Letter from Fanny Cook to Catherine Munday, 29 December 1875

by Fanny Cook

Corner of Abbotsford and Arden Streets

Hotham

Dec 29/75

My dear Mrs Munday

I trust this will find Mr Munday and yourself recovering from the shock of your Dear Sons death I know from sad experience what a time it takes to realize that our beloved have gone and that we shall hear and see them no more in this world

I find it very hard to reconcile myself I can assure you at times it seems almost more than I can bear and I feel almost broken-hearted. Dear James death brought all my trouble about Alice back and looking over her clothes and packing up the baby things to go to new Zealand has made me feel very low spirited my back and head continue bad we had an answer from your son Walter I have no doubt he has written you by this mail he has sent Nelsons address so Mr Cook has wrote to him we will send the box home as soon as we can make the necessary arrangements. Mr Cook will not be able to send the money till the end of March as the beginning of April as the Insurance will not pay till about that time but he will forward it as soon as possible as we all know money is always acceptable

we have not yet got the stone up to James's grave but hope to do so next month we all went on Xmas day and took a nice bunch of flowers to lay on his grave will send you a copy of what is on the stone as soon as it is up am saving some of his favourite flowers to put on the grave while thrift fusha and myrtle the poor fellow used to sit in the garden when he could and say they are very pretty

Mother) I trust they are both better of now shall go often to the cemetery if God spares me to look at the place where he lays

Miss Yelverton said they had planted some flowers on Alices grave and I hope they will look after it am expecting a letter from them by next Mail we have sent the stone round there according to James instructions hope it will reach there safely

I trust this will find you all well we all join in whishing a happy and prosperous new year with kind regards beleave me yours sincerly

Fanny Cook