Wellington July 3rd 1852 My dearest Donald I have finished all my work for the day. Papa has gone to bed and I shall now sit down quietly to write to my darling who is I hope comfortable at Whanganui by this time. Your pussy has been a good girl today and has done a great deal of sewing although she is ashamed to mention the hour at which she got up. The weather has cleared up at last and I am in hopes it will be fine enough for me to go out a little next week as I am so much better. Poor Mrs Stokes is no better. I have not seen her since Wednesday as the path has been too slippery for me to go down. I hope it will dry a little tonight as I must go down tomorrow it being, you know, Sunday we are to have the Sacrament. How much I regret love that you cannot be with [me], for I have always looked forward with so much happiness to the pleasure of taking it with my dear husband but I know dear Donald although you are away from me in your prayers tomorrow you will pray that the blessing of the Lord will be with your wife at His table tomorrow. I often think dearest when you are away how dreadful it would be to be sepparated for ever. One of us must leave the other but I hope my dearest husband the parting will be but short and that we will soon meet again to spend our endless eternity together in that world of happiness where our dear mother has gone. Let us then dearest strive with God's assistance to live such a life that when we die we may live together in Heaven. I must now go to bed love as it is getting late. God bless you my own Donald Monday night I got up much earlier this morning and took breakfast with Papa. After breakfast I sat down to my work with the intention of doing a great deal but I was stopt in the middle of it by Mrs Inglis and Miss Hutton coming in. It is very foolish but I cannot get on with what I am doing at present when any one is in. I do not know how other people manage. I suppose they are not as stupid as me. I am quite as badly off at night. You know what a great deal of curiosity Papa has about letters and he is the same with regard to my work. I am sure he asked me half a dozen times on Saturday what I was doing and as it was an unpleasant question to answer I had to put it off the best way I could. Once or twice I pretended not to hear. I am sure Papa has not the least idea that anything is required. I think you must have made a mistake in fancying that he did. I think the reason he takes so much care of me is because he imagines I am in delicate health and not for any other reasons. What nonsense I am writing to you dearest. I wish to make you laugh for perhaps when you receive this letter you will be in low spirits thinking of your poor pussy at home and as you are careful that you do not leave your letters laying about like some one you are acquainted with there is no danger of it falling into any other person's hands. By the bye you old plague what did you mean by locking your desk when you went away without leaving me the key. I am sure you must have some love letters in it and I am determined I shall hunt every corner of it the first time I can find the key. I am thinking of borrowing all the small keys I can get to try and open it in case the letters may be removed when you come home. I went down to Mrs Paul's this afternoon for a walk and I had great difficulty in getting home as it commenced raining. The roads are very bad just now, the rain is very annoying for I wished to go out a little. I am so much better it was very fortunate that yesterday was so fine. It was one of the hottest I have seen for a long time. I felt very much your not being with me but I trust dearest if spared by God we may before long have an opportunity of going together. I often feel uneasy love in case on account of your anxiety to be with me soon you should come in a vessel. Do not love on my account think of it and do not fatigue yourself love by hurrying in. I am in the hands of God and He will strengthen me when the hour of trial comes. I am in hopes however that nothing will detain you too long and do not be anxious for I am sure all danger is now past. I must now conclude for it must be Tuesday morning. You would scold me if you were here for being up so late but I have been trying to make up for lost time during the day. I understand some vessel is going to Taranaki this week so I shall send this letter down with Papa in the morning. Goodbye my darling husband I send you a thousand kisses And believe me your own affectionate wife Susan D McLean