Hobart Town
13 Warwick St.
April 23 1867
My dear Maria,

I sit down to answer your letter with much pleasure and was glad to hear that you are quite well. You say that you are staying with your Aunt Ewart I was sorry to hear that she was so ill but by the time you will get this letter I hope that she will be quite well. My sister Margaret has suffered very much with the same complaint. It must be very trying to bear with it for it must give such pain but there is nothing but pain in this world. But there is no pain in the next world, there is nothing but pleasure there for those that seek it below and that I trust we are all trying to do. Dear Maria you say you hope James and I should be very happy together. I can assure you that there is not a loving cottage in all H’town than ours is. I am very happy to say that Dear James is not gone to sea. Now he has got some little thing to do on shore but it is not what he should like to do but trust that there may be something better for him very soon. You want to know if there is much frost or severe weather in Australia. It is getting very much like home the winter for or it is so bitter cold only we do not see so much snow. It all falls on Mount Wellington. You will see that grate mountain in the card I sent home of H’towm and hope that you will get them safe. H’town is a very pretty place and also very healthy. There are a great number of familys come from Melbourne in summer for it is so much better here than there. It is not so hot and I do not think that I could live there and now dear Maria many thanks to you for the letter you so kindly sent me and hope to hear from you soon.

Believe me your,

Loving sister Christina Parkinson