File 3: Hassall family, correspondence, volume 1, pp. 1801-8095, ca. 1830-ca. 1900

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N.S.W. next time, your visit to us was much too short. We do not see any chance of paying you a visit at present, unless Phil gets dismissed & then he will probably have too long a holiday. Mother has given up her house at Moss Vale for the winter at any rate & stored her [indecipherable] furniture at Mary's at the Bank; she has been staying at Auntie's since Wednesday, I expect her here tomorrow to stay for a while, she seems very stout & well, Aunt

Lizzie has not been well. She has had a really very bad cold, she had the Dr. & was in bed a week I think. I wrote and asked her to come & stay here for a few days change, but she would not come, said she was better. I think they will be having holidays next month & then I hope she will go for a good change. Katie Betts I have not seen since you left, she has been to Melbourne again lately. There has been scarcely any rain

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since you left, so everything is dried up nothing seems to grow. I am sorry Sidney's foot is bad, it must be very trying to have to keep it up for a month. Phil has had the fashionable cold & is just getting better. Mrs Hall's gift of a Lectern for the church must have been very acceptable & I suppose is an ornament to the Church. Phil joins me in love to yourself & Aunt Fanny, ever your Affectionate niece Annie Brunton

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Cooma 14 June 1895

My dear Father I'm afraid my letter writing is getting behind, though perhaps not more so than some of you up your way. The chief topic with us now is the weather & our days are very cold and all nights but the worst has to come yet, we frequently have 12 and 15 degrees of frost so you can imagine it is fairly cold, we had a little snow one day but not enough to see on the ground - it will no doubt come later on if there is any rain about. It is very awkward not being able to work the taps until 4 or 5 in the afternoon -

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I've been unfortunate in getting a second cold, it is so hard to shake it off once you get one. Florrie keeps well & Eric the latter has had the sniffles for some time but nothing very bad, there appears to be a lot of sickness about poor Mrs [indecipherable] lost a nice little 8 year old boy the other day from diptheria and their servant girl also died of the same thing after wards at the Hospital, I believe some of the other children had it slightly - Mrs [Body?] has 3 children down with scarlet fever and there are other sicknesses about - I've not seen James Hassall very lately but some

of them were in yesterday & Lucy had dinner with us. Our son Bert is getting married on the 18th Im busy putting in roses etc now & am extending my hedges along the fence if all is well I hope to have the place nice in the spring if rain comes in good time We have had very little rain since I've been here not more than 4 or 5 inches in 7 months it has been a very dry time. I cant say I relish this place in Winter and like you prefer the warm sun & will welcome the summer months again - How are you all up your way - I've not heard from

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home for some time, the last time Mother had not recovered her Southern trip. Arthur Betts managed to get in to lunch one day and Mr & Mrs Blaxland turned up same day so we had an unexpected little dinner party. Revd Edwards often asks after you, he is now reading the Book you brought down but fancy he has not made much progress so far. What about the I sland you promised to see the man about taking a lease and paying rent has anything been done - I will be glad of some arrangement. With love to all You aff. Son Fred -