I have reason to believe that it has never been printed before, and, as far as I know, there is no other copy extant, so I proceed to give it in full.
"What a dear, disagreeable old Jim you are," it begins, "to stay away there at Baroona, leaving me moping here with our daddy, who is calculating the explosive power of shells under water at various temperatures.

I have a good mind to learn the Differential Calculus myself, only on purpose to bore you with it when you come home." "By the bye, Corrella has got a foal.

Such a dear little duck of a thing, with a soft brown nose, and sweet long ears, like leaves! Do come back and see it; I am so very, very lonely!" "I hope Mr.Halbert is pretty well, and that his wound is getting quite right again.

Don't let him undertake cattle-drafting or anything violent.

I wish you could bring him back with you, he is such a nice, agreeable creature." "Your magpie has attacked cocky, and pulled a yellow feather out of his crest, which he has planted in the flower-bed, either as a trophy, or to see if it will grow." Now this letter is historically important, when taken in connexion with certain dates in my possession.