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Title: Wyly, Isabella to Wyly, Matilda, 1858
ID4255
CollectionOceans of Consolation [D. Fitzpatrick]
Fileoceans/17
Year1858
SenderWyly, Isabella
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationshop assistant
Sender Religionunknown
OriginAdelaide, Australia
DestinationNewry, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
RecipientWyly, Matilda
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipsisters-in-law
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count1958
Genrenews, life in the colonies
Note
TranscriptMarch 6th. 1857
Rundle Street Adelaide
South Australia
My dearest Sister
I cannot express how deligh[te]d we all weare to hear from you, for our connexion is so small the news so[o]n goes round. I often think if our friends in dear old Ireland knew the excitement and delight letters and Papers caused when we receive them here, the would write much oftener than the do. It is as I might say a painfull pleasure to me to begin to writ; a letter home for I seem [?] to have so much to say that it would take volumes to write all at wonce, but I hope now as we hav commencd to corespond I hope we shall continue to do so untill perhaps we shall meet someday.
Altho would never advise anny one to come here, for most people finds it a difficulty to get on Just now, perticular[l]y those who hav a large family. Poor Uncle Alexander often says He should like to be back in His old Situation the Kees [quays] of Dublin agen. Every thing seems to go hard with him at times. Every thing is so much dear[er] than home. You could make £1 go fu[r]ther with you there than you could £3 here. It is not as it was in the Gold Diggans times when you would be Payed well for what you did. But there is and always was more said abou[t] Austrilia than ever was true, but I am thankful to say I never have had one reason to complain yet. It is like a new world to me. Every thing seems to go well with me as it went ill with me atome.
Dear Matilda, it was a great sorce of consolation to me to here of dear Thomas Happy end. It was more than I seemed to of had faith to look f[or]ward to, but we see there is hope even in the eleventh hour which there was in this case. He had but a short time but thank God his time was not to[o] short for Him, who will hav Mercy. He was like the rest of the Name, taken when yong. We know our Fathers Hand prepares the
Ark [?] and what He wills is best. I was Glad to hear you had Strength according to your day. You have had a great deal of Affliction but I trust you feel the hand of God was in it all, & He will never leave or forsake the Widow or the Orphans. I can speak from experience, for I am sure he has never yet forsaking me yet. For the older I grow, the more I feel His helping hand, & I trust He will still continue with us all untill that final day of rest will come that we shall be all cal[/]ed from this weery world of truble &Pain to reign with Him forever & where sepperation will be no more.
I cannot tell you how delighet I was to receive a letter from dear Edward. It was the first but I hope it wont be the last. Oh how I long to see them both agen & dear little Susan. I wance thought I never should hear from you or them agen bur I am thankfull to say I have. I was glad to hear der Edwad was at shool and a good one it must be. I Judge of it by the tee descriptaition he gave of it. I read his Iitle Manly note with such atention and could carsly believe it came from him for he was such a little fellow when I saw him last. You do not know how ancious I shall be untill I get their likeness. I was sorry to hear dear little Susan was delicate but she always was. I trust she will be spaired, to grow up to be a comfort to you. Your 2 dear little ones ar the alike. I havet to think visit [?] atome now I might say.
I am glad to heer you ar on friendly terms with Uncle Jo[h]n Gratten.
8744585107569000It will be a nice change for Edward in his Vacations to go up to Dublin. When you write could you send me their directioners and I will write to them. Would you Give my love to them all and tell my reson for not writeing before & I will write when I heer from you agen. I should like to hear from Aunt Gratten so mutch. I used to think at one time I had no friend atome but I am trying to think diffiren now. Old friends seem to revive agen when hearing from them. Have you found where Aunt Lucy lives yet. If you have not when you go to Dublin agen if you call on Miss Condren Aunts Elizabaths Sister, she will be able to tell you. She lives at Number 90 Renalagh Road & Please tell her all Aunt E's family ar quite well and send their love to her.
You say I told you nothing about the Climate, but what with dust,84347051072515008368030199453500 & Heat & hot winds & Flys & an Insect that the call Moskitoes we do not know what to do with ourselfs just now. We ar suffering very much from the hot weather. It has lasted just 7 or 8 weeks, which causes much illness, and [at] present we ar by the Thermometer 90 degrees in the shade. So you may fancy from that what it is but you could carsley believe what it is. The old colonists say it is much cooler now than it was 17 or 18 years ago, but I cannot think people could live if it was much hotter. It is very pleasant in winter time, unless some times we have very heavy falls of rain, which makes our roads very unplesant for walking for the ar not paved as the are atome. We have had no shower of rain for the last 12 weeks, but taking it all together the say it is a very Helthy Place. But for children it is mos difficult to bring them up. It is very trying for them. It makes me quite cold to think of winter [?] yet for just now we are all just Melted with heat.
I am still in the same Place as I was when I wrote last. The Shop is called The Times Drapery Mart. More & Co. is the firm. I have only changed, Masters. My last dear Master is gon home to old England, which you will see in the paper, Alfred Spain. He has let his Shop for the space of 5 years. Then he will return. Ever[y]thing seems to go on the same just as comfortable. We open at 9 in the Morning & close at 7 a Night. I am almost I might say my own Mistress. I have a yong Person in the Shop with me which makes it the more comfortable. It is not like the shops athome, nothing so Stif. I do not think I could live in a place of buisness athome, after living here.
South Adelaide is about 1 mile from North Adelaide, that is where Aunt Elizabath lives. I go over to see them generaly once a week, or some times oftener. I do not know what I should do if I hadend them nearby [?]. It seems something for me to look fward to from one week to another going over to see them, & the seem just as delighet to see me. Altho ever[y] thing seems to go smooth with with me, yet for all that it would be Nothing to me if I had not one to confide & to advise with, which I always found dear Aunt E to be one of that sort.
Her dear Children all getting on so nicely and as I might say ar Helthy. Robert is growing quire the thin[g?] and getting quite a proficient Draper & Fanny I might say the same is getting quire the woman, now in her 16year. She is still at chool & Henryeta is at chool & getting on nicely. Willy is going to chool & I expect Alexander Peel will soon go. You may be sure Poor Uncle A finds it hard anough to give them all Schooling, for It is so much more expensive than home. Dear Baby is runing about now he grows nicely. His Name is John Condren Wyly. He is now, going on 14 Months, he is the Pet of the house. Thomas is still with Uncle yet & I expect will be longer, for they could not see him thrown on the world but he finds it very hard [?], with sutch a large family of his own. He is doing nothing just now or cannot get it to do, & the salary that is offere[d]now, would not keep a man with a large famaly. Ruth sends her love to you. She is not very Strong. She is Nursing Baby yet which is 18 Months old which makes her very weak this hot weather. The never speak of going home now, but she says if she should go she would go to old Ireland. Baby grows nicely & runs alone, & begins to chatter now. Henry is still in Melburn & I belive is doing very well. Alaxander is in a drapers shop 20 Miles from us [?] but is getting on nicely.
I often think of home and days gon by, it all apeers like a dream to me. Have you herd where dear Aunt Nancy & family is gone, I should like to know their directions.
Dear Matilda, write by the next mail. I shall be looking our for it. Give my kind love to dear Mrs. Bell & tell her I do not forget her yet. I send a thousand kisses to your dear Iitle ones & all the children do the same & Aunt. I trust we shall all meet agen some day, if not in this Vail of Teers I trust we shall in world where all shall be swept away & where seperation is not known. I hope I wont tire your Pations [patience] with this crible, but I seem Not not to be able to say envoy [?], when I think of it going 16 thousand miles. But [?] I believe I have told you all the news I can [s]crape [?] together just now. What I leave [?] out dear Aunt E will tell you for I hav inclosed her Note. Tell Edward I shall write a long letter to him next time. I shall not have time to send by this mail.
Give my kind love to all friends & be sure you send me the dear Childrens likeness. I shall be anciously looking for them. Never mind the expence for I do not want you to be at the expence of them. If you send me the extract [?] the charge I will send it to you. Do not be offended with my plain speaking, for I am sure every little is an obiject to you just now with your little family.
I must conclude wishing you evr [every] prosperity both of this worlds wealth and also of the next which is most needed. While we have that we have all.
& believe me dear Sister your ever fond & Affectionate Sister
Isabella Alice Wyly
Though out of sight not out of mind. God bless you & yours.
[in hand of Elizabeth Wyly]
Isabella encloses a little Box containing 2 pencil cases for the children. We hope they may get safe.