| Title: | James A. Smyth, Ontario to Bella M. Smyth, Co. Tyrone |
|---|---|
| ID | 2721 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/17 |
| Year | 1898 |
| Sender | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | student |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (Methodist) |
| Origin | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smyth, Bella M. |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge. |
| Doc. No. | 0401005 |
| Date | 20/03/1898 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 06:01:2004. |
| Word Count | 932 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of envelope] Miss Bella M. Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co. Tyrone, Ireland [Stamped] ESSEX MR 21 98 ONT. [Back of envelope] [Stamped] HAMILTON MR 21 98 ONT [Written on flap] Arrived April 2nd 1898 Saturday [Page 1] Essex, Ont., [Ontario?] March 20 1898 Dear Sister, I received your last letter a few days ago and am always pleased to know that you are all enjoying good health. However I am much surprised at hearing of Belle Duncan. Indeed I hardly know what to say but it seems to me they are all going to turn out nothing. I feel sorry in this respect for, although we are not on the best of term (sic) at present, we are relations, and it seems when one makes a mistake, it always effects the others, [Page 2] so that even now I would like & wish them to all do well but such seems, as it will not come to pass Indeed I think they are getting punished for all they have said concerning other people in the past. You know Tennyson says "The old ordeth [order?] changeth yielding place when and God fulfil himself in many ways". So I think God has changed the old ordeth in this [race?]. As far as Knox is concerned I don t know as I have anything against him as far as he is personally concerned but it is his relations. There may be worse even in the community and, perhaps, not very far away but one should judge of the after effect, [Page 3] I am sure Bella Duncan has brought disgrace on all belonging to her and in plain English she must have been anxious for a [man?] at her age to run away with Knox, However I say to you all in particular, don't let any person hear you mention her name in connection with Knox nor don't let anyone hear you cast it up to them. It (sic) bad enough but don't make it any worse, Why aunt must have troubles upon troubles just now. I think I have not saw her for the last seven years but I think it must surely effect her. As far as the weather is concerned we are having very nice spring days. It was quite warm to-day and [Page 4] very nice for walking. In fact we have not had very much snow this year. And there was not much frost either skating was very light; I just had one or two evenings. I am pleased to hear of the [men?] making changes. This will be something new for me to look at when I go home again. I proposed that change in the lower fields a long time ago but you see it takes time for a good idea to be put into force, I would plant the hedge this year also and there is lots of other planting that should be done. As far as the improvements to the house are concerned, I have often [been?] thinking how it could be arranged so that it would make [Page 5] the room (sic) as nice as possible and especially the Bedrooms. but so far, because of the shape of the house, I have not been able to arrive at any conclusions. I never think of home but I detest those Byres & such like in connection with it. All houses should be built with a wing or in the shape of that one of my uncles, and then the rooms could have some shape and bedroom could be left off very conveniently, Upstairs would make two nice bedrooms if there was any way of separating them unless there was some way of opening a door in from the little bedroom then above the stairs since that would necessitate its removal, Then the fire place would [Page 6] also be in the way, You know lot (sic) of things could be fixed up without much cost but that old idea of Grandfather (sic) had it this way and good enough for us. However it is alright to put the bed room out of the lower room. I don't think they were very healthy. It always seemed a damp place. For the present I would put the bed in upstairs just as it is but I would advise father not to do all the work himself. I like to see things done up just to all I think this is enough along these lines. We had a debate at school one Friday evening. The subject "Resolved that fame is the greater incentative [incentive?] to men than money" Mr Walton & Myself were for fame [Page 7] and Mr [MacKee?] an [and?] Tully were for money We lost because the judges decided that we did not take the mass of men. However I think and so did the majority that we should win, I shall send you the papers. This is Sunday night or Monday morning now as it is passed 12 o'clock, However I am not in bed any night before this; Lately I find it very hard to keep awake after 10 o'clock, And I must in order to keep up my work as I am afraid of that examination next June. As I said in one of my former letter [letters?] I would feel quite bad if I failed this year, I want to get that second class and then I will do for a while, [Page 8] I think I will write James Houston some of these days, like all other things I am also getting lazy [on?] writing letters, I have one to write to [Jo Duncan?] soon, I was at Woodslee last Sunday. They are all well. Belle is down at St Thomas now staying a few weeks. Give me all the news of the surrounding country, I think this will do for this time, Your Brother James A. Smyth Transcribed by Alan Houston |
