| Title: | Mary Cumming, Petersburg, [Va?] to Margaret Craig, Lisburn. |
|---|---|
| ID | 777 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Cumming, Mary/11 |
| Year | 1812 |
| Sender | Cumming (n. Craig), Mary |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | middle class housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Petersburg, Virginia, USA |
| Destination | Lisburn, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Craig, Margaret |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | sisters |
| Source | T 1475/2 pp.60-63: Copied by Permission of Miss A. McKisack, 9, Mount Pleasant, Belfast. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9006091 |
| Date | 31/03/1812 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by JM 02:09:1993. |
| Word Count | 1348 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Petersburg. March 31st 1812. I received my beloved Margaret's long looked for letter on the second of the month. It is impossible to tell you how delighted I was to hear that you were all well, and I hope and trust you may long continue to enjoy every blessing this world can bestow. You have long before this received letters from me, and I now begin to think that I should soon have another from you. How often I have read over your dear, dear letters I wish they were much longer. I felt proud and delighted that my dear father was pleased with my poor productions, and it would be the greatest delight of my life to think that the great pains and trouble he took with my education have not been thrown away. William and I have been as well as possible since I wrote. Indeed, I never enjoyed better health than I have had this some months past. My old torment, toothache is returned of late, and troubles me a good deal, but I hope it will soon get better. How delighted you would be to see my dear William looking so well as he is at present. I assure you he looks many years younger than when he was with you. He says it is all owing to me, and I, you may be sure, have the vanity to think so. Do you know I have become a great gardener of late? I have got a variety of seeds sown long since, and a great many are coming up. My peas will be ready for rodding in a day or two, my cabbages are doing very well, and this week I intend getting my melons and cucumbers sown in a large square. There is not any occasion for glass to put over them here, and I intend sowing some corn for roasting. I am told it is as good as green peas when young. So I flatter myself I shall have a plentiful supply of vegetables this summer. It is just a pleasant walk to the garden, and I visit it very often. I have sown all my flower seeds in the little garden before the windows. I got them from my kind friend, Mrs. Bell, who has been uncommonly attentive to me. Indeed, I never met with more friendship and kindness than I have experienced since I came to Petersburg, from many of the ladies that have visited me. I have got quite a numerous, and I think very pleasing acquaintance. I am sure you would admire the American ladies very much, they are so affable and pleasing in their manners. Oh! my dear sister, how often I think of you, how often wish you were with me. I always loved you, but my affection for you is now increased tenfold. I think if I could but see you again I would be completely happy. I have been very busy of late making a variety of little things. I have now got them nearly finished. Oh, dear Margaret! what happy days I hope to spend when I return to you and Ireland. This is my constant wish, I may add prayer, that #PAGE 2 I may see you all once more. I think I know what maladie du pays is. The weather at present is very pleasant, there were several wet days at the beginning of this month, which is very unusual in this country. I do not know what will become of me in summer, for even in February some days were too warm for me. One in particular was oppressively warm, the thermometer stood at 72. The warmest day in Ireland it is not much more I believe. The peach trees look most beautiful just now, in full blossom. There are a good many growing in the yard, which I am told bear very well. I have my early potatoes planted long since. They are very good, I hear, for some time after they come in, but will not keep during the winter as they do at home. I would give a great deal for a little oatmeal, they do not make any here, the climate is too hot for corn, it ripens before it fills. I am not partial to the American meal, as yet, though it is very superior to what we had in Ireland at one time. William is going to get me a cow directly, which will be great comfort, I do not like buying milk. You see I tell you all my little domestic affairs, but I know you are interested in everything that concerns your poor Mary. Old Nancy and I continue to be on the best terms that can be, she is very good-natured, and appears to be very fond of her young mistress. I think the negroes are very affectionate, they cannot do as much work as the white servants. Palermo works in the garden now, and little Joe is our butler, and a very good one he is, he is a great favourite with me, I would like to take him home with us. Mr. James Cumming speaks of going to Ireland sometime in May, he is not very well. I expect a great packet of letters from Ireland soon, I think my dear James will write to me, and I expect to hear from some of my Armagh friends. I hope my dear Mary Cumming has been with you lately. I am very glad to hear that my dear James is in as pleasant a situation as you tell me he is, how proud I will be of him when I go home, tell him to write to me soon. How does my darling Rachel like school? I wish she would write to me and tell me all the news. How I love her! If she was with me we would have a great many little affairs to settle. William says he will send the pictures along with the hams, I hope they will be good. Nancy puts a little fire in the smoke house almost every day. I baked a seedcake some time ago, by way of trial, which was very good, it was the first I had ever attempted. I shall be busy doing a great many little things this coming month. I will write a long letter the latter end of April, and I suppose the next one will be from William -- with good news, I hope. You tell me the next letter will be from my dear Father, #PAGE 3 how delighted I shall be when I receive it. I cannot express the joy I feel when I get a letter from any of you, continue to write every month, I shall do the same. They are talking of an embargo being laid on some time soon, I hope they will not go to war, William does not think they will. He has been engaged this some time getting tobacco shipped off to England. I fear you will find this a very stupid epistle, but my head feels confused for want of sleep. If Madam Toothache does not soon take her departure I shall have to get the tooth drawn, and I do not like the thought of it at all. Do not be afraid of writing long letters to me, the most trifling circumstance is interesting to me coming from you. I am delighted to hear that all my Lisburn friends are well. Remember me in the kindnest manner to Miss McNally and M. B., and the rest of my kind friends. William desires his most affectionate love to you all, he will tell you what kind of a little wife I make when he writes. Heaven bless and send you every happiness, is the constant prayer of your M. [Mary?] Cumming. I send my father a few musk and water melon seeds, I wish he would sow them in the Hot bed. I believe you have not the water melon in Ireland. Once more farewell, my darling Sister! Miss Margaret Craig. Lisburn. Co. Antrim. per "Ariadne" via London. |
