Letter from Frances Hodgkins to Rachel Hodgkins
Date
23 Jan 1909
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Object Detail
Date
23 Jan 1909
Transcript
Paris, Jan 23rd
My dearest Mother
Your letter of Dec: 17th came this morning. How good of you to write dear when you were so tired after your Xmas shopping. I can imgine you struggling up from the tram with your load of parcels & nobody to help you carry them. No wonder you were tired poor dear – you managed to choose a very nice lot of books I think. I only know their names these days I rarely see a book & for ages past I haven’t read a nice novel. Curiously enough I nearly sent Girlie Beatrix Potters “Jemima Puddle Duck” not so much because I liked it very much but in order to complete the Potter series I know she has & to keep it up to date. B. Potter is a friend of Miss Thorps & sends her all her latest. She is a quaint old fashioned little person with lots of money – she travels about with a menagerie of live stock: a dormouse, white mice, rabbits etc. It always pierces my heart to hear of your doing all the work without help from anyone. Do promise to get a little maid – even if she only came in for the day. Why overwork your self dear when I know there is no need for it. I am sure the housework & all you do in the garden is much too much for your strength, especially during the hot summer months. I am truly astonished at your attempting to walk the hill from the Terrace in the hot weather. Do give over this headstrong Father William tricks & be reasonable. I shall have to write to Bert to be more strict with you.
I hear from Lady Atkinson she is on her way out to N.Z. & will spend some days in Paris & suggests coming to this pension. I happen to be extremely busy preparing for my show & Class etc besides my Studio work & I shall have the barest time to show her around the sights etc. She knows no one in Paris so it will be dull for her doing it all alone. So far I have had little time to spend, or money either for sight-seeing. When Sunday comes I crave to be allowed to spend the morning in my bed & rest my jaded brain & body. This week I have very little news for you. It has been a cold & most dreary fortnight – rain rain and rain & today & yesterday snow & sleet & slush. Did I tell you that I went one day to call on Mrs Hales. She lives with her son & daughter in law & baby or most strictly speaking I fancy they live with her to judge from the remarks she lets fall. She is just the same little vulgar kindhearted woman as in Dunedin black curls velvet & all. Her daughter in law seemed rather a sweet nice woman rather irked by Mama I think. She however is betaking herself back to N.Z. in the merry month of May and she is most anxious I should travel with her. Myself, I shouldn’t have thought of such a thing but she seemed to think it quite a bright idea. I heard an abundance of interesting gossip about old New Zealanders & I wondered how the little lady could carry on so much of other people’s business about in her brain. Where has Miss Richmond got to? I have not heard from her for a long time nor the von Haasts. It is rather disheartening not selling in Dunedin. They will regret it some day. If they don’t like my work they will not want lessons from me when I come back that is certain so I will be as badly off there as here. Next mail I hope to have more amusing things to tell you. It has been too wet & dull lately for any lively doings. Love to all Your loving Frances If you haven’t already sent off pictures to London better pack frames & all. It will be as cheap as reframing in London.
Envelope postmarked Paris 23 Jan 1909 addressed:
Mrs Hodgkins Central Terrace Kelburn Wellington New Zealand Via Suez
My dearest Mother
Your letter of Dec: 17th came this morning. How good of you to write dear when you were so tired after your Xmas shopping. I can imgine you struggling up from the tram with your load of parcels & nobody to help you carry them. No wonder you were tired poor dear – you managed to choose a very nice lot of books I think. I only know their names these days I rarely see a book & for ages past I haven’t read a nice novel. Curiously enough I nearly sent Girlie Beatrix Potters “Jemima Puddle Duck” not so much because I liked it very much but in order to complete the Potter series I know she has & to keep it up to date. B. Potter is a friend of Miss Thorps & sends her all her latest. She is a quaint old fashioned little person with lots of money – she travels about with a menagerie of live stock: a dormouse, white mice, rabbits etc. It always pierces my heart to hear of your doing all the work without help from anyone. Do promise to get a little maid – even if she only came in for the day. Why overwork your self dear when I know there is no need for it. I am sure the housework & all you do in the garden is much too much for your strength, especially during the hot summer months. I am truly astonished at your attempting to walk the hill from the Terrace in the hot weather. Do give over this headstrong Father William tricks & be reasonable. I shall have to write to Bert to be more strict with you.
I hear from Lady Atkinson she is on her way out to N.Z. & will spend some days in Paris & suggests coming to this pension. I happen to be extremely busy preparing for my show & Class etc besides my Studio work & I shall have the barest time to show her around the sights etc. She knows no one in Paris so it will be dull for her doing it all alone. So far I have had little time to spend, or money either for sight-seeing. When Sunday comes I crave to be allowed to spend the morning in my bed & rest my jaded brain & body. This week I have very little news for you. It has been a cold & most dreary fortnight – rain rain and rain & today & yesterday snow & sleet & slush. Did I tell you that I went one day to call on Mrs Hales. She lives with her son & daughter in law & baby or most strictly speaking I fancy they live with her to judge from the remarks she lets fall. She is just the same little vulgar kindhearted woman as in Dunedin black curls velvet & all. Her daughter in law seemed rather a sweet nice woman rather irked by Mama I think. She however is betaking herself back to N.Z. in the merry month of May and she is most anxious I should travel with her. Myself, I shouldn’t have thought of such a thing but she seemed to think it quite a bright idea. I heard an abundance of interesting gossip about old New Zealanders & I wondered how the little lady could carry on so much of other people’s business about in her brain. Where has Miss Richmond got to? I have not heard from her for a long time nor the von Haasts. It is rather disheartening not selling in Dunedin. They will regret it some day. If they don’t like my work they will not want lessons from me when I come back that is certain so I will be as badly off there as here. Next mail I hope to have more amusing things to tell you. It has been too wet & dull lately for any lively doings. Love to all Your loving Frances If you haven’t already sent off pictures to London better pack frames & all. It will be as cheap as reframing in London.
Envelope postmarked Paris 23 Jan 1909 addressed:
Mrs Hodgkins Central Terrace Kelburn Wellington New Zealand Via Suez
Pages
4 pages
Sender's address
Paris
Recipient's address
Mrs Hodgkins, Central Terrace, Kelburne, Wellington, New Zealand. Via Suez
Institutional No.
MS-Papers-0085-23
Credit Line
Letters
from
Frances
Hodgkins
to
Rachel
Hodgkins.
Field,
Isabel
Jane,
1867-1950
:
Correspondence
of
Frances
Hodgkins
and
family
/
collected
by
Isabel
Field.
Ref:
MS-Papers-0085-23.
Alexander
Turnbull
Library,
Wellington,
New
Zealand.
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23154171
https://natlib.govt.nz/records/23154171