Dec 2nd
1903
237 Rathdown St.
Carlton
Melbourne
My dear Niece[1],
I was very grieved to see by your letter this morning that your dear
Dadda[2]
was ill. I do hope, dear, he has had a
change for the better before this. I shall be quite anxious till I hear from
you again. I enclose a few stamps little
money. May be you will want to get some
little thing for him or for Mama. How I
wish I was near you to help nurse both your dear parents.
We are
not settled yet. I fear it's not going
to be very soon, but God know what is best, and if we have our health it is the
principal thing. We are all pretty well
at present only the good man is feeling a little poorly and Mary[3]
is not very strong. I wish we were over
some place near you, this climate is rather trying. In my last letter from Ireland the news that poor old Mrs.
Jackson[4]
had passed away was the principal event.
She never recovered after the news of David's[5]
death, but she was a good age (89.) It
was stupid of me not to remember the postage and only put a penny on my last
letter. I hope you will write to me
very soon. God bless you, dear and make
your dear father and mother well again is the sincere prayer of your loving
Aunt
Sallie Whiteside[6]
The children join me
in love and kisses to all
For Saidie.
[1] Sarah Elizabeth MCCULLAGH, daughter of Thomas MCCULLAGH and Sarah IRWIN. Although referred to here as Saidie, she was almost always called Daisy. She was known as “Aunty Dais” (pronounced daze). Apparently when she was very young her father used to call her "my little daisy" and the nickname stuck
[2] Thomas MCCULLAGH (1854-1920), brother of “Sallie” WHITESIDE née MCCULLAGH
[3] Mary Ione WHITESIDE
[4] Elizabeth (née OLIVER) JACKSON d. 23 October 1903
[5] David JACKSON, son of Elizabeth (née OLIVER) JACKSON d. July 27 1903 in Yokohama
[6] Sarah “Sallie” WHITESIDE née MCCULLAGH b. 1852.