| Title: | Stewart, Frances to Edgeworth, Honora, 1829 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4740 |
| Collection | Revisiting Our Forest Home, The immigrant letters of Frances Stewart [J. L. Aoki] |
| File | stewart/22 |
| Year | 1829 |
| Sender | Stewart, Frances |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Douro Township, Newcsatle District, Upper Canada |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | Edgeworth, Honora |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 892 |
| Genre | family life |
| Note | |
| Transcript | 1829: April 6 To Honora [Edgeworth], Ireland 6th April 1829 My dearest Honora When I learned that our dear and valuable Aunt Mary had returned to Ireland my first thought was about you for I know how very much it must encrease your happiness to have her once more with you, and I intended then to have written to congratulate you on her being once more with you but various & endless are my obstacles to any employment which requires quietness, and some times I am almost in despair about being able to do any thing but nurse or fuss a little about the children or housekeeping. Then when I have any time I write in such a hurry that I have no comfort. Even now I scribble with John sleeping on my arm & the three next making all sorts of noises in the room as the weather is too wet & cold to dispose of them out of doors. We have had a most unusually long & severe winter. It did not begin till after Christmas for all Nov'r & Dec'r were delightful. But then it became extremely cold & for a month I don't think the ther'r rose above 10, added to which we had high northwest winds & but very few sunny days. Now, tho' we have nearly reached the second week of April, the weather is bitterly cold & blustery, no appearance of Spring anywhere. How different from Ireland I dare say your Daffodils & Narcissus are, all in high beauty, as well as the other sweet & beautiful flowers which make their appearance at this sweet season, but which with us here don't bloom till June when every thing comes at once, but soon droop & fade from the heat & dryness so that the only time of year we have any pretty flowers in our gardens is between June & September, by which time all are gone to seed & beginning to grow brown & withered. I for this reason am not half so fond of my flower gardens as in days of yore. Indeed all my pursuits are so completely changed that I scarcely can help thinking I have been changed by some Evil Fairy, for no people could be so totally different as Fanny Browne of Dublin & Fanny Stewart of Douro, except that my dear friends are the same & equally fond & tender. Oh this makes me know most exquisitely that I am Fanny Browne still. But though ray employments are of necessity so much changed my tastes are the same & I still enjoy reading, music &c &c as much as I did 20 years ago. In walking I admire just as much as ever the works of Nature, altho I have not much time for walking. I wish much dear Honora to hear from you again. It seems so very long since I have had a letter from you. You may perhaps think that I don't deserve it and I know that I have not written to you for many months, no, not even to thank you for the nice & valuable addition you sent to our Library, which I assure you have contributed very much to our entertainment during the dark days we have had this winter & have helped to keep away low spirits which will sometimes come in spite of all our efforts to keep them at a proper distance. Letters are also delightful restoratives & always have a very instantaneous effect tho' I must say my pleasure is always blinded with a good deal of apprehension on first breaking the seals. I hope soon to see one of your fine folios make its appearance. You have much to tell me about all the different branches into which your family is now divided. So pray indulge me soon. Begin at the root & tell me about home & all its inmates & about all you like to tell me of what you do, say & think, for nothing of that sort can be uninteresting, then about Fanny Wilson, H. Butler, Sophy Fox & her little nice young Foxes, Sneyd and his [ ], my dear William, who I do & always will love with the warmest & steadiest affection, which like every impression imbibed in early life lasts long & increases by age I do think, for I have seen so very little of him since our childhood that my love of him must be just the old love I had for my dear playfellow, strengthened & encreased by years. It is curious that just as I left Ireland he should be employed on the very spot I may say where we lived & that he sh'd know so many of our friends & acquaintances there. I cannot tell you any news because I don't know any which can interest you nor have I any anecdotes or adventures to relate, never having passed so tiresome or dull a winter. We have had few visitors & those we had were no way agreeable. Indeed I am rather disgusted with our neighbors than otherwise. However, we have so many resources within ourselves that I find myself independent of society. Now adieu, with kindest love to ray ever loved Aunt Mary, believe me your ever affectionate friend, F Stewart |
