Henry Edward Hall to W S Hall, 7 September 1858
| Title: | Henry Edward Hall to W S Hall, 7 September 1858 |
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| Identifier: | archives.org.au/Henry_Edward_Hall_to_W_S_Hall,_7_September_1858 |
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| License: |  This work is free of known copyright restrictions.
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| Related people: | Henry Edward Hall · William Shakespeare Hall |
| Related places: | Wongung |
| Keywords: | Transcriptions by Ian Berryman · H.M. Wilson Archives |
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File: H_E_Hall_1858_09_07A.doc File:H_E_Hall_1858_09_07A.pdf
OCR April 2010 by Ian Bracher from an undated typescript
Checked against MS by IB on 13 April 2010
Transcription
Wongung
Septr 7th 1858
My dear Shakespeare
I received your very affectionate letter of the 16th July with one from Henry of Augst 11th on the 5th of this month Henry informs me he shall leave in a month or six weeks for this place I shall feel great pleasure in seeing him but I wish he had been coming under more pleasant circumstances the breaking up of the Wongung establishment will be the scattering the Family to the four Winds while that was kept there was a home or rallying point for every member belonging to it. Oh! Shakespeare if anything could in the least alleviate the loss of your dear Mother it would be that she was mercifully removed before Henrys letter arrived she poor thing could not have borne it I am certain she would have succumb to the blow it would have been to her. She frequently used to revert to the intention of your Brothers leaving us and thought we might with the Cattle we had of our own by keeping two men and a Servant girl do very comfortable with a Herdsman to attend to the Cattle our expences would have been small and our income sufficient to meet them for some considerable time before her departure she had altered in her ideas very much in place of that over anxiety she had a constant wish to make every thing comfortable and often observed that she felt great pleasure in enjoying those blessings and comforts which the Almighty had so graciously bestowed upon us I am afraid my dear Shakespeare you have not received all the letters I have written to you as you mention receiving information from your Sister which I fully communicated to you in one of my letters and both Sarah & Henry state that they had not received a letter from me when I had written two to Sarah two to Henry and one to you one of Henry’s letters was in part to you. As I fear you have not received the letter with those particulars that I should wish you to be acquainted with I will relate them and you must excuse me if it should be but a repitition of what I have before written as it is a melancholy consolation to relate to one that I know feels deeply and anxiously everything relating to one so dear. On Thursday your dear Mama complained of an head Ache in the Eveng and retired to bed rather earlier than usual on the Friday she had exposed herself to the Sun the day before I gave her the remedies I had always found effectual in such a case and on the Sat afternoon she was much better on the Sunday your Brothers were out and we were alone and your dear Mama got up after breakfast and sat & sometimes reclined on the Sofa the greater part of the day we spent the time as we had usually done in reading and in the Eveng she retired to be[d] and had some tea and toast afterwards she got some comfortable sleep and appeared much better in the morg she wished to get up but I recommended her to remain in her room for as the weat[h]er was very hot and the doors continually open I was fearful she might take cold I was very busy in making a Hay press but every opportunity I had I came to see her I thought she had been out of bed too often and cautioned her to be careful as the medicine she had been taken [sic] produced considerable perspiration I had been up many times but always came to the front of the House but about ½ past 3 I had compleated the press and rove the tackles I then left and this time I came under the Fig trees and to the back door she did not hear me and I found her laying on a Carpet by the bed side and her head on a Hassock she jumped up ran round the foot of the bed and leaped in with the agility of a girl of 15 and laughing heartily said “You was very naughty for coming that way as I could not see you” I told her I was very sorry to find she did not attend to what I had said to her she said “I hope you will not scold me and I promise I will not get out of bed any more” I said I will take care you do not for I have finished my press and now I shall not have occasion to leave you again which I did not for so much as a quarter of an hour from that time I sat down by her and she chat[t]ed quite lively amongst other things of little importance she said as soon as I am better Frank has promised to ride with me to Perth I said I was pleased that she had made up her mind to go as I was sure it would do her good she said her last visit to Perth was the pleasantest visit she had ever had (she had made some agreeable acquaintances) she said she should not be away long but I said I hoped she would stay as long as it was agreeable as I would take care of the house and not go out during her absence on the Tuesday she was taken with a difficulty of breathing which I attributed to cold she had taken the day before and I administered such remedies as I thought would relieve her she continued in that state till the Eveng during the night she was much easier and slept at one time four hours and then woke and took some tea she slept several times till the morning and appeared to be getting better as much as could be expected a short time before she went to sleep she said when I am in Perth I will go and see Mrs Williams at Guilford I wish her to do so as it would be a good opportunity and make her visit more pleasant she said I have a great desire to see her and returnd to the subject several times before going to sleep calculating how much longer it would detain her and what the extra expence would be on the Wednesday morg while I was giving her a cup of tea some time before breakfast she said I have altered my mind I shall not go to Guilford when I am in Perth I said perhaps you will alter again she said no last night I had a great wish to see her but this morg I have made up my mind that I will not go I have not the least wish to see her now I said well my dear please yourself. It was very singular Mrs Williams was well on the Tuesday she was taken ill about bed time and died about 3 oClock on Wed morg in Child bed.
About 11 oClock your dear Mama’s breathing became more natural and in the afternoon she was quite easy and comfortable and I flattered myself that she was fast recovering she took some Fowl and some of the broth and a cup of Tea at Dinner and took some tea several times in the afternoon Mrs Lazenby and Mrs Wm Mead heard that she was ill and they both came in the afternoon she took some tea 2 Cups and toast at tea time about ½ past six about 7 o’clock she got out of bed and I laid it strait when she got in I said I thought if she had another pillow it might prevent a return of the difficulty of breathing and she would lay easier she said I am very comfortable but I will do anything you wish me I raised her up and put a Sofa pillow under her own when she laid down she said thank you my dear you are very kind my arm was under her and I stood with my other hand on her cheek I remained in that position as she appeared drowsy & I did not wish to prevent her going to sleep she continued speaking to me at times and I never saw her look more tranquil and pleasant the expression of her Eyes was beautiful and she had a smile on her lips she continued in this manner thinking she had dozed with her eyes open I put my ear to her mouth and she was breathing like an Infant asleep I stood some time in this manner and wishing to know if the circulation was as much subdued as it appeared I moved my hand from her cheek to feel the Artery in her Neck When Merciful God it had ceased to beat and she was dead in my Arms and I did not know it the same kind expression in the Eyes the same smile on the lips, but the Immortal Spirit had fled I felt as If I received a stunning blow at the back of head and I stood unconscious.
H
