New Chum Gully
Bendigo
Feb 19th
(No year blue paper)
My dear Father,

I was very glad to learn by your your last letter dated 6th Dec that your health is improved and hope that it may continue so. The boating seems to agree with you best. You ought to try a little of that occasionally. You would feel it in this country, where the changes from extreme heat to cold are so frequent, and sudden that it must tell on the constitution.

I was glad also that Willie is at school and so comfortable. I suppose that he is grown greatly since I saw him.

This place has been very dull this summer. For 2 months there has been no rain to fill the dam and that threw a great many idle but at last we have got a supply and do not think we will be out of water again. There will be plenty of employment soon as they are going to commission the Railway between this and Melbourne and it is beginning all along the line. They will have some queer cuttings and tunnels. The telegraph is completed between here and Melbourne so we have the news up 2 minutes after the ship arrives. I have not much time to say anything, as I am going away for two of the horses that are in a paddock 14 miles from here. I shall walk down this evening and have them up tomorrow but I thought it best to scribble a few lines to you as I might be late for this mail when I return. Give my love to Sisters and Brothers, Mamma Joe and Mrs S and believe me.

Yours affect son,

James C. Parkinson.