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141
\oJri te to me all by yourself. Thank you for your
promi se to keep the pretty crocuses for me until my
return . I shall be most glad to have them . I have
done as you wished me and kissed the little baby for you
but I shall wait for my own kisses until I can receive
them myself. I don't much care for kisses on paper ;
so your thousand I shall in the meanwh ile lie out at
interest (Papa will explain what this means) and when.
I come back I shall hold you my debtor both for the
original thousand and the interest accruing thereon .
I did not mean to write such hard words , Baby, I must
again tell you to ask Papa what they mean . Give my
affectionate regards to your Papa, your Mama, your
sisters and Thorpy ,
and Believe me , dear Baby ,
Your loving friend,
Maxwell Miller
8
The association, or more truly the partnership, which developed between
Hal l. and Mi ller was interesting and significant ;
Miller, the journalist
and newspaper proprietor, provided a sympathetic, understanding and
stimulating vehicle for the dissemination of ideas ;
Hall, the professional
medical man , the concern , the analysis and the solution to prob lems , all
to the benefit of the community .
slow ly, probab ly unintentionally;
Like most associations , it developed
in the beginning both men had other
aims and ob jects in view . On May 14, 1855 , in his first editorial ,
Mil ler defined the idealism which led to the establishment of his
newspaper.
In an old country the state of society is formed, its standard
of morality is fixed; and although there exist numb erless
abuses , they are so inextricab ly bound up with its constitution ,
as to render their eradication almost an impossibility. In a
new country this is not so. Upon the present generation hangs
the future prosperity of Tasmania. They are , as it were , the
fathers , ushering a nation into birth ; and it is thei1' high
'privi lege so to invigorate its young life, as to render it ripe
for any greatness that may ever fal l to its share . Upon them
it depends whether its civil and religious liberty be now
established on too firm a basis for any storm hereafter to
shake ; whether institutions be formed which will obviate th e
necessity of reforming vice; by creating virtue, avoid the
evils which necessarily spring from ignorance ; by banishing
ignorance itself put immorality to the blush by giving it the
least possible caus e for existence.
His campaign agains.t social abuses , carefully and deliberately planned ,
began in the first issue which attacked the lodging houses for the poor .
Persistently and .meticulous ly , Miller described their condition , the
present social consequences of their existence , their effect upon th e
I, '
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8
Hall Papers , NS 30 8/4/24.