Hobartown
June 14th 1871
My dear Mother,

I have again the pleasure of acknowledging the receipt of your welcome letter and also three newspapers. I hope that by this time Sam has arrived safely in the land of promise and that he will be able to endure the hardship, and that you will be enabled to bear up against the trial that I only wish that I was with him. The place is getting worse every year and now the Government of Victoria has put so much duty on the fruit and jam that it has paralysed the trade. I have now been nearly a month without employment and rent and expenses going on. I do not see any prospect but to take to my old profession which is not very agreeable and is only a bare livelyhood and as for saving money here it is out of the question. I am sorry to have to write such bad news, but I am not as bad as hundreds here. There is one good thing we all enjoy good health which is a great blessing, but it is worse than hard work walking about and going back in the world although I have even eschewed smoking.I received bill of lading of the parcel and expect it next month. There has been no news of Luke yet but expect he will soon turn up all right. Our garden is very useful, but the best flowers and fruit in it last year was the Potato, although we have all the English flowers here. I think Annie will be pretty smart, but Brother Willy will be the Boy and I wish I could send you the ‘Carte’, he will be very like George. You must excuse the dull letter. I endeavour to put my trust in God for Temporal as well as Spiritual blessings, surely he who has led us so far will not leave us at last. I hope that at next mail I will have better news. Chris desires to be remembered to you and Annie sends her Love to Grandma. Excuse the request in the last but I anticipate hard times this winter. Give my love to all and believe me your affectionate son.

Jas C. Parkinson