LETTER FIFTEEN.
London,
My Dear Sister,
I received your kind letter but I know not how to answer it. My heart feels bursting' with gratitude to you all. I can only thank you now, but may I live to see the happy day when we shall get all of you who are willing to Australia. I will then try to show you how thankful I am. My Henry is too bad to say I am unhappy. T shall never be unhappy while 1 have him to make me happy. But I have been very uneasy about my father. I was afraid I should not even get a letter from him, and the shilling was more than I expected. You have only seen a specimen of what he has been to me for the last ten or twelve years. But he is my father, and I do love him; you can, therefore, guess what I have felt. I thank you for asking him to send me something, but do not ask him again. It must be so unpleasant to yourself. I feel more happy now that I have heard from him. I am in very good spirits, and though I am a little ill sometimes, I think I am stronger than I used to be … I am very glad we are going, for I believe if we were to stay in London it would kill Henry outright in a short time. Thank my sister Maria for the dress; I like it very much. … Give my love to Thomas, I often think how he will be altered when we see him again, and to poor mother, too. We often think of her and weep. I am glad the dog will not let anyone hurt Maria. I hope he will take the same care of all of you. Give my love to dear father and mother, and then a long farewell, and may God bless you till we meet again.
Your affectionate sister,
P.S.—My father is under a mistake about my Uncle Taylor. He is at Hobart's Town in Van Diemen's Land. We shall go six thousand miles beyond there.
P.S. by H. P.—My good lady has made a bit of a mistake in this last statement. Hobart's Town is not very many days from Sydney.
Note.—I have given only extracts from this letter, as it refers mainly to things 2hich her sisters-in-law offered to provide for my mother during the voyage. The letter has pinned to it the following note from Maria Parkes:—'The one shilling named was obtained from Mr. Varney, by my sister Sarah, after two hours' hard talking to him on behalf of his daughter,—M.P.'