| Title: | M [Mary?] Smyth, Ontario, to Miss E. C. Smyth, Castledamph, |
|---|---|
| ID | 2978 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Smyth, Mary/41 |
| Year | 1904 |
| Sender | Smyth, Mary |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | Protestant (Presbyterian) |
| Origin | Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Castledamph, Co. Tyrone, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Smyth, Eliza C. |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | sisters |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge, Co Tyrone, castledamph@btinternet.com |
| Archive | Mr & Mrs J Smyth, Castledamph, Plumbridge. |
| Doc. No. | 410107 |
| Date | 29/7/1904 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 27:10:2004. |
| Word Count | 1255 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Envelope addressed to:- Miss E. C. Smyth Castledamph Plumbridge Co Tyrone Ireland Postmarked on Front:- SOUTHWOODSLEE AU 2 04 Postmarked on Back of Envelope:- NEWTOWNSTEWART 5 AM AU 15 04 South Woodslee July 29th 04 Dear Sister:- Received your letter of the 20th tonight so as I have intended writing long before this I think it is right time (sic) to get started (and here Belle wants to know if I m ready to go to bed as it is after ten I ve just been finishing another letter so Goodnight.) ---- Aug, 1st Here it is two days more this is Monday night 8.30 so I may get two or three more lines written tonight. Well I don't know when I last wrote to you so that I don't know where I left off but lately everything has been in a whirl and I in the middle of it. Well I ll start with Thursday the 21st, that day I went out to Jones [Jones ?] I suppose you know who they are their father is now in the asylum, he hasn t been very well for a long time they are lovely people only for that ailment and the family are all affected with it too occasionally the next day, Friday, it rained on the morning so that the men were not doing anything so one boy who lives across the road from them came in & he is a fine singer so Mrs. Jones sent [us?] young people into the parlor to sing and play. There was a girl visiting at Jones [Jones ?] from London so she played the accompaniment for Ern Hopgood and we had some fine singing until noon. I wish you could hear him sing & also see his appearance, he s fine looking, On Friday afternoon this Ern Hopgood was going to Essex (driving) so he called in if any of we girls wanted to go for a drive so I wasn t very anxious so Miss [Tussle?], their guest went and about an hour afterwards May Jones got one of the boys to hitch up the horse so she and I went up & we all got back by supper time Saturday I don t think there was anything particular unless at night May & Miss [Tussle?] & I & Jay Jones went up to Essex for an hour or two as Saturday night is a great night there, you could hardly move on the street & the band was playing also. Sunday there is no church there in [the?] morning it is in the afternoon So we went there, & then at night we drove to Essex church, I was out for tea with a girl I know from there that went to Essex School with me and I also forgot to say that on Saturday night we three girls were out to tea at Ern Hopgood s place he is the only child so he is the whole thing there. On Monday afternoon Jones People were hawling [hauling?] in hay so we three girls went back & they had about half the load on so we wanted to get up on the load I laughed for all the day afterwards to think of the fun we had to get up on the load, there were just the two boys there so we all rode up on top of the hay load and May & I stood up pretty near all the way.. Monday night they drove me out here, and when I got here Nellie [before?] now (Mrs. [Hauss?]) from Windsor was here she was out from Saturday & she was scolding because I wasn t here. Next day, Tuesday, was the corner-stone laying of the New Methodist Church that they are building here. so that afternoon just as dinner was over Jim came from Essex and Mrs Paddon and two Miss Paddons from Windsor came in so after we got all done we all went down to see the corner stones laid we got back here by five tired of standing on our feet at 7 o clock we all went to an entertainment in the church all the proceeds was for the building of the new church. The church was packed we had to sit on seat (sic) that were put in the aisles. Next day Nellie and I rode horse back & such like she is only 8 mths, [months?] older than I but she is more childish in her actions. The Paddons went back on Tuesday night & Jim went away early next morning. Nellie went away Thursday or I drove her to her Uncles [Uncle s?] about two miles from here. Belle rode up with us as far as the graveyard she was fixing up the grave and planting flowers on it. Annie & the boys went up to Windsor on Tuesday night with Paddon s (sic) & came back Saturday night. Yesterday Sunday I went to Church on the morning so as I was [coming?] home Rob Fair asked if I wanted to go for a drive to Blythes [Blythe s?] [wood &?] Bailey s (I take it for granted that You know enough about all those people now) We had a lovely drive left here at two o clock and got out there for tea. Today was washday as usual & about ten o clock Arthur Paddon & his wife (just married about 3 or 4 mths [months?]) came in. We were expecting them to come last night but they didn t They came out Saturday night & was visiting around here the [they?] spent today here and went off on the train tonight, Arthur is the fellow that was in the South African War he is just as funny as ever he & Annie & I had some fun today he blackened my face & I only got a little speck on his. He said going away to remember the boy who blackened my face when I would be in Ireland, Fred & Cass were down tonight just gone away. Tomorrow I intend to go out to Blythes [Blythe s?] wods [wood?] & Leamington I want to stay a day in each place I think Belle may drive me out I would have stayed out there yesterday but Jim sent down word Saturday night with Annie that he would be down today to settle when I m going home, so I wanted to be here, & here he sent word down with Fred today to tell me that he would be down Wednesday so I m just mad to think that after me taking the bother to stay till today that he didn t come and now I don t know whether Belle will drive me out or not [& it?] is too expensive to go on the train. I intend to come back Thursday & on Friday Bell [Belle?] & I were intending to go to Detroit & Windsor to stay until Monday. We want to get around and see the important places there, on the 11th there is an excursion Up the lakes I think we are going, Jim & I, I mean, it is Essex civic holiday. Mow [Now?] they are talking bed so I ve just got about to the end of my string but I ve forgotten to say anything about you not forgotten but hasn t space nor time (sic). I don t know when I m going home but I ll get there by Xmas anyway. I am not very content state of mind at present as I don t know whether I m doing the best thing or not GoodBye MS. [Mary Smyth?] Transcribed by Elizabeth Prentice |
