Dalmuir Hill 5th August [1852] My dearest Donald I hear the little vessel by which you sent letter is going either tomorrow or Saturday and I shall send a letter by it as it may reach Taranaki before the native sent overland by the Hunter's arrives there. How much I wish that I could sit beside my darling husband at the fires instead of writing to him. I begin to weary dreadfully for you. I hope dearest it will not be long if we are spared before this wandering life is over and we will be able to enjoy each other's society without always having the disagreeable feeling that we are soon again to part for weeks and often months. I almost despair now of having you with me on our wedding day as it is now only three weeks and two days till then. I shall be very much disappointed as I had felt certain of your coming home by that time however love it will not make it any better to fret about it. I know you will be here if it is possible. I have had a dreadful day of toothache. It was most annoying as I was quite unfit to do anything with it. I am afraid now that it has commenced I shall suffer a good deal as I never could get rid if it easyly when I had it before. It is no use having the tooth taken out as most likely I would have it in another. I have not been out since Tuesday as it has rained ever since. I am delighted to hear that you get up a little earlier now. I hope you will continue to do so when you come home. I am afraid however you will be as lazy as ever. I must acknowledge I do not get up at half past seven like you but I am always in time for breakfast. It would be of no use for me to get up sooner as the weather is dreadfully cold and I am always afraid of again having an attack of that nasty shivering besides I do not sleep well if I go to bed early. I lay awake for a long time. I never can go to sleep before 1 so I often sit up till then. You must not scold darling for it is quite as well to sit up sewing or reading as to lay awake in bed restless and uncomfortable. I must conclude for tonight my dear old plague of a husband. Good night darling. Goodbye dearest Donald and believe me your own affectionate S D McLean Friday night We have again had a miserable day of rain and if it was not that Ellen Paul is still with me I would have felt very dull. We tried to walk for a short time in the verandah as we get so tired of the house but I was soon obliged to give it up as that horrid toothache commenced again. I wonder what my Donald is doing just now. Most likely he is in bed and asleep although it is not late but I know although my old plague pretends to be so active he is very lazy and if he gets up early in the morning he makes up for it by going soon to bed. I shall never forget how you pretended you were such am early riser when you were stayning with us before our marriage you used to disturb the whole house getting up before six and I often felt surprised when I sent a note to you at the little cottage to here from the boy that you were not up at ten o'clock but I soon found out when I was married that you had as great a dislike to early rising as any one ever had. Papa tells me he has written to you that I sew too much. You must not scold me darling for it is nonsense Papa thinking that if I were delicate it might do me harm but I am sure no one can be in better health than me besides the work must be done and I will not spend money giving it out while I can do it myself and I know also I could not get it done to please me. I know you are always so much afraid that I hurt myself, that I was quite vexed when I heard Papa had told you this as you might take it in your head to forbid me doing any more sewing. I think it would be strange if my darling husband was to be always working whilst I was comfortable at home doing nothing. I must conclude this note darling as Papa is to take it down in the morning. A large parcel came in a few weeks ago for you. I sent it to Papa this morning and he said he did not know whether to send it or not as it did not look like anything from Government so I took the liberty of opening it to see if it was of consequence and what do you think it was? old Welche's journal of his journey from Wellington to the East Coast with a note, but I must conclude for want of room. Goodbye dearest Donald and believe me your own affectionate S D McLean