Langroyd
Chapman Rd
Chatswood
Sydney
(Sunday) 23 Feb 1913
My darling Dolly
You note the address? The reason why you ask. All in due course I will tell you. Lets resume the tale from the beginning of last week where I left off.
Tuesday night I packed up all my things & just took sufficient clothing to last me a few weeks without drawing on my reserve stock. Palfreyman sent down a trap for me at 6-0 o’clock & I was driven out to his place at Toorak. He calls it a small cottage. I only hope that some day I may live in a place half as charming & I shall be more than satisfied. I arrived about 6.30 & after a wash we went in to dinner. Palfreyman had some English relatives who had just come down from Sydney & were spending the day with him. He came for me at 9-0 o’clock in the morning & wanted me to joint them for a day’s motor run. Unfortunately I had too much business to attend to & I couldn’t accede to his request. I had a lovely room to stay in & slept on a hard bed, the first I have met since leaving home.
Naturally I was pleased. Next morning after breakfast we motored the two little girls to school & then went on to his place of business. He asked me to wait while he had a look at the mail, & then he ran me into town.
I met him at lunch with three or four other men & we motored out to the races. I have never before seen a race or been on a race course so I was rather interested in everything. Palfreyman was running two horses of his own. I enjoyed the afternoon but I lost £6. Palfreyman lost £240. It was a mere nothing to him but he was rather upset at his horse not winning. So was I especially as I put £3 on it. After the races we motored back to town & had dinner & cham at the Savoy. He paid for it as per usual. He never will let me pay for a single thing – not even a daily paper.
After dinner we motored out to South Yarra & picked up the lady I mentioned two weeks ago who is very like Mrs Bird. She wanted to go to the Dandies so we took her & saw a different show to the previous evening. We came back & were invited in to supper. We went in but couldn’t eat anything as we had eaten too much dinner. We had liquid nourishment & left for home which we reached about 11-0 o’clock.
Thursday morning I pulled off an order which I had been fighting for, for three weeks. It was a tough job & it cost me £9-17-0 in cables but as it was a new account I felt pretty good.
I had to work like fury all day & wrote your letter as well as my home & firm’s letters. I had to confirm my cables & unfortunately I had not kept a copy of one or two & so I had to go & persuade the postal officials to let me have full copies. That delayed me considerably & I was unable to add more to your letter as I wished to do. As a matter of fact I only just caught the late fee(?) at the station with exactly 2 minutes to spare. I shall never cut things so fine again.
After the rush I met Palfreyman with two of his lady friends & we all dined together. After dinner we motored out to Luna park (You remember that I took Frieda there while she was in Melbourne). We had a glorious time. I don’t know what it cost my host but not far short of £5. He spends money like water. I thought I could do a little in that line but he knocks me into a cocked hat. We went on everything & saw everything there was to be seen.
We drove one of the girls home 7 we were rather tired & didn’t want to take one girl out to the other side of Melbourne so we sent her off by herself & we walked about 1½ miles. She didn’t mind in the least.
Friday morning I went into the Jam factory & saw everything how the fruit was picked sorted & preserved. Palfreyman is the head of the concern & when I get home I will discuss financial affairs with you; he has made certain proposals to me of which I will give you a rough outline later in this letter.
Later I came down to town & finished up my business. I went to the station at 4.15 to catch the Sydney express & my luggage never turned up owing to some misunderstanding. The consequence was I came through without even a collar.
I had arranged with Cliff when in Adelaide that I would come back to stay with him especially as I was going on to Africa & in consequence had another week to spare. I arrived in the office about 11.30 & you should have seen Mrs T’s face. No one except Cliff knwe I was coming & they were all exceedingly surprised & I think delighted to see me once more.
Saturday afternoon I played tennis & at night I took all except Cliff to the pictures which were particularly good. Sunday my luggage turned up & in the morning Frieda took me to church. In the afternoon we had a short walk & then played tennis. I really am quite in love with her, she is such a charming little girl.
At night Dr Mac & his wife & three children came up. He was delighted to meet me & we had a nice quiet confab. He is a great sport & we planned a few meetings for this week prided his professional engagements do not interfere.
Today is Monday & I have been down to town but not done any work except read my mail, & talk to one customer all afternoon. He gave me my biggest order when I was here before so I must make a fuss of him. I called to see Uncle Alfred because I wanted him to use his influence in getting me a refund from the Orient Co. I paid a deposit of £75 & they not only want to keep that but in addition want me to pay another £5. It didn’t come off unfortunately.
Now for my financial proposals & I want you to read mark learn & inwardly digest them & then say either yes or no.
Palfreyman is the head of the Henry Jones Co-op Co & the one pound shares stand today at 23/9. In another 12 months or so they will be 33/6 more or less & on today’s rates they pay 6%. They intend declaring a dividend of 10% ere long & as a matter of fact they could easily pay 15%. I have an option for 200 shares at 23/9 for 12 months, & am inclined to exercise it up to say 100 shares.
Another scheme I have. He is a big man on some mining property & the £1 shares are £3-7-0 today & since last July have paid 15/- in divis. Shortly, they will be put on the London market in £1 shares & there is no doubt for a speculative concern there is money to be made. I mean by this that to buy say £100 of shares when the company is floated in Europe & hold them for say 3 months they will be almost certain to jump up at least 15/- if not more. Now which of the two concerns do you fancy. In any case I want to marry you 12 months next July provided I have £200 saved & I am doing my utmost to get it by that time. I feel I must have you with me always & I think my salary ought to be sufficient for the two of us. Say it is £225 at the least or for the sake of argument £225 at the most. Surely we can manage on that don’t you think. The longer I am away of course the more money I save yet I am consumed with a burning desire to get home & take all risks later. I have been to book my passage today for the Cape & I am travelling by the Suevic third class. There is not a boat for first class accommodation until the 17th of April & I am not anxious to wait till then. Under the circumstances I booked the berth but for heavens sake don’t let anyone know. I sail on the 26th March (more or less) & if I can finish my business in Capetown in 8 days I shall be home for Whit week & will try & spend a few days with you up in the Lake district. Of course everything is supposition at present & you ought to hear what I have to do before I do. Ask Rothwell he will tell you all he can. I shall be almost heartbroken if I have to visit all the towns again. In any case I shall not have to visit either Africa or Australia again next winter so it is just perhaps as well I go now on my way home.
While I remember, is there anything you want specially from Africa? If so let me know & I will see what can be done.
Mrs Todd & Frieda take a great deal of interest in you & ask all kinds of questions. They are most anxious to meet you & if you have a moment to spare I would be awfully pleased if you could find time to drop them a line saying you are looking forward to making their acquaintance shortly & thanking them for the way they have treated me, & anything else you think fit.
It is 11-10 PM & everybody has gone to bed. I am in sole possession of the dining room finishing up my correspondence? But am afraid your letter will be the only one I shall finish tonight. I have not commenced my other letters yet & shall only have a few minutes tomorrow to write home.
Am pleased you like the rug(?) & hope with you that the honeymoon will prove how necessary a rug is. How I do look forward to it. You shall have the time of your life & enjoy every second. I wish it was tomorrow. Ah well dearie it will not be long now.
Please express my regrets to the Salford ladies that I am not able to partake in the Sale of Work but hope some day to prove my usefullness. Now sweetie I am going to bed. I hope to hear very shortly that you have resigned the Federation & are keeping well & fit.
With all my love cherie
Yours for all time
Harry