| Title: | Mrs Maggie Black to her sister Adela in Ireland. |
|---|---|
| ID | 207 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Black, Maggie/27 |
| Year | 1890 |
| Sender | Black, Maggie (n. Hall) |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Destination | Loughgall, Co. Armagh, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Hall, Adela |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | sisters |
| Source | D2041/BUNDLE 13: From the papers of Thomas Hall, Loughhgall, County Armagh, Solicitors; purchased from J. A. Gamble Esquire, 44 Taunton Avenue, Belfast. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9310613 |
| Date | 18/06/1890 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Action By Date Document added by C McK., 20:10:199 |
| Word Count | 1275 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | 18 June 1890 342 Winchester Av. [Avenue?] [Chicago?] 18th June 90 [1890?] My dear Adela Your very welcome letter yesterday. We are so glad to get word from the "old country". Mrs. D. Wilson has sent me the Witness every week since I came & sometimes the "British Weekly" it is very kind of her. We were glad to find you all quite well & that Annie had been able to undertake the journey to England. I hope the change will do her good. When Tom is there he should take the opportunity of seeing his mother-in-law!! You appear to be making great improvements. Did you carry out my idea about making the large room into a spare bedroom? You said you had got a new carpet for the spare room but I do not know which you mean. I am sure the house will look very nice for the Summer. Had you room for the piano in the dining room when the side-board and other furniture went in? I fancy it would crowd it a good deal - I feel interested in all these things. I thought I should have liked to see them all arranged before I left, it was rather a funny idea! I am sure Jessie & Florrie [Hall?] will enjoy their holidays do they still have the hamper sent them? Florrie [Black?] had a letter from George Lawson by same mail as yours to me. He told her of his having been to Eden Cottage. If Joe is so persistent I think Alice must marry him to get rid of him!! It was very sad indeed about Mrs Irwin Scotch st. [street?]. George mentioned it in his letter. I was pleased to find Dada had been to see Mrs S. Wilson she was a great friend to me at all times. I wrote as well as Mrs Parson Wilson some weeks ago. Indeed I should like to write a great many friends, but you would wonder how the time slips past, when I wash, iron, bake and do everything else that's to be done in the house. Then it's so hot some days I do not feel any energy for much. You would be amused if you saw the cut of us some times. When Lytle comes in & we have had dinner or supper over, it's about 7 o'c [o'clock?]. We betake ourselves out to the porch & sit there in our stocking soles, he with his coat and vest off & I with as much of a jacket as will cover me!! It's quite the rule here for the men’ #PAGE 2 to throw off their coats as soon as they enter their house. Why Mr Anderson came over here about a week ago (up the street of course) with no coat on just his pants & vest. One could not do so in Belfast or Dungannon without being talked of. I washed yesterday & had nothing but my chemise & skirt on & even so was almost parboiled! but it was nice & cool about 8 o'clo [o'clock?] at night. It is cooler here where we live than down town as there are some open spaces about the suburbs. We have an advertisement in to-days News about our rooms. I wish we had them let, as we can do without them & what they would make would help to reduce the rent, which has to be paid monthly & beforehand. Tom has not got into work yet. He is getting tired going about . Mr. Rodgers (the gentleman who has a position in prospect for him) has been East for some weeks but is to be home this week sometime. He is the superintendent of our S.S. [Sabbeth School?]. If Tom were once earning something & our rooms rented I would feel easier. I have been so accustomed to doing something towards keeping house, I fancy I am losing time. I was at the Ladies Missionary Meeting on Friday in our church. It is held once a month. The members meet about 11 o'clock & sew or do work of some kind or other until 1 o'clock when there is lunch served after which the lady president gives a report of work done in the city amongst the waifs etc etc & missions abroad. Mrs. Meloy read a paper on mission work amongst women in Egypt. We then dispersed to our homes about 4 0'clock. It was very pleasant & is a good way to get acquainted with the people. They are all so kind to us & such hearty people as they are, not afraid to be seen talking to you or paying you a little attention! I have had a good many visitors calg [calling?]. I am about commencing to return some. A good many of the business class call after 7 or 8 o'clock in the evg [evening?] & it seems so homely. They one & all seems so anxious lest we should be home-sick or lonely. Mr. James Anderson is at present in this city from Pittsburgh. He, Mr & Mrs. David [Anderson?] paid us a visit last Monday night. The Andersons are the only people whom I have met from Ireland Yet. Willie Sloan & Miss Burke sent word they were coming to see us, but have not got our length yet. #PAGE 3 I did call to pay Mrs Trimble her account, but she was out or laid up the man said. So I promised to call the day before I left town. You know it was late when we got in from Eden Cottage & I had so much to do & was so worried I never thought of her. Besides I had no idea that some of the accounts which I did pay were so large until I came to settle them. I am sure for some time I cannot send it to her, as with getting furnished & settled here, we will be pretty hard pressed for a little. We paid partly for the furniture at the time we got it and the balance to be paid inside the year. I am just making things go as far as I can & having no extras in food or anything else until I see my way to afford more but I am not afraid for the future, if we were once right started, & I have no doubt but that will be all right. Now I am sure you think I am still filling my letters about myself & family, but you see I have not much else to write about. Oh I hope you had nothing to pay on my letters? I had 10 cents to pay on yours & it had been opened into the bargain. I have not been able to get thinner paper yet. I intend to have them weighed in future. I have not seen Margaret for a week. There are two married sons, doctors, of the lady she is with on a visit, so I expect she has more to do these days. She says she would not like to live in Ireland again. Except Florrie, any one whom I have met since I came says the same. Of course they would like to go on a visit, but not to live. I won't give you my mind on the matter just yet!! Now I must close hoping all are continuing well & doing well as we Americans get the credit of saying!! With much love to Dada Mama & all the others I am dear Adela your loving sister Maggie P.S. I have just taken my batch out of the oven five loaves. I bake every alternate day. |
