Fonda de la Alameda, Malaga
Tuesday Afternoon, 24th March 1857
My dearest Mother,
This morning we were delighted and greatly relieved to receive your kind letter of the 14th inst. bringing us good news of yourself and our two dear boys and indeed of every thing about home; we were a fortnight today without hearing from you and we have come to the conclusion that the letter you posted on the 7th inst. has gone astray; the newspapers have all come regularly except one a long time ago which was detained several days. We are very glad that you think the porch an improvement in both comfort and looks and that the hall is now finished in a satisfactory manner as to light and appearance. 1 can well understand how glad you are to have the painters out of the house and hope you will now feel comfortable; if you were only able to drive about a little and do not tire yourself too much in looking after the farm you may pass the
time pleasantly as well as you___ usefully for I feel sure that if you were not there Churchfield would be a scene of confusion. I think l0d a stone or 6/8 a cwt. a good price for my oats this season and the yield on the two nearly 16 cwt. each stack very good for Churchfield farm. I hope Tom’s foal will soon get better to enable you to drive a little and to ease the work of the other horses on the farm. Do you not think that if Tom becomes able to work regularly on the farm it will be better to save the grey filly if any of them can be spared from the work? It is very late in the season to have had such a great fall of snow and such severe weather but it seems to have been general over England; and on last Sunday we had a heavy fall of rain here and it was so cold that the mountains at a distance were as much covered with snow as they were any time during the winter but the heat of the sun seems to have melted the most of it away already. We had very pleasant letters on this day week from Margaret & Annie in which they gave a good account of Lizzie and themselves but said that Moore was looking rather thinner; perhaps this has been from the anxiety and care attendant on her illness. You do not mention anything about the heifer which was to be sold about the time you last wrote; perhaps you mentioned something of her in the lost note. We are sorry to hear of Mrs. McNeill’s mishap although it is not so sad as the loss of a baby of a few months old; and we are sorry to hear that Mrs. Clarke’s baby is dead. I think you will like the new books you have got from the library if you have not already read them. We approve of your choice of a bronze or black knocker instead of the old one we had. Since writing last week dearest Cha’ has felt rather better and suffered less from cough but today she does not feel quite so well; she has had however a good week for her. Roddie continues very well and he will be delighted when we set out on our homeward journey which I think will be in about seven weeks. The trees are getting into leaf and Roddie is able to gather a bunch of wild flowers in our morning walks and bring them home to Mama. We still like our new rooms and are glad of having changed. I received Mr. Knowles’ note and enclose one for him and one for Dora which you will kindly forward in one envelope addressed to Mr. Knowles. Mrs. Saurin is still in bed from the fall she got now seven weeks ago; it has proved more serious that it was once thought it would be; as well her ribs being broken she has been bruised inwardly but we paid her a visit a few days ago and she received us in her bedroom. Her general health has not been at all injured and she looks well. Rod is a great favourite of hers. Mrs. Mark the Consul’s wife had a little boy a few days ago at 4 o’clock in the morning; she had been entertaining company the evening before till about half past eleven. They are both doing well. If you see R. McMichael please ask him to pay brother Robert my portion of the rent of Losset farm with his own and I will settle with him when I return. Cha’ desires me to thank you for your little note; she is glad you think the boys are looking well and are good. Kiss them for us with our fondest love and Roddies’. We were much pleased with Brab’s little note to mama which nurse wrote for him. Roddie joins us in fondest love to you and in kind regards to all enquiring friends.
Believe me, dearest Mother,
Yours most affectionately,
John Casement.
Tuesday Afternoon, 24th March 1857
My dearest Mother,
This morning we were delighted and greatly relieved to receive your kind letter of the 14th inst. bringing us good news of yourself and our two dear boys and indeed of every thing about home; we were a fortnight today without hearing from you and we have come to the conclusion that the letter you posted on the 7th inst. has gone astray; the newspapers have all come regularly except one a long time ago which was detained several days. We are very glad that you think the porch an improvement in both comfort and looks and that the hall is now finished in a satisfactory manner as to light and appearance. 1 can well understand how glad you are to have the painters out of the house and hope you will now feel comfortable; if you were only able to drive about a little and do not tire yourself too much in looking after the farm you may pass the
time pleasantly as well as you___ usefully for I feel sure that if you were not there Churchfield would be a scene of confusion. I think l0d a stone or 6/8 a cwt. a good price for my oats this season and the yield on the two nearly 16 cwt. each stack very good for Churchfield farm. I hope Tom’s foal will soon get better to enable you to drive a little and to ease the work of the other horses on the farm. Do you not think that if Tom becomes able to work regularly on the farm it will be better to save the grey filly if any of them can be spared from the work? It is very late in the season to have had such a great fall of snow and such severe weather but it seems to have been general over England; and on last Sunday we had a heavy fall of rain here and it was so cold that the mountains at a distance were as much covered with snow as they were any time during the winter but the heat of the sun seems to have melted the most of it away already. We had very pleasant letters on this day week from Margaret & Annie in which they gave a good account of Lizzie and themselves but said that Moore was looking rather thinner; perhaps this has been from the anxiety and care attendant on her illness. You do not mention anything about the heifer which was to be sold about the time you last wrote; perhaps you mentioned something of her in the lost note. We are sorry to hear of Mrs. McNeill’s mishap although it is not so sad as the loss of a baby of a few months old; and we are sorry to hear that Mrs. Clarke’s baby is dead. I think you will like the new books you have got from the library if you have not already read them. We approve of your choice of a bronze or black knocker instead of the old one we had. Since writing last week dearest Cha’ has felt rather better and suffered less from cough but today she does not feel quite so well; she has had however a good week for her. Roddie continues very well and he will be delighted when we set out on our homeward journey which I think will be in about seven weeks. The trees are getting into leaf and Roddie is able to gather a bunch of wild flowers in our morning walks and bring them home to Mama. We still like our new rooms and are glad of having changed. I received Mr. Knowles’ note and enclose one for him and one for Dora which you will kindly forward in one envelope addressed to Mr. Knowles. Mrs. Saurin is still in bed from the fall she got now seven weeks ago; it has proved more serious that it was once thought it would be; as well her ribs being broken she has been bruised inwardly but we paid her a visit a few days ago and she received us in her bedroom. Her general health has not been at all injured and she looks well. Rod is a great favourite of hers. Mrs. Mark the Consul’s wife had a little boy a few days ago at 4 o’clock in the morning; she had been entertaining company the evening before till about half past eleven. They are both doing well. If you see R. McMichael please ask him to pay brother Robert my portion of the rent of Losset farm with his own and I will settle with him when I return. Cha’ desires me to thank you for your little note; she is glad you think the boys are looking well and are good. Kiss them for us with our fondest love and Roddies’. We were much pleased with Brab’s little note to mama which nurse wrote for him. Roddie joins us in fondest love to you and in kind regards to all enquiring friends.
Believe me, dearest Mother,
Yours most affectionately,
John Casement.