Petone, Wellington
Friday July 13th /06
My dear Mother
I was very glad to get Father’s letter two days ago telling of George’s success in the exam for the Ecclesiastical Commission it must be a great relief to Father and to George himself to feel that he is beginning to support himself. Will you give him my love & congratulations please. I will not write to him today as I wrote so lately but he shall have a letter before long. Aunt Lottie nearly danced with delight when I told her about it, we had been for a long walk & came in rather tired to find the letter arrived by the afternoon post, the news quite revived her. I suppose George’s work will be in London by this time I expect he has started, I hope he & Jack at any rate will be able to board together. We are looking forward to getting Frisco mail letters which are as usual late. I do so want to know about Kathleen’s prospects. I was very sorry to hear of poor Oliver Jelfs' death, it is very sad for Fanny with all those children poor thing she will need some help.
It has been such a lovely day, actually too hot this morning to sit out in the verandah with the sun pouring in, but Dolly & I have been sitting there this afternoon when the sun was off. Aunt Lottie woke up with a headache this morning as much rarer occurrence now than a few months back – she pretty well walked it off I think before lunch when she & I quite enjoyed a walk up a pretty road, the hills & every thing looked so pretty this lovely day.
I saw Hubert the other day when he & Lita were going to the Riddiford’s dance & Maidie & I went to help Lita dress. I hadn’t seen Hubert since his wedding day – married life evidently agrees with him for he looks a different man. He had had a good deal of work & worry before & needed some looking after which he gets now. Lita seems an excellent housekeeper & cook to judge by the lunch she gave Aunt Lottie & me one day we lunched with her. The house looks so nice, it is larger than either Lewie’s or Percy’s & Lita keeps it beautifully though she is still without a servant. The servant here is not altogether a success, she seems to have so little sense though she can do some things very well, however I expect she will stay for a bit probably till we leave. Maidie I think prefers doing the work herself rather than overlooking an incompetent servant but Dolly gets tired over house work sooner than Maidie & is glad to be relieved of some.
By the time this letter reaches you we be I suppose at Sydney – I expect we shall have a very nice time there & also in Ceylon. I think I told you that we shall be going on from Ceylon in the “Ortona” – we shall call for letters at the Post Office Colombo & of course they would reach us addressed to the Ortona. I expect we shall be a day or two in Colombo before we go to Kandy & another few days before we sail again. I wonder whether Aunt Polly went down to Badsey with you, you would like having her. I hope you enjoyed your visit to Eastbourne & to Richmond.
I must write Ethel a few lines now so with much love to all, I remain
Your loving daughter
May E Sladden
