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Spencer LettersTaraweraMarch 27th, 1858 Mr dear Mrs Macky I do not forget the injunction you laid upon me, viz to write to you through your sister. I shall obey it by expecting to hear from you through her. I know your kind heart will often enquire how my health is. If you were among my people I should not have to answer this question. It is a general remark among them how much better I look since my return. I drink all the cream I can get from our cow. It is not a pint per day but quite as much as I can digest. I am sure that it is doing me good. I have forgotten to ask Mrs Alexander the result of the motion I proposed to be brought forward the next session. Please give my best respects to Mr Bruce and tell him I shall be happy to hear that he has left for England and more happy to congratulate him on his return provided he brings with him his better half. Tell your brother that his hospitality to Hori has been publicly announced at every village from Auckland to this place. The distinguishing part seems to be in the food being set on the cheffonier. My children are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of your niece. They think their memories will be less treacherous with a companion. I shall be happy for them to have a treat of the kind. Please give my kind regards to your good husband and love to his mother-- dear old lady, how I should like to have another chat with her. How do Sally and Jo enjoy the newcomer? How glad I should have been to have had the pleasure of introducing it to them. Remember me to Mr Dacre who I hope has made friends with my friend Miss Bartley. Yours gratefully and affectionately, E S Spencer Dear Friend I improve this opportunity, the first I have had since my return, to send the belt for dear Sally. I hope you do not give yourself any uneasiness about her navel. It is unsightly and that is the only reason for trying to remedy it. Among the natives it is a rare thing to see proper navel. I tell you this lest you might fear consequences now in the womb of time. Yours affectionately, E S Spencer To Mr Thomas Macky per Mr Joseph CochraneTarawera23 February We were much startled by the afflictive intelligence of the death of Mrs Macky. Such occasions severely try our faith and our only resource to look to Him who has declared himself the resurrection and the life. I pray that you to whom this affliction is particularly near, and we all may be enabled so to believe in Him, as to derive the comfort that consideration is calculated to bestow, and so to put our affection on things above as to hope to join those who have gone before. Most sincerely sympathising, I remain, Sincerely and truly, Spencer |