My dear Susan Having added a few lines to Papa's letter you may perhaps expect that I should do the same to yours which I do the more readily as I find that I shall be absent and consequently unable to write by next Tuesday's mail. My letter of last night will have informed you that I am going up the Whanganui River for a cruise which will occupy at least a week. I quite forgot what expressions I used in reference to scandal. My expression is that I merely alluded to it as a vice to be carefully avoided without ever imagining that you were addicted to it, indeed without your assurance such an idea would never have occurred to me. The lovely weather we have got in the country reminds me that you had some idea of amusing yourself by doing a little towards improving the flowers in the garden. I really wish you would. It is such a delightful healthy occupation. What can be more pleasing to a young lady than indulging in those simple recreations that refresh the mind and generate sentiments of thankfulness and love towards a beneficent creator who bestows so many blessings on his unworthy creatures and affords us even in the shrubs and flowers such wonderful causes for gratitude and reflection. How truly refreshing to those who occasionally experience the pleasures afforded by early rising it is to walk round your garden flowers when the sun begins to rise and dry up the sparkling morning dew that falls in such heavy sparkling drops during the Spring months. I feel quite certain if Miss Susan could be induced to experience a few times in fine weather the pleasure such exercise would afford that she would not allow her mother to waken her in the morning as she is usually in the habit of doing but I guess what you are going to say it is thus that Mr McLean is horribly lazy himself in the mornings therefore why does he preach to others what he does not practice himself. Quite true but I am getting an early, a very early, riser and I am in hopes that Susan will be so also instead of wasting precious time that would be better employed in reading the Popes or something else if going to the garden is not at all seasons convenient. I am now surrounded by a crew of natives who will not give me much time for writing so my good girl again I will say goodbye, and with kind wishes to Mamma Believe me to be Very sincerely yours Donald McLean 30 July 1850