| Title: | James A. Smyth, Ontario to, Eliza C. Smyth, Castledamph |
|---|---|
| ID | 2775 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, James Alexander/43(2) |
| Year | 1904 |
| Sender | Smyth, James Alexander |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (Methodist) |
| Origin | Essex Co., Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smyth, Eliza C. |
| 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 |
| Doc. No. | 604138 |
| Date | 10/8/1904 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1282 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | [Front of Envelope] E C Smyth To be sent in Sept o4 [No Postmark] [Page 1] Essex, Ont,. Aug. 10. 1904 My dear Sister I am just after posting that short note to you containing the schedule of sailing, I was out for a few minutes buying envelopes and stamps. I will now set to work and answer your letters that I have lately received giving each a passing comment, Your letter of June 23rd, you give address only of people living in Philadelphia, I have waited for two months for Mary to say what way she wanted to go she has had practically her own way supplemented by the Woodslee folks advice so I let her select what way she likes, You see she goes back without ever seeing a city of any importance, I am just now re-reading your letter of March 23, I notice the fact about Old Nancy, the Drummer, the incident [Page 2] about the mowing of corn that father got so mad, Yes I remeber it well, I thought when Mary & I were leaving three years ago that we would be able to talk over things that happened during my absence, But never a talk from Mary, I never saw anyone in whom I was more disappointed, I also notice in your March letter about going home, Yow all know what keeps me here now, I have spent a lot of money in the past three years, I would not spent [sic] I suppose half of it if Mary had stayed here. But it so provoked me, when she would take the Woodslee peoples advice in preference to mine, that I would just go out and spend whatever I had, when I would get good and lonesome and no one around I would go up to the city and spend the day and evening and $5 or $6 also, This is just the way my money is gone, My mind has not been at ease very much in the past three years, People wondered why Mary was coming out here, - I says to myself [Page 3] They will wonder when she comes back, she will be so far ahead of them that they will wonder, Well so she would if she had stayed with me, But how could you expect her, to learn much with Uncles folks and in St Thomas I believe it was worse, I never spoke to Mary But I think she got her fill of it, Yesterday evening I went down to Woodslee with Mary on the train, she went on down to Uncles as soon as we reached town. I stopped at Mrs Allisons (Charleys mothers) The talk drifted to Mary as she passed, I was telling Mrs Allison she was going home, Mrs Allison says "Well Mary has always been distant towards me" I dont know why" I never had a chance to speak to her or I would told [sic] her she never would learn much by going to Charleys', Charleys' ideas are that girls should think of nothing but work. and go around with any thing on, [Page 4] Mary should have stayed with you in Essex, Thats' where she would have learned more, I would not send Ruby (Charles' Sister) any other place, when your Aunt died at Nov, Charley was in here one day and he said "Oh Annie is learning Mary to cook," Ruby spoke in here and says I would'nt live with Charley if the [they?] gives [sic] me $ 15 per week, Finally Mrs Allison says she is going back very little better than when she came out here, The above was a discourse of Mrs Allisons yesterday evening. She says further Charley was in here this morning scolding because Ruby looked to [too?] stylish looking, After Mary is gone home if they speak to me I shall [rip?] [into?] them, Charley Allison alway [sic] found fault with his three sisters so that hardly one of them will go to visit him, He used to raise [Cane?] [with?] Melia because she would have a fellow [Page 5] Let me tell Charley that Amelia was married a few weeks ago and married much better than any of the family he married into, Ruby Allison will marry much better than Mary will because she has ideas She looks after her appearance, about the first thing Mary was told was to keep away from Ruby, While I am on this subject I will relate a few things, When Mary came out here. She was sent up to this town in pretty shabby clothes and an old black hat,, Why? To make me [feel?] it. I wanted her to go to High School then, That was [objected?] to; Then what next they get her a big pair of boots and send her a girl of 20 years old, to public school, 'Then what 'next, they do not want her to write on her Entrance Examination at Essex because I was presiding examiner but [wanted?] her to go to Belle River. [Page 6] Then at Sept wants her to go to Leamington to school, she finally went to Essex, Next year got her to go [sic] St Thomas, and let Mary express herself about this matter, then I wanted her to come to Essex for music Lessons from Prof. Thompson,- No Aunt says "Indeed she is not going to Essex," The result was she [took?] from an old [hay?] in Woodslee a Mrs' Hogan next year when she began with Prof, Thompson what did he say about Mrs [Hogans?] teaching ! Ask Mary ! Then when I talked about educating Mary Belle say "You have no money to educate her" Either Mary's fault or theirs [sic] fault but she has not spent a week with me since she came, here, It has put me in an awkward position in town. Some people think that I did not want her to come to the house [Page 7] She would have been well through of here But she would make no friends of my acquaintances, Probably she thought them to good, I believe she did she has repeatedly told me we are only common working people at home, It all over now. Glad she is at home, But if some prophet had told me how she would have [a---?] etc she would have never come out with me I [purposed?] to educate her. She would have been almost through high school now, if she had taken my advice, I wanted her to go right to High School when she came out here That is three years ago. She would now be entering the 4th form, But I could not have my way. She would also have [outing?] to private houses, saw' how' to [entertain?] learned [sic] how to eat, How to meet people, She would have had better opportunities for music, She would have [heard?] [Page 8] good music all the time, Being in a Canadian house she would have learned Canadian ways, She would have learned to not allow strangers to go into the house and see her half dressed or etc like I have often seen her in Woodslee, I believe that is why she liked Woodslee so well because she could let her dress go in any kind of a slovenly way she is going back far from the girl I had anticipated no doubt Mary will say she is not a bit changed, I cant see any change except she can play the violin a little, Her manners, are not a bit improved Her dresses are, I would suggest that before you buy her anything in future I would write and ask Uncle folks [sic] what they think about it, 'I will not send this until I get a letter after Mary lands, J A [James Alexander?] Smyth Transcribed by Mohamed Souissy |
