Auckland, 15 Decr. /52. My Dear McLean, It was with extreme sorrow I heard a few days ago of your late bereavement. All who know your loss, and there are many such here, sympathise deeply with you. You have been blessed however with strength of mind to endure any evil of the many that life is heir to, and I trust you will meet this visitation of Providence in a Christian spirit. It is a trial, though you may not have looked forward to it, which you must not think you are unable to bear. Such a good, gentle and innocent creature as she was must now be happy, and the suffering you now undergo will do yourself good in ways you do not yet think of. What are we toiling for in this world unless to prepare us for the change the one we lament has gone through. But her poor Father whose heart was bound up in the girl, what can be done to console him? I expect to hear you forget your own grief to assuage his, and who that knows the good old man would not relieve him of part of his sorrows if they could. He laments however an only child and she is not. I heard the other day Mr. Strang was coming up here on a visit and I was looking out for him. Pray urge on him to come now. I shall be glad to give him a room in my large house and my Niece will attend on him as well as myself with the most cordial feelings. Excuse brevity as I am in haste as usual. Yours truly, A. Sinclair.