| Title: | McMahon Glynn, Patrick to Glynn, Ellen, 1881 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4366 |
| Collection | Patrick McMahon Glynn: Letters to his family (1874-1927) [Gerald Glynn O'Collins] |
| File | glynn/16 |
| Year | 1881 |
| Sender | McMahon Glynn, Patrick |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unemployed |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Destination | Gort, Co. Galway, Ireland |
| Recipient | Glynn, Ellen |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | son-mother |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 848 |
| Genre | acquaintances, disappointments, finding work, family |
| Note | |
| Transcript | 2 Mint Place—La Trobe St Melbourne 14th August 1881 My dear Mother Though you directed your letters and papers to Victoria St., I get them all, as a note to the General Post Office results in their being redirected. On Thursday last I was rather surprised to hear from a messenger who called here that a sister of mine wanted to see me at 7 p.m. at the Great Britain Hotel, East Richmond, Melbourne. As the fellow seemed quite sane, I promised to call there, though I was for some time puzzled about the matter, and thought perhaps it might be a trap laid by some wiley unpaid landlady; but found on calling that the sister was aunt Grace with three other nuns on their way from Adelaide to Sydney, where they are to spend six years. I stayed a few hours with them. It seems that the Superioress knows Sir Brian O'Loughlin, who is now in power; so Sister Bernard promised to get her to write to him to exert his influence in my favour. Up to the present I am doing Mr. Macawber's trick, waiting for something to turn up, which is a position in which a stranger is likely to remain a long time here. I did not make a fortune by the State Trials, numbers read and praised them, but few paid for them. On the whole though, I was led to presume the contrary, the loss of £20 on them showed me that people like rather to borrow than pay for pamphlets. However, one gets gradually used to disappointments, the repetition of which has a tendency to annihilate the perception of their existence. However, there is no use repining, and as soon as I can make an independence of 25s. a week, which will enable me to choose my companions, I shall consider myself a happy man. When a man succeeds, he has a pleasure in looking back upon obstacles overcome, the most difficult of which sometimes is the maintenance of self respect under lowering associations. I have written a long letter to the Freeman's Journal, which, if published, will give you some idea of what Melbourne really is. It ought to be in Dublin now, and if it does not appear in the paper, you could get it from the paper by writing for it. As I don't think there is much in this place to interest you beyond myself, I have of necessity to be rather personal. All I can say is that to make the first bit is extremely hard, but that once done I am hopeful of being able to shuffle off one by one the obstacles in my way. Poor Johnny Wallsh has changed his address again, after having lost £ 100 at his last place. He is now in some out of the way place in Western Australia, where it is to be hoped he will do better. He is, my aunt says, of a roving and unsettled nature, but often the best fellows in the world are the least fortunate, and I think he is one of them. Lizzy writes to me often as well as heir apparent Thomas Bergain Esq. He sent me the enclosed photographs of his house, himself and a friend—which is himself I can't make out. As he thought I was in pressing want of a clerk, he volunteered his service, but as the only industry in which we could jointly make much headway at present would be playing tin whistles in the streets of his capability for which I am in doubts, I had to decline. But some future day I may require him. Fanny is anxiously awaiting a letter from you. I suppose she will soon have one. She says she saw Kate Slater tonight, but passed her by. Some how or another all my connections here seem to be at loggerheads with one another, and those that have husbands never mention their names. Sometime ago I had a letter from Castlemaine, a country town about 80 miles from here, advising me to settle there, as two deaths left an open[ing]. It occurred just when the State of my Exchequer necessitated my remaining stationary, otherwise I might have gone up there, if possible. I may get called in Sydney. I can get called there for nothing. As I write my nose, on its left orifice, strikingly resembles Murtagh Keating's in consequence of a roseate swelling, which sometimes settles there. I was going to ask you for something for it, but forgot the oceans between us. I have not heard anything of the priest, but I don't think McDonald would mislead him. Is [he] a Sydney or Melbourne man? You need not send me very many papers, as I see and read more home papers at a library I subscribed to than I ever saw before. Hoping to hear you are all well I am your affectionate Son P. McM. Glynn When the Land Bill is passed, if there be a six penny edition published, send me a copy. |
