Commercial Travellers Club
190 Flinders St
Melbourne
(Sunday) 2 Feb 1913
My Darling Sweetheart
It is Sunday afternoon & as I shall be busy this next week I am going to stay in & write to you. Really Melbourne is a rotten place on Sunday. No papers are published & no trams run till afternoon. This morning I had breakfast in bed & stayed there till 12 o'clock. I felt so utterly tired out that I slept for 12 hours. However lets begin at the beginning & resume the tale of travels.
I think I told you about everything up to & including last Sunday. Monday was a public holiday throughout Australia consequently we were unable to do any work.. In the morning we took the train to Brighton, a seaside resort. It was terribly hot & we could hardly breathe. We engaged a motor launch & had a good run around for an hour or so. The wind was hot but it was better than no breeze at all.
We had lunch there & came back at once as Frieda was leaving for home in the afternoon. We took her to the station & saw her off by 4.30. Afterwards Clifford & I had a game of Billiards. The arrangement was; the loser to pay for the game & dinner & nights entertainment.
Needless to say I lost & it cost me about 12/-. We had a good dinner& then went to the rottenest picture show I have ever seen. We came out disgusted. We came back to the club & I spent half an hour in rubbing Clifford’s leg.
Tuesday we got to work in real earnest but the majority of the buyers were away doing special travelling. I couldn’t do very much but I saw a few men. At night I had to write my letter to the firm & make up my orders from the preceding week as owing to my hasty departure from Sydney I had not time to do it there. Then I came here & rubbed the leg again & went back to my hotel. It was rather late. I could only add a few lines on to your letter especially as I had to write a decent letter home. I only sent them two short notes the two preceeding mails & I couldn’t neglect it any longer.
Wednesday I had to go out of town to see one or two shirt buyers - makers up I mean & that took me nearly all day. After a late dinner I packed up & came along to stay here. Later on we went to see a friend of Clifford’s & played solo & poker all night. I lost about three shillings altho’ we only played for small stakes. I would not care to play for big stakes on any consideration.
More leg rubbing & it was late when we did get to bed.
Thursday morning I had to go out of town again but in the afternoon I could not get anyone to come & see me. We had received an invitation from one customer to go for a motor run when we had a spare afternoon so we phoned him & he was delighted.
We met about 2.15 & had a splendid run of about 80 miles. Where we got to I don’t know but for the first 15 miles the scenery was rotten. It improved later but the roads were awful. We pulled up at one or two places & one is an ideal place for a honeymoon. It is right away in the heart of the country & a most beautiful little place. I could spend a holiday there & never get tired of the place. We got back to town about 5.30 & had dinner together.
After dinner I phoned to a man I came over with from Capetown – Palfreyman by name. He was the man who pressed me very much to go & stay with him. He came for me at once in his car. We chatted a short time & then he asked me to go for a run. I accepted. When I got to the car I found he had a lady with him & for two minute I thought it was Mrs Bird. I never saw two girls more alike in all my life. She is just as sweet & I promptly fell in love with her. Palfreyman couldn’t drive his car properly & he asked me to do it. I refused as it was a new one & I didn’t want to smash it. He couldn’t steer & blow his hooter at the same time. I took the risk of riding with [him] & we went to St Kilda – the aristocratic place of Melbourne. We went to an open air show & had a nice evening. He drove me back again & Clifford had gone to bed & was fast asleep. I wakened him & rubbed his leg once more.
Friday I was just fairly busy & at night I invited Cadwallader (Todd’s traveller in this city) to dine with me. He is not a man I should like to introduce to people at home but he is an exceptionally smart business man, & he has been very useful to me here. However we dined & went to see Oscar Asche & Lily Brayton in Antony & Cleopatra. In spite of the hot weather the place was crowded out. It was quite good & we enjoyed it.
Saturday morning we saw quite a lot of men & in the afternoon as Clifford was sleepy I went to the exhibition here & listened to the brass band contest. Again the head was trying but at night we got a cold wind.
After dinner Cliff & I went to the Opera House – a music hall & saw one of the best shows I have ever seen. It was better than a good many shows I have seen at home. We came back & had some plums in Cliff’s bedroom & talked till one o’clock.
This morning I stayed in bed but just before dinner I went to cable you.
I am very grieved your miniature has not come to hand. I went to see the postal authorities in Sydney & they told me to wait till the boat which carried the parcels came in. I have done so & after waiting a week it cannot be traced. Orr wrote me on Friday saying he had made all enquiries & couldn’t find anything. I thought you ought to know as soon as possible so I cabled you & asked you to make full enquiries at your end. I do hope that it can be traced.
Tonight we are going out to tea & I’m[?] afraid it will not be a very lively night. It is more or less a duty call so cannot help going.
I am writingNora by this mail asking her to make arrangements with you to come down to London to meet me. If your mother will come as well I shall be delighted. Will you ask her from for me? In any case dearest I want you & Nora to come down to Plymouth. It is only a 2 hours run & I want to see you the earliest possible moment. Whether your mother is there or not I shall not stand on any ceremony but simply take you in my arms. I will square her afterwards.
I am awfully sorry about the cable word & the way the fellows at the place behaved but as I wrote you last week if Rothwell had not see[n] the cable & blabbed no-one would have been any the wiser. I wrote a stinging letter to Bird & I think nothing further will be heard of it.
Just 10 weeks today I shall be having dinner with you. The time will soon pass & I don’t care whether I book[?] another yard or not. I have done my work as well as I could & I don’t think the firm will mind if they do not get another order.
We leave for Adelaide tomorrow afternoon & return on Friday, provided I finish these by then. Another week here & four days in Tasmania & I go straightaway to Perth.
You might write me dearest to Suez & Marseilles or Toulon wherever the boat calls. The shipping company will tell you the dates hen the Otway arrives at each place. Please post your letter to arrive two days before the advertised time. I have’nt the dates handy at present but if I can possibly find them tomorrow I will add on to the foot of this letter.
Now I am going out sweetheart & I must close. Twill soon be time for us to enjoy life once more.
No night meetings or Saturday afternoon work for weeks after I get back.
With my dearest love sweetest
Yours for all time
Harry
I enclose a letter from Mrs Todd. You see what I have let you in for. Poor you. I.D.T.
Adelaide 5/2/13 Have heard today I have to go back to Capetown. I feel d----- annoyed & the language I used was not fit for the drawing room. I will cable you to this effect this weekend.
Much Love
Harry
Miss Darlington
14 Kenwood Rd
Stretford
Manchester