City Hotel, Dunedin
Thursday evening, Jan 18th 1906
My dear Mother
I must hurry & write this as the hotel letter box is cleared at 8.30 & it has struck 8 now. My diary which I have just been writing up to now will give you a good idea of what we are doing – It was unfortunate about Auntie’s foot – but I think it was a good thing we started – it is getting steadily well – up to today she has had practically no walking. This afternoon she managed to walk quite well in the gardens with me. Tomorrow she need not walk unless she feels inclined we start at 8.25 & reach Lumsden 2.50 we cannot get further that day on our way to Te Anau. We intend doing that lake & Manapouri first & then spend as long a time as funds will permit at Queenstown. Maidie & I are having a very nice time it is so nice having her – she is a very nice girl & we understand each other very well by now – This is a very nice hotel, not quite the most swell in Dunedin, but quite as nice as we want & we each have a bedroom to ourselves Auntie has been told over & over again that it makes no difference to the cost in N.Z. whether one has two singles or one double room, but she is only just beginning to believe it!
It is such a short time since I posted my Frisco letters that there doesn’t seem much more to say beyond what I have put in the diary. I haven’t your last letter handy but can’t remember anything special to answer in it. I was very sorry you had rheumatism I hope you are quite well now. I often wish some of you could be with me enjoying some of the places I am seeing, it seems so unfair that it should all fall the lot of one, however as I tell Kath, people never know when their turn may come.
Auntie was rather tired after her long journey yesterday it was hot & very dusty in the train. I never saw such dust as makes its way into the carriages here. This morning we didn’t attempt to walk but just trammed about, & by the afternoon she didn’t feel so tired – I made her have a cup of tea on leaving the gardens, though she began saying she thought she could exist without. I am not sure when the next mail will leave but will write when I can. Auntie sends her love.
This is a scrappy letter but I must post now to catch the Italy mail.
Very much love from your loving daughter
May E Sladden
PS - Maidie & I rather hope we shall have another day or two here on our way back, but we shall see how long (& how much) we spend at other places.
