File 4: Hassall family, correspondence, volume 4, pp. 1343-1673, 1818-1895

If I decide on building the Cottage I shall certainly go in some land, as I think the hill with swamp privilege not a bad space. As [indecipherable] has gone down in the market since I find Barber willing to take a good share in the cottage. I [indecipherable] him take one bairn to "Patmos" but certainly not their maternal parent. I hope Mrs. Hassell is becoming reconciled to the presence of your locum tenens Mr. Wood, perhaps the bishop wants him to settle at "Patmos". With kind regards to Mrs. Hassell & all your family & hoping that you will gather together my property & in due time transmit it in [indecipherable] off to Hay.

I remain Yours truly

H. [indecipherable]

1358

The Editor

I do not profess myself to be a poet much less [Crossed through - would I wish] a [indecipherable] at the same time as a plain man I trust a christian man or a philosopher which you please. I cannot for the sake of a country dear to me & of youths equally dear pass by a Mr Observators letters in your paper without making a few simple remarks which if worthy of insertion in your Gazette are at your disposal. From the signature one would have imagined [Crossed through - that] the author of that letter to be a grave & [indecipherable] man upon [Crossed through - a grave tribe, say a hill] some eminence looking through [Crossed through - four] two pairs of eyes, narrowly watching all the movements of the surrounding multitude & in order to apply the healing art when [Crossed through - it was manifest] necessary for [Crossed through - the form] to take up his pen in defence of Piety Sobriety Truth. Instead of which one is led from the general tenor of the letter to imagine that [Crossed through - he] its Author lives in a bog so darkened by mist that he cannot see further than your paper & instead of attempting to heal that he endeavoured to wound, by [indecipherable] the character of our man upon anothers fall & that in oppositon to men

of sound learning & strict probity, and [indecipherable] by pushing forward his Christian Philosophies with all of his gloom & melancholy he turns every thing pious & serious into downright heathenism. An obser-ver of this class had better display his real charac-ter with such as Betsy Bandicoot or Fanny flirts characters more conversant with his letter than with this man.

As it respects the Individuals alluded to in that letter Our Australasian Bard needs [indecipherable] in the description for why "he has been hence". He fails understatedly in his wishes for when Pure Religion is forgotten the brightest [indecipherable] is lost. Still I should give my might to award his gold medle when applied to for it because he deserves it.

As to the aspersions cast upon our Cambridgian Bard (Perhaps they are by a [indecipherable] [Crossed through - who is] not worthy an answer). Be it known he has already recd. his reward [Crossed through - by] from those who at least ought to be better judges than me. Botany Bay sensibly & I am sure he has yours from the Editor & the praises of all who can make allowances & are better read in the annals of Nell W. & New Zealand

1359

Sydney, June 18 1860

Rev. Mr Hassal

My dear Sir

We [indecipherable] here [indecipherable] (age 16 to 17) from the

1360

Sydney Sep. 8th /68

Dear Mr. Hassall

I am afraid both myself and Mrs. Tooth will be unequal to the toil of the journey to Berrima just now and so if you can arrange to meet our daughters at the station they will leave on Friday the 11th and shall feel much obliged to you. We have arranged for [Nelson?] to go to Mr. Whyatt's and he will accompany his sisters if you can take him out, if not please let us know by first post. With regard to the luggage we shall arrange