Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Isabel Field
Date
20 May 1894
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Object Detail
Date
20 May 1894
Transcript
Cranmore Lodge May 20th 94
My dearest Sis
I must write you a few lines before I go to bed. I am waiting anxiously for news of you and the baby – tell Mother I think she might have written knowing how anxious I am to hear how you are. I have not had a line for more than a week, but of course no news is good news. I hope you are steadily regaining your strength and that you will soon be about again. I suppose you have named the baby by this time. They do not give you much time to decide, three weeks isn’t it?
We have been having the most glorious weather these last three weeks clear frosty days without a breath of wind. If the weather holds fine Father and Dr Scott and I are going up the Otago Central on the Queen’s Birthday. I went down to see the Scotts today. The three little boys have whooping cough tho’ slightly. She has great difficulty in amusing them. I think it must be pretty weary work besides it is so distressing to listen to the continual hacking cough. Mrs S. has launched them on a sea of macraumey ? [sic] work and I have promised to go down and show them how to net. I saw her portrait for the first time today and I must say I was horribly disappointed. I don’t think it either resembles or flatters her tho’ they are very pleased with it. It is about 3 times the size of Miss Richardson’s portrait of Mrs Holmes and Nerli has only charged £6 with a self designed frame thrown in. On Saturday I went out to an afternoon tea given by the Stephenson’s on the Racecourse. We had an awfully jolly day, they had shooting with rifles and Mrs Hosking made the top score. Everybody was there I think and there were many enquires after you. I was greeted everhwere as “auntie”. I must tell you about the entertainment Mrs McKenzie got up for the Kindergarten. I enclose a programme. I thought it was the dullest performance I have ever been to and I think a great many people share my opinion. Miss Backhouse who took your part simply burlesqued the part and made everybody remember how well you acted it. She has a very ugly voice which is much against her. Mrs Hosking was the only one who recited her part well and she certainly looked lovely.
Mrs Monkman as the fairy looked like a flitch of bacon bound in Grecian fillets, with a dress put on back to front! When Miss McLaren said pathetically “I am a Mother” the very mixed audience so far forgot itself and laughed: I believe Mrs McKenzie before the whole thing was over had quarrelled with everybody, but I believe she has since cemented the ginger cordial by wholesale apology. She took part herself in a little Comedietta which was a very tame performance indeed.
Mrs Cargill has a sister staying with her, the nicest one we have met so far. She, Mrs C., has done you two pairs of such dear little booties I feel ashamed of mine but they will do for a more advanced state of the baby’s existence when it has developed calf enough to fill out the legs which are ample.
Mrs Scott showed me Dr S’s drawings from the nude model today, they were hidden at the back of her wardrobe; they are very good indeed and very modest.
Frank and Bert are ardent footballers this winter. Last night they potted goals in the bedroom and this morning the wreck was dreadful to see, for the future their goals must be potted outside.
Tonight Willie and I went to supper at the Bartlemans it was Miss Paterson’s last Sunday. Mrs Shaw was there and was very happy. May Kenyon has been having a very heavy time with Poggy who is in town just now. On Friday night I happened to be all alone in the house and about ½ 8 May stalked in looking very excited and mysterious and it turned out that she had been loafing on the belt since ½ 5 with Poggy, and when it got too cold they came and sat under our pine trees. I was horribly disgusted with her and told her what I thought of her servant’s behaviour and after I had relieved my mind she coolly demanded something to eat and a boy to take her home. As even Agnes was out I had nobody to send home with her till the boys came in at ten. Did you ever hear any thing so unladylike and nasty. Has she ever written to you?
I have only left myself room to close. With warmest love to you all ever your loving sister Fanny
My dearest Sis
I must write you a few lines before I go to bed. I am waiting anxiously for news of you and the baby – tell Mother I think she might have written knowing how anxious I am to hear how you are. I have not had a line for more than a week, but of course no news is good news. I hope you are steadily regaining your strength and that you will soon be about again. I suppose you have named the baby by this time. They do not give you much time to decide, three weeks isn’t it?
We have been having the most glorious weather these last three weeks clear frosty days without a breath of wind. If the weather holds fine Father and Dr Scott and I are going up the Otago Central on the Queen’s Birthday. I went down to see the Scotts today. The three little boys have whooping cough tho’ slightly. She has great difficulty in amusing them. I think it must be pretty weary work besides it is so distressing to listen to the continual hacking cough. Mrs S. has launched them on a sea of macraumey ? [sic] work and I have promised to go down and show them how to net. I saw her portrait for the first time today and I must say I was horribly disappointed. I don’t think it either resembles or flatters her tho’ they are very pleased with it. It is about 3 times the size of Miss Richardson’s portrait of Mrs Holmes and Nerli has only charged £6 with a self designed frame thrown in. On Saturday I went out to an afternoon tea given by the Stephenson’s on the Racecourse. We had an awfully jolly day, they had shooting with rifles and Mrs Hosking made the top score. Everybody was there I think and there were many enquires after you. I was greeted everhwere as “auntie”. I must tell you about the entertainment Mrs McKenzie got up for the Kindergarten. I enclose a programme. I thought it was the dullest performance I have ever been to and I think a great many people share my opinion. Miss Backhouse who took your part simply burlesqued the part and made everybody remember how well you acted it. She has a very ugly voice which is much against her. Mrs Hosking was the only one who recited her part well and she certainly looked lovely.
Mrs Monkman as the fairy looked like a flitch of bacon bound in Grecian fillets, with a dress put on back to front! When Miss McLaren said pathetically “I am a Mother” the very mixed audience so far forgot itself and laughed: I believe Mrs McKenzie before the whole thing was over had quarrelled with everybody, but I believe she has since cemented the ginger cordial by wholesale apology. She took part herself in a little Comedietta which was a very tame performance indeed.
Mrs Cargill has a sister staying with her, the nicest one we have met so far. She, Mrs C., has done you two pairs of such dear little booties I feel ashamed of mine but they will do for a more advanced state of the baby’s existence when it has developed calf enough to fill out the legs which are ample.
Mrs Scott showed me Dr S’s drawings from the nude model today, they were hidden at the back of her wardrobe; they are very good indeed and very modest.
Frank and Bert are ardent footballers this winter. Last night they potted goals in the bedroom and this morning the wreck was dreadful to see, for the future their goals must be potted outside.
Tonight Willie and I went to supper at the Bartlemans it was Miss Paterson’s last Sunday. Mrs Shaw was there and was very happy. May Kenyon has been having a very heavy time with Poggy who is in town just now. On Friday night I happened to be all alone in the house and about ½ 8 May stalked in looking very excited and mysterious and it turned out that she had been loafing on the belt since ½ 5 with Poggy, and when it got too cold they came and sat under our pine trees. I was horribly disgusted with her and told her what I thought of her servant’s behaviour and after I had relieved my mind she coolly demanded something to eat and a boy to take her home. As even Agnes was out I had nobody to send home with her till the boys came in at ten. Did you ever hear any thing so unladylike and nasty. Has she ever written to you?
I have only left myself room to close. With warmest love to you all ever your loving sister Fanny
Pages
8 pages
Sender's address
Cranmore Lodge
Institutional No.
MS-Papers-0085-03
Credit Line
Letters
from
Frances
Hodgkins.
Field,
Isabel
Jane,
1867-1950
:
Correspondence
of
Frances
Hodgkins
and
family
/
collected
by
Isabel
Field.
Ref:
MS-Papers-0085-03.
Alexander
Turnbull
Library,
Wellington,
New
Zealand.
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22795199
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22795199