Wellington 23rd 1864 My dear Donald I am longing for a letter from you but I suppose that I shall not hear from you untill the 27th which to me appears a long time. I hope that you with "your" walking "shadow" Ferrard get up safe. I quite hate the mean creature as I believe that he made himself busy in matters that he had no business with with regard to that disgusting woman McDougal. I hope that Mr Johnstone stayed with you and that you were able to make him comfortable. The Wild Duck will by this time be in cold latitudes. I am often with my dearest boy in thought and wondering if he is properly attended to. I miss him more and more every day and fancy that no one will attend to his little comforts as I would myself. I always took a pride and a pleasure in seeing to his little wants, but I hope that my loss will be his gain and that he will not forget his poor old aunt. Mr Strang is now getting over the parting but I do pity him, so lonely and so friendless as he is. I am busy putting his shirts to rights and soon as I make him a little tidy I shall go home which I quite long to do. Yr sweetheart Miss Johnston is going to Mr Mason's at the Hut. She gets eighty pounds a year. Miss Rye has not yet returned. When she does I shall call and see her. I send you a paper in which you will see ( marked) a letter written by Mr Muir and which I think will agree very materialy with yr own views. I do hope that matters are going on pleasantly at the station and that Annabella is now in town. I don't like her being in such a lonely place as she has got into such a melancholy disponding state of mind which I do hope will soon wear off. Mr Bethune told me of a piano which he thinks will be sold cheap. Let me know if you will allow me to get it and if so you may have my filly. I have no Wellington gossip to send you. Indeed I quite long to be with you again even for the sake of a gossip for this is a fearfully dull place and the people are not to be compared to our nice kind people at Napier. Remember me to to Mrs Smith and all my friends and tell them that I quite long to see them again. I am now going down to meet with Mr Strang to go to the Judge's at one o'clock so must conclude and with my love to Annabella & your own dear self. I am yr aff. sister Catherine McLean I hope that John is careful of the coals and fire wood. I have just got yr most kind letter from Mrs Kinross asking me to wait for her. She is coming up by the next mail steamer 22 of May. So, God willing, I shall go up with her.