| Title: | McMahon Glynn, Patrick to Glynn, Ellen, 1882 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4371 |
| Collection | Patrick McMahon Glynn: Letters to his family (1874-1927) [Gerald Glynn O'Collins] |
| File | glynn/21 |
| Year | 1882 |
| Sender | McMahon Glynn, Patrick |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | lawyer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Adelaide, South Australia, 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 | 1260 |
| Genre | change of residence, new job, family, acquaintances |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Marlborough Chambers, Waymouth Street, Adelaide 5th July 1882 My dear Mother You see I have changed my address again and this time to another colony. It was much against my desire that I left Melbourne, but there was nothing for me there for some time past but pulling the devil by that interesting posterior excresence which in common with other hoofed animals he is supposed to possess. I arrived there from the country on Easter Sunday morning after having driven all the way from Ballarat a distance of 76 miles in one day. My finances then stood very low in consequence of usual bad luck—most of my Insurance clients having been burned out before completing their policies which lost me my commission. As my partner had to give up travelling in order to push on some swindle of his own I remained in Melbourne. A few days later or rather on my drive from Ballarat I got a letter from Aunt Grace which was lying for over a week at a country post office. It informed me that the lawyer to their convent who was then in Sydney would meet me in Melbourne to speak to me about going over to Adelaide where they were in want of a man of my stamp to open a country branch of their business. I saw him in due course and after his return to South Australia awaited his reply to my application to his firm. Two months passed away and any hope of ever hearing from him was altogether lost. During that time I had a rather Micawber style of existence just living on Insurance and waiting for something to turn up. My former partner in discussing the merits of his office with another agent was kind enough to get excited and insinuate[d] his right hand into the other fellow's eye for which he was summoned for assault. I defended—got him off for 10s. fine (the other refused an offer of £5) and 10s. to myself. The history of my surroundings in my old place 97 Stephen St. would afford material for a novel. My landlady had a proposal of marriage from a German who after a seafaring life wished for domestic comforts. She had been twice jilted in three months and had fair hopes of success this time but after a six weeks engagement it came to a desparate end, she having refused him also. I believe he has taken the pledge against marriage for the future. The whole circumstances of the affair were most amusing but too long for correspondence. She luckily had a slight softness in her left eye when she looked at me, which was perhaps the cause of her being exceedingly forbearing when I was in arrear with her rent, During my stay in Melbourne I also used to go up to McDonalds. She met me with Mrs. Denny (otherwise Cissey) on the beach at one of the seaside suburbs, and we spoke. It was her peculiar temper that led me to leave her before as well as a sense of the meanness of dependence, but I never bore her the slightest ill feeling and I have reason to think that my belief in her good nature, when not influenced by a great excitability of temperment, was not unfounded. I never met a woman more changed for the better, but I am afraid that she is of too nervous a disposition to preserve the balance of her reason for ever. She is always complaining about not hearing from you—she seems always to forget what she does in one of her tantarums. But it is best to let the past sleep as she is in the end a good woman at A week ago I had a telegram from the other partner of the firm to say that he would see me in Melbourne on the 26th June. He came and I arranged to come over here. For that purpose I had to borrow ten pounds, but as I had hopes of repaying it soon I did not scrouple to do so. I left on Friday and after a very rough passage arrived here on Sunday night. Mr. Davis—who first saw me in Melbourne—kindly met me at the Railway Station and enabled me to get a bed at the swellest hotel here where I at present reside. It is much beyond my means to pay, but when I mentioned the fact to him yesterday he said that it was all right, so I suppose he means to advance me the wherewithal to keep respectability up until I am settled. He is taking a house himself and wants me to take his place at his present boarding house on his departure in a few days. I know nothing about salary yet but begin to work on Monday morning. The other partner will be here tomorrow when matters may be settled. For a month I am to remain in Adelaide, and having got an insight into their practice here, then go up country and open a business in their name. The regular rule is that one cannot be admitted here until after 12 months residence, but it may be possible to dispense with it. The fees are about £11. In the meantime I can work most matters by virtue of being an Irish barrister. My next letter, however, will tell you more than conjecture. I am by no means inclined to settle here. In fact I fe[l]t more down hearted at this change than ever in my life. I suppose it was the result of having been exposed [to] the pelting of many a pitiless storm in Victoria that made me lonely when I left it. But I must pay my debts, put some clothes on my back and some money in my pocket. When I have a couple of hundred pounds saved I can change again. It is time for me now to say something about others. Cissey is nearly broken down, but I put her on a way to arrange with her creditors that may make her better for the future. Lizzy Wallsh is also not too troubled by the smiles of fortune. Poor Johnny wrote to me last month to say that he had returned to Adelaide after a profitless expedition with scarcely any money. I wrote him a long letter in reply and found when arrived here that he had gone into the bush again. He may be back in a month again, and I have laid traps to catch him wherever I heard he might call. It would be pleasant to see him now, but the devil of course thought so too and induced him to go away the day before my arrival. This Mr. Davis is a Roman Catholic Englishman and a man upon whom I am disposed to place the most undoubting reliance. At present I am in his hands. The room in which I write to you contains some peculiar men—among others the celebrated Vagabond, one of the most brilliant newspaper discriptive writers of the day. I sent two articles headed "the Antipodes" to The Independent. If published send me a few copies. The "Echoes from the Antipodes" was not mine. What I wrote was not a burlesque, but sound information about the institutions of Victoria. I am afraid it was lost. I must now say goodbye with love to all, Your affectionate son P. McM. Glynn (Address care of Hardy and Davis for the present) |
