FL14424759

[MS 575]

[Canbury?] February 1st 1851

My dear James,
I received your truly welcome letter of the
27th with great pleasure, I am always very glad to
hear from you, and therefore write when you can and
use no ceremony &c. I thank you for your congratulations
I am indeed an uncle, and the very idea of it
makes me feel quite ancient. By the last "bulletin" (underlined)
my sister was to leave her bed for the sofa on the
28th & so I conclude that all is going on well.
I (underlined) am getting on as well as I can expect, tho' [though] I need
hardly tell you, that I wish the Bp. [Bishop] wd [would] let me know
what my fate is to be. If he shd [should] remove me, I shall
be considerably out of pocket, as well as out of
spirits. I hope to be married in June, Mr [indecipherable] does
not wish us to be married in Sydney, which my
father & mother desire, & I think it by no means
improbable that it will take place about the [indecipherable]
of the month, at Queanbeyan, & that we shall start
for Sydney on the very day, Mr Clarke will exchange
duties for a month, or even six weeks if necy. [necessary]
I should like to pay you a visit on my way down, but of
course it would not do - I am very (underlined) sorry, that you did
not let me know about "Charlie" (underlined) before, as within the last
fortnight I have purchased ( [word crossed out] in the opinion of good
judges, better than myself) a very fine grey gelding,
bred by Capt [Captain] King at Dunheved nr. [near] Penrith. He is only
for saddle . . . If I could possibly get rid of my chestnut
I wd. [would] have Charlie immediately (underlined) but I fear that it is
now out of the question. I would not mind even
parting with him at a loss, if I cd. [could] get Charlie,
- I could afford to keep three horses, there being no grass -