Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Rachel Hodgkins
Date
05 Jan 1896
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Object Detail
Date
05 Jan 1896
Transcript
Carrington Jan 5th 96
My darling Mother
Just a few lines to let you know I have arrived safely at my destination, and as you no doubt have heard my portmanteau came to hand alright. It turns out the guard was so certain that it was not on board that he would not let me get into the van and so it was over carried to Chch. Anyway, I was very thankful to get it again. I can imagine the remarks Father has been making since the arrival of my telegram. It was been a howling Nor’wester ever since I arrived so I have not been out of the garden. I found Lily looking very shaky and dreadfully bruised after the accident and she will not be able to walk for a few days yet. It was a much more serious accident than Lily made out and has given them all a great fright, and they are all very much “off” horse exercise in any shape or form. This is a very pretty place, but there is not much to sketch, I am sorry to say. The boys have all been immortalised, much to their delight and I have plenty of models in the back yard in the shape of pet lambs and calves.
Last night we had a concert and had all farm hands and the county families. The boys got up a farce and a nigger minstrel entertainment. Miss Cameron sang one song for which she had prepared six encores none of which she was asked to produce. I gave the inevitable “Piccaninny” and then we all adjourned for a sumptuous supper.
This place is worse than Chch. For Nor’westers, this morning we could hardly hear ourselves for the wind but it went down in the afternoon and we all went down to the river for afternoon tea. The boys’ one idea is to get me on horseback and they (the horses) all look such tame old mokes that I have consented to go out tomorrow provided the pace is very gentle. We had church in the hall this morning, Mrs Ritchie reading the service. Mr R. went home the day I arrived but Mr & Mrs McLaren are still here but leave tomorrow and on Wednesday Manie Reynolds comes up. We are a very merry party and Mrs Ritchie lets us do whatever we like. Besides myself, there are Ethel Batchelor, a Miss Gardiner from Wellington, a nice little old maid who looks terribly over worked and whom Miss Ritchie has here for a rest every year, Guy Graham, the McLarens & Miss Cameron. Lily and I share a room and it is declared to be the untidiest one in the house beside the roudiest, it has French windows, in & out of which the family wanders at all hours. The boys have their baths on the verandah and early rising is impossible even if it were desirable. I have had rheumatism very badly since I came I think I must have caught cold on the train for I can hardly lift my arms they are so stiff. I have not aired no[r] watered the bathing gown yet tell May. Miss Cameron, who is fat and has an ugly gown, disapproves of bathing a la Français so I needn’t have been so particular after all.
I got a pretty card from Mr Russell yesterday enclosed in one for Mrs Ritchie. I haven’t written to Sis yet, I don’t know what she must think of me, and I mustn’t stop to write any more tonight, dearest old Mother. Miss Cameron is squawking hymns at the top of her squeaky voice, and as everybody is writing home there is a great run on the inkpot, they are crying out that my time is up, and have given me a final dip to wind up with. We are going to have a euchre party tomorrow night and a Fancy Dress ball on Friday, and a concert on Saturday so we are not at all dull. With much love, dear old Mother and hoping the boys are taking care of you. I remain your loving daughter Fanny
My darling Mother
Just a few lines to let you know I have arrived safely at my destination, and as you no doubt have heard my portmanteau came to hand alright. It turns out the guard was so certain that it was not on board that he would not let me get into the van and so it was over carried to Chch. Anyway, I was very thankful to get it again. I can imagine the remarks Father has been making since the arrival of my telegram. It was been a howling Nor’wester ever since I arrived so I have not been out of the garden. I found Lily looking very shaky and dreadfully bruised after the accident and she will not be able to walk for a few days yet. It was a much more serious accident than Lily made out and has given them all a great fright, and they are all very much “off” horse exercise in any shape or form. This is a very pretty place, but there is not much to sketch, I am sorry to say. The boys have all been immortalised, much to their delight and I have plenty of models in the back yard in the shape of pet lambs and calves.
Last night we had a concert and had all farm hands and the county families. The boys got up a farce and a nigger minstrel entertainment. Miss Cameron sang one song for which she had prepared six encores none of which she was asked to produce. I gave the inevitable “Piccaninny” and then we all adjourned for a sumptuous supper.
This place is worse than Chch. For Nor’westers, this morning we could hardly hear ourselves for the wind but it went down in the afternoon and we all went down to the river for afternoon tea. The boys’ one idea is to get me on horseback and they (the horses) all look such tame old mokes that I have consented to go out tomorrow provided the pace is very gentle. We had church in the hall this morning, Mrs Ritchie reading the service. Mr R. went home the day I arrived but Mr & Mrs McLaren are still here but leave tomorrow and on Wednesday Manie Reynolds comes up. We are a very merry party and Mrs Ritchie lets us do whatever we like. Besides myself, there are Ethel Batchelor, a Miss Gardiner from Wellington, a nice little old maid who looks terribly over worked and whom Miss Ritchie has here for a rest every year, Guy Graham, the McLarens & Miss Cameron. Lily and I share a room and it is declared to be the untidiest one in the house beside the roudiest, it has French windows, in & out of which the family wanders at all hours. The boys have their baths on the verandah and early rising is impossible even if it were desirable. I have had rheumatism very badly since I came I think I must have caught cold on the train for I can hardly lift my arms they are so stiff. I have not aired no[r] watered the bathing gown yet tell May. Miss Cameron, who is fat and has an ugly gown, disapproves of bathing a la Français so I needn’t have been so particular after all.
I got a pretty card from Mr Russell yesterday enclosed in one for Mrs Ritchie. I haven’t written to Sis yet, I don’t know what she must think of me, and I mustn’t stop to write any more tonight, dearest old Mother. Miss Cameron is squawking hymns at the top of her squeaky voice, and as everybody is writing home there is a great run on the inkpot, they are crying out that my time is up, and have given me a final dip to wind up with. We are going to have a euchre party tomorrow night and a Fancy Dress ball on Friday, and a concert on Saturday so we are not at all dull. With much love, dear old Mother and hoping the boys are taking care of you. I remain your loving daughter Fanny
Pages
8 pages
Sender's address
Carrington
Institutional No.
MS-Papers-0085-04
Credit Line
Letters
from
Frances
Hodgkins.
Field,
Isabel
Jane,
1867-1950
:
Correspondence
of
Frances
Hodgkins
and
family
/
collected
by
Isabel
Field.
Ref:
MS-Papers-0085-04.
Alexander
Turnbull
Library,
Wellington,
New
Zealand.
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22310185
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/22310185