October 2nd 1883
Church House
Whitechurch Canonorum
Charmouth

Dear Sir,

Since we have had some cool days I have become worse or shd have written to you abt Sidney Taiwhanga as Mrs Grace wrote me word that the Colonial Papers had been making much of his having been summoned before the police court on a charge of deserting his wife. Whereas it seems as she says that the wife … thro whatever Sidney leaves with her, wh tallies with the deplorable acct sent to me a few months ago. Mrs Grace adds on Sept 29th ‘in my son’s last letter received on Wedy he writes ‘please tell Miss Weale Sidney Taiwhanga has very recently got an order from the court at Auckland prohibiting publicans from serving his English wife with drink. This is the outcome of his having been had up by his wife, for wife desertion. He seems therefore to have made a good case of it.” I thought, dear Mr Chesson you shd know this as Mrs Grace’s news is reliable and the Colonial Papers are trying to malign Sidney’s character in every way they can. Many being annoyed at the influence Sidney is exercising over the Maories. People write vaguely, so I the more cared to read that from Mrs Grace. The only letters wrote from clergy in New Zealand abt church news. I shd care much to learn what news you have had, if you can spare time to write it. I am not yet able to go down stairs and this last attack of suffering has thrown me back and when I was hoping to be perhaps soon strong enough to go down and out in a chair into … London ch is however pleasant to stay at.

I hear from people that the Maories are indignant at ‘bribery money,’ ‘takoha’, deceit money being fully distributed by the governt. I have been reading Rusden’s 3 vol quite painfully interesting. If only persons wd read it, it wd open their eyes, but how little are the colonists willing to treat maories fairly as to land.

I hope you are perhaps all away at Folkestone and gaining strength. I am sorry to write you so poor a scribble. I … that I am indebted to one of yr family for a Daily News some little while back, the copy Sept 14th with letter in from the maories of Hawkes Bay. I am still but weak and all exertion increases the pain so that I write but little, but I often recall the pleasant peep I had of yr family and Mrs Chesson’s kindness and yours last autumn.

With very kind regards to yself and Mrs Chesson,
Yrs very sincerely
Chtte J.D. Weale