman & I find though that girls ought to study medicine. [8] & now I think its horrid.] for girls to take [5 words illeg.] I have scribbled on a long letter I hope you will write to us [1 word illeg.] or perhaps [2 words illeg.] if any of the boys come to England they will find you out you may be sure. [2 words illeg.] is dead & [3 words illeg.] in Perth we heard from him [4 words illeg.] very comfortable but his heart [1 word illeg.]. Shall our heat [1 word illeg.] lack no pain it is trying for everybody trees dying & fruit & vegetables very [3 words illeg.]

With all our [3 words illeg.] to you and yours.

Believe me,

very sincerely yours,

[signature] Matilda Wilson