Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Isabel Field
Date
27 Mar 1895
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Object Detail
Date
27 Mar 1895
Transcript
Cranmore Lodge March 27th 95
My dearest Sis
It is a long time since I have written to you so I will devote this evening to a good old chat with you. What a dreadful shock you have had over this burglary. I can think of nothing else, and the fright you must have got when you found the man in your room. Everybody is loud in praise of Will’s pluck following them up. I can imagine your feelings while he was absent. We are hoping for another letter with further particulars. I got a fright last night small as it was compared to yours that made me pretty well understand your feelings. I was awakened by somebody violently pulling my hair, I sat up too terrified even to scream and heard somebody knock against the foot of the bed and go out the door, and a second afterwards I heard the indian clubs in the boys’ room clatter on the floor – then I found my voice and yelled, then I heard Frank in a very terrified voice say “Don’t be frightened Fanny it’s only me!” He was walking in his sleep and was quite as terrified as I was. The family in the mean time behaved most heroically. Annie got up dressed and locked her door in the inside Mother who sleeps alone lit a candle and nearly fainting with palpitation waited for the end, and Father snored on in blissful ignorance, and Willie didn’t even hear a sound, so I think if there is ever a burglary in this house, we mustn’t depend on mutual help. The yarns that got about about your burglary would have astonished you, it is a nasty experience you won’t very soon forget. I went to Hooper’s as Will asked me to and saw the washstand and toilet table. They weren’t quite finished, and I am going again at the end of the week to see them completed. I thought them very uncommon and refined looking and liked them even better than Alice’s. The washstand has a back as high as its top, and the tiles are a beautiful indigo greeny blue and 2 towel racks. The table hasn’t a glass in yet but I will see that he puts in a good bevel. The wood wasn’t oiled when I saw it.
Tomorrow is Miss Backhouses Wedding day, and it is raining hard in preparation. I think she has been the most befeted girl ever married here. I was asked to a great many things given in her honour, but didn’t go to any. I have foresworn gayety this winter.
I daresay Mother has told you how hard I am working. I am well in the swing of it and am really enjoying my work. Mother is anxious to know if you got the little hood she made for you ?
[Letter incomplete]
My dearest Sis
It is a long time since I have written to you so I will devote this evening to a good old chat with you. What a dreadful shock you have had over this burglary. I can think of nothing else, and the fright you must have got when you found the man in your room. Everybody is loud in praise of Will’s pluck following them up. I can imagine your feelings while he was absent. We are hoping for another letter with further particulars. I got a fright last night small as it was compared to yours that made me pretty well understand your feelings. I was awakened by somebody violently pulling my hair, I sat up too terrified even to scream and heard somebody knock against the foot of the bed and go out the door, and a second afterwards I heard the indian clubs in the boys’ room clatter on the floor – then I found my voice and yelled, then I heard Frank in a very terrified voice say “Don’t be frightened Fanny it’s only me!” He was walking in his sleep and was quite as terrified as I was. The family in the mean time behaved most heroically. Annie got up dressed and locked her door in the inside Mother who sleeps alone lit a candle and nearly fainting with palpitation waited for the end, and Father snored on in blissful ignorance, and Willie didn’t even hear a sound, so I think if there is ever a burglary in this house, we mustn’t depend on mutual help. The yarns that got about about your burglary would have astonished you, it is a nasty experience you won’t very soon forget. I went to Hooper’s as Will asked me to and saw the washstand and toilet table. They weren’t quite finished, and I am going again at the end of the week to see them completed. I thought them very uncommon and refined looking and liked them even better than Alice’s. The washstand has a back as high as its top, and the tiles are a beautiful indigo greeny blue and 2 towel racks. The table hasn’t a glass in yet but I will see that he puts in a good bevel. The wood wasn’t oiled when I saw it.
Tomorrow is Miss Backhouses Wedding day, and it is raining hard in preparation. I think she has been the most befeted girl ever married here. I was asked to a great many things given in her honour, but didn’t go to any. I have foresworn gayety this winter.
I daresay Mother has told you how hard I am working. I am well in the swing of it and am really enjoying my work. Mother is anxious to know if you got the little hood she made for you ?
[Letter incomplete]
Pages
4 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