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Title: O'Donnell, Annie to Phelan, James, 1902
ID6260
CollectionYour Fondest Annie: Letters from Annie O'Donnel to James P.Phelan [A. O'Donnell]
Filefondestan/23
Year1902
SenderO'Donnell, Annie
Sender Genderfemale
Sender Occupationchildren's maid
Sender Religionunknown
OriginSpring Lake, New Jersey, USA
DestinationIndianapolis, Indiana, USA
RecipientPhelan, James
Recipient Gendermale
Relationshipfriends
Source
Archive
Doc. No.
Date
Partial Date
Doc. Type
Logunknown
Word Count467
Genrework, prospects, holiday
Note
TranscriptSpring Lake, NJ.
July 11, 1902

My dear Jim,
I am glad you were not waiting for my picture before you wrote as I
have only received them this afternoon. I am sending one and can
only say that it certainly looks like me. I would like you to tell me
candidly what you think of it.
I read that account of the accident and certainly thought it sad.
You must have felt it keenly. Those cars, however, always fill me
with horror when they go very fast. Two or three times already they
have given me a scare. Ellen told me to impress you strongly 'with
saying your prayers night and morning' and I myself believe in that
above all things, for just imagine the number of lives you have at
your hands depending on you, and a single slip would dash them
into 'kingdom come' before they could be aware of the fact. Still,
every walk of life has its own peculiar dangers, and not one is
exempt from it more than the other.
I have thought quite a good bit of you thinking to take up
canvassing. Don't be cross with me if I tell you not to, for if you
never had your feelings hurt, you certainly would stand a risk of it
then. If anyone gets a cool send off, it is poor agents, but if you
think it all right and be happy, why by all means do it as you know
more about the business than I do. You know if nobody else in
Pittsburgh cares to receive you, I gladly will, but it would hurt me
to think you would go round from house to house with not one kind
word to cheer you along. Still we must not consider our feelings too much when we try to make a living in this weary world, and every
cloud has its own silver lining and perhaps ours will shine yet.
Times here are pretty much the same, but the Fourth made a
little more difference in this quiet spot. We had auto races, bicycle
races and lots of fireworks in the daytime and at night quite a
display of electric fireworks. The soldiers are coming tomorrow to
Sea Girt. They will enliven the place a bit.
I busy myself these nights with copying poetry. Such pieces as
strike me I keep in my little book. Enclosed is one or two, probably
you have seen one with me on the Adria as I always kept it by me.
It was composed by a schoolmate of mine and entitled 'When far
away'!3
As usual I am quite late and must now bring to a finish, hoping
to hear from you very soon, so a fond good-night. I remain as ever,
Annie
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