File 2: Hassall family, correspondence, volume 1, pp. 691-1800, 1855-1874

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[Page written and then crossed; some words part obscured.]

grown when you come down. Baby and Emily have both slight colds I hope you are free and quite well. Tell Celia I am glad to hear she is a good attentive girl and I quite long to see her [kitchen?] Sarah is wishing to get home again she is a very good girl. Tomorrow will be our wedding day, how miserable and yet how happy I was this time five years, I did not then know what a really kind husband I should have and how forgiving and patient he would be with my many many faults, I trust my very dearest James we may be spared many years yet to each other and that I may daily strive

to cast all my bad passions I know full well what you have to put up with in me and I grieve me much to think you would not allow me to acknowledge my fault the last time I had words with Celia, I knew and felt that I had done very very wrong in speaking to you as I did for I had not the least occasion for doing so but as you cannot prevent me asking pardon in writing I now beg you will forgive me and I pray most earnestly that I may never again give way to so dreadful passion again, God has blessed us with these dear good children May we be enabled to bring them up in the right way, Emily

[Letter concludes on previous page.]

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Sydney  May 4th 1855

My dear James

Your annual Report reached me in due course and will appear with the Sydney one in the a week, I shall then send you a number for distribution. I would suggest that your annual meeting, next year take place early in January, and for this reason. One of our Rules fixes the annual Rates of the Sydney Living for the season of Epiphany. The meeting ought to take place as early in the year as possible, and the Report for the closed year circulated. There were many things to prevent our adhering to this rule this year, but in future I shall [strain?] every nerve to get matters ready for a January meeting.

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You are not likely to have any difficulty about arranging your own district meeting taking place within a week either before or after ours. Therefore try next year to do so. If you do not, in all probability your Report will be too late for us, and then will have to be presented separately at a great expense or stood over, till it is nearly 2 years old. Think over this. There is plenty of time to arrange between this and January. I was much pleased to hear you had done so well.

Your father told me that you would still be in Sydney. I shall therefore keep your parcels till I see you, unless you still wish me to send them to Long's. Let me know. I am glad to hear your wife and son are getting on. How you are progressing!! Quite

a family man now. Of course you will have heard that I have left St James' and am officiating at Balmain: There will be no doubt of my appointment when the Bishop arrives. Armitage who came out for the King's School, but who cannot take possession until Druitt leaves is a kind of successor to me. Palmer has resigned his Sofala incumbency and is cureate to W. H. Walsh. Allward is well, and half wishes me to remain, but of course I am anxious to be my own master

Give our kind regards to your wife and [Believe me?] dear James Yours Chas F. D. Priddle

My father & mother desire their kind regards

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Oconnell Plains May 21st/55

Dear James

Received your last letter for which I am much obliged, and allow me to congratulate you on the birth of a Son and Heir — I do no know whether I shall be down in time to see you at Denbigh, as I wish to

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get the crops in, and the wheat threshed before I start — 

The ploughing is getting on well — but the thresher has been laid up for the last month with a pain in the side — I branded four Foals of yours since Xmas Old Grey Lucy has had no foals for two years — she must be pretty old now although she is as fat as ever

she possibly can be — they tell me somebody has been riding Black Lucy's legs off, and that she is so poor that she can scarcely walk — we went for her the other day but could not find her — If I stop up here I do not mind taking the Horses on the terms proposed Viz — I am to have them for the term of Five years — to make the