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Title: McIlrath, Emily A to McIlrath, Mary (Minnie), 1914
ID4540
CollectionThe McIlrath Letters: A family history in letters from New Zealand to Ireland (1860-1915) [Bassett, McKee et al.]
Filemcilrath/59
Year1914
SenderMcIlrath, Emily A
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationunknown
Sender Religionunknown
OriginSpringfield, New Zealand
DestinationKillinchy, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
RecipientMcIlrath, Mary (Minnie)
Recipient Genderfemale
Relationshipcousins
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count428
Genrephotographs, weather, local economy, socialising, family
Note
TranscriptThorndale
Springfield
26th Mary 1914

Dear Coz Minnie,
I was so pleased to receive your nice long letter. I think it is nice
to hear how our relations are getting on. Father was delighted with
the photos, and so were we all. They are very nice, and you all look
so well. Uncle and Auntie look remarkably young and well. Uncle
William looks a good deal stouter than my Father, who is rather thin.
None of us have had any photos taken for a long while, but when we
do get them taken, I shall send you some. Our winter is fast approaching, and we are having some very cold stormy days. We get hard frosts too.
Mt. Torlesse, at the back of our place is covered deep
in snow, so we get some very fresh breezes at times.
I wonder if your winters are more severe than ours are?
If so it wouldn’t suit me to live at Home as I don’t like the cold.
Our harvest turned out very well this year. This district is very good
for dairying, but we never went in for it, altho' it seems to pay well.
We all think there is less labour in cropping and keeping sheep than
in milking cows. We are practically the oldest residents in this district
now, as our neighbours have all sold and gone to different parts to live.
I have been to several "Euchre Parties" this season, and altho' I have
never succeeded in bringing home a prize, I always enjoy them. I am going to a party tomorrow evening, so I may have better luck. Olive
has played a good deal at socials & dances this year. In fact they
depend on her to play at everything that's on.
You ask me to come and see you. I should love to take a trip and
see you all, but goodness knows if ever I shall have the chance. I
daresay I would find it a great change from New Zealand. I wish
some of you would come and see us. Frank is getting on well in the
"Times Office". He writes a column on "Education" every week, also
a column every week for ten weeks on the "Peace that has existed for
so long in America" and gets well paid for each article he writes.
I hope Uncle, Auntie and you all are enjoying good health, as at
present we all are, and with love to you all from Father, Mother &
all here,
I am your loving Coz, Emily A. McIlrath.