Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Isabel Field
Date
09 Mar 1896
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Object Detail
Date
09 Mar 1896
Transcript
Cranmore Lodge March 9th 96
My dearest Sis
Just a few lines in pencil to let you know I am still in the land of the living tho’ you mayn’t have thought so considering the stony silence that has existed between the two families for upwards of a month. We know you and the babies are all right any way from Dr Scott and we have heard of the new nursemaid and I hope you have found her answer. Dr Scott said he had several long chats with you and in his self-complacent way said you hadn’t forgotten how to talk! What did he expect?
I hear you too have been in the dentists’ hands poor old girl how I can sympathise with you, tho’ I expect your ordeal was a good deal worse than mine. I feel a mumbling old fossil just at present without my pearlies but I have kept myself to myself in the most exclusive fashion and haven’t been out of the grounds with the exception of a Saturday to Monday trip to Puketeraki with Lily last week. I felt as if I was returning to the natives under a cloud as it were, which translated means a thick gauze veil – I have a final appointment this morning to have a few remaining teerth out and next week I hope to get my “set”. How horrible it sounds. Between ourselves Katie Rattray has had hers out too, in fact there are precious few without them.
May had a cable today to say her little man had arrive at Frisco which means he will be here in 3 weeks and 3 days from date of arrival here they are to be married. She is getting a pretty extensive trousseau 3 good dresses from Crocker and numerous blouses and jackets and the usual over haulage of teeth and hair and an elaborate process of manicuring her nails which Mr Garden gave her before he left with strict instructions for it to be used. May is really very fond of him and is very happy.
Socially things are very quiet. Mr Edmund gave a riding and driving picnic on the 29th of February (Leap Years Day) and there was much vulgar speculation I believe whether he would come back engaged to Alice Stephenson or not, but it has not been announced yet. Alice McGowan is having an afternoon tea on Wednesday for Miss Robertson and Tiny McKenzie who are going home. I am sending Mr Spence’s picture by them. The Ritchies are also [incomplete]
My dearest Sis
Just a few lines in pencil to let you know I am still in the land of the living tho’ you mayn’t have thought so considering the stony silence that has existed between the two families for upwards of a month. We know you and the babies are all right any way from Dr Scott and we have heard of the new nursemaid and I hope you have found her answer. Dr Scott said he had several long chats with you and in his self-complacent way said you hadn’t forgotten how to talk! What did he expect?
I hear you too have been in the dentists’ hands poor old girl how I can sympathise with you, tho’ I expect your ordeal was a good deal worse than mine. I feel a mumbling old fossil just at present without my pearlies but I have kept myself to myself in the most exclusive fashion and haven’t been out of the grounds with the exception of a Saturday to Monday trip to Puketeraki with Lily last week. I felt as if I was returning to the natives under a cloud as it were, which translated means a thick gauze veil – I have a final appointment this morning to have a few remaining teerth out and next week I hope to get my “set”. How horrible it sounds. Between ourselves Katie Rattray has had hers out too, in fact there are precious few without them.
May had a cable today to say her little man had arrive at Frisco which means he will be here in 3 weeks and 3 days from date of arrival here they are to be married. She is getting a pretty extensive trousseau 3 good dresses from Crocker and numerous blouses and jackets and the usual over haulage of teeth and hair and an elaborate process of manicuring her nails which Mr Garden gave her before he left with strict instructions for it to be used. May is really very fond of him and is very happy.
Socially things are very quiet. Mr Edmund gave a riding and driving picnic on the 29th of February (Leap Years Day) and there was much vulgar speculation I believe whether he would come back engaged to Alice Stephenson or not, but it has not been announced yet. Alice McGowan is having an afternoon tea on Wednesday for Miss Robertson and Tiny McKenzie who are going home. I am sending Mr Spence’s picture by them. The Ritchies are also [incomplete]
Pages
4 pages
Sender's address
Cranmore Lodge
Institutional No.
MS-Papers-0085-05
Credit Line
Letters
from
Frances
Hodgkins.
Field,
Isabel
Jane,
1867-1950
:
Correspondence
of
Frances
Hodgkins
and
family
/
collected
by
Isabel
Field.
Ref:
MS-Papers-0085-05.
Alexander
Turnbull
Library,
Wellington,
New
Zealand.
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23234786
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23234786