Ponsonby

Sept. 8th. /81

My darling Lucy,

I am so sorry to hear that you have sore eyes but I daresay they will be well before you get this. I am glad you have had the measles & got over them so well. I wish Fred had had scarlet fever as it is so prevalent here and seems rather a bad kind, poor Aleck [Son of Emma and Robert MacDonald] is still very bad, he is so delirious. It is now nearly four weeks since he first took it & he has been delirious most of that time. He was a trifle better last night but in the afternoon when I went to inquire after him I could hear him talking away to all sorts of imaginary beings. He is in the room upstairs that I slept in, I was standing at the bottom of the stairs when I heard him. Fanny [Daughter of Emma and Robert MacDonald] is getting on nicely now, she has a good appetite still but not so ravenous as at first. Poor Aunt Emma is so thankful that we took the rest away. After Lottie [Daughter of Emma and Robert MacDonald] had been with us a week without showing any symptoms of it Mrs Johnson (Aunt Amelia) took her & Mrs Matthews took Tom [Son of Emma and Robert MacDonald] off our hands. We have only now only Lena [Daughter of Emma and Robert MacDonald, probably Selena]. She is just like on one of ourselves and poor Father does not mind her at all but is always very gentle and kind to her. I have just finished making up my cozy which Sue braided for me, & it looks so nice. We shall be very comfortable in time but it will take a long time to feel that it is home. I feel a little as I used to do when we had a cottage at the Bluff – not as if it was our home – one thing is I miss your dear old faces. I can scarcely believe it is sixteen months since I saw them. I wonder how much longer it will be. I feel so weary sometimes for you can form very little idea of the constant trial we have. I do not know what I should do without dear old Sue, she is such a comfort to me, her own thought seems to be to spare me in every way she can, so unselfish, I cannot tell you what a treasure she is to me. Lena seems much stronger & helps us more about the house than she did at first. Mr Campbell Thomson came to see us yesterday, he is hoping to get Mrs T. & family up to Auckland in about a fortnight, I must try & see them. Give my love to Mrs Rout, I hope the children have got through the measles as well as you have done. Dear old Father is no worse though I cannot say there is any marked improvement, still when I look back a few months I fancy he has got a little better in some ways. He is more violent & noisy, ask Arthur if he thinks it might be a good sign showing more strength. He is very well at times, the most troublesome thing is the way he worries us to let him go back to the Asylum & “suffer” his fancies are very like Mr Stobo’s. I have to write to Uncle Edward tonight so must say good-night. Father sends love to you all & so does your old Mother a very large share to each.

Your loving

Mother

Give my best love to Miss Brunton, Susie wrote & did not give it.