| Title: | E. Dunlop Peterborough. to C. Kirkpatrick, Ireland. |
|---|---|
| ID | 926 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Dunlop, Ellen/26 (1) |
| Year | 1874 |
| Sender | Dunlop, Ellen |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Ontario, Canada |
| Destination | Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Kirkpatrick, Catherine |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | niece-aunt |
| Source | D 1604/273: Presented by Rev. Robert Kirkpatrick, Breezemount, The Roddens, Larne, County Antrim. |
| Archive | Public Record Office, N.I. |
| Doc. No. | 9401044 |
| Date | 30/11/1874 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 01:03:1994. |
| Word Count | 2653 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Peterborough Novr. 30 – 74 My dearest Aunt Your loving letter dated Nov [7th?] lies before me - for which I give you many many thanks - Your home news is so interesting, so like what I remember - particularly dear Uncle reading out to you all - he is such a beautiful reader - & never wearies I used to think how your circle is enlarged by a mother & children, Geraldine sewing for the little ones, are the only change - a good one as it has added happiness to your household, as well as cheerfulness - your picture came before me nicely. It is pleasant to feel retirement when happiness is within ourselves, this I often feel when wishing for a change "would a new home ever be happier," I say, - I only hope I do not write too often dear Aunt, the pleasure of hearing from you is so great & your kindness asking me to do so is my reason, as I fear I go over & over again ourselves too often as really I have little incident - I shall look out for Hazelbank news on the new arrival with great concern & anxiety it is a nice Newyears Gift to expect for the good of the house, I wish I knew "Gerry" I am sure I would love her very much. I have not so much as a likeness of her which I hope George will send me with his own some time when all are well. A large Pho' [Photo?] Album I gave to dear Mama in which many of her home friends are in - I did not like asking dear [Bee?] for it when her things were divided, but Kate took one she had also given our darling so [Bee?] & Kate have all the Phots. [Photos?] & duplicates, - in time if I can get the [Kirkpatricks?] of your family I shall be quite made up -I would like what you consider good of your darling little boy & girl & shall look forward [for?] [them?] some time yours dear Aunt do as not do you justice but I could not think of you having the trouble again & am thankful for what I have. I would like to have it enlarged in Toronto to correspond with the very previous one I have of your dear sister, the likeness is very strong between you. Looking over your letter you mention the large sewing machine Alicia has & uses. The Drs. [Doctors?] here condemn sewing machines for delicate ladies working by the feet causes an injury if there is any inward delicacy, I am sorry Alice is delicate as I am sure there is nothing more trying. I am so glad they got that handsome legacy - & that the Glebe house is getting on so nicely, I hardly know where it is. I know every spot from Cullybackey to Hazelbank & could walk in to your house as I can my own - down to the Church & where the old [Cra----?] Castle was as I was at the pulling down of it. The beautiful bed of snowdrops which lay thick about the ground. Ann [Dawes's?] school. Willy Dugans cottage & others all before my minds eye I could go to now enjoying this time 22 years ago - You would indeed love our sister's Lassie would you know - & see her motherly love over her step children & endearing love to her own wee darling. [Cauline?] [deserve's?] all our love, "she is an admirable [character?]" as Dr. O Meara her clergyman said to me one day last summer [when?] I met him. he is an aged Irish Church of England Clergyman from such a person I said, is [it?] was some thing to have that said", such a couple as Henry & [Lassie?], as they have had more difficulties to contend with than any one knows - Henry had a great mind, so like our darling Mother, I think - only the other day when he came to see me made me feel how I meet his eaqual [equal?] his mind is so stored with good & useful information he has been [writing?] a little [memorando?] of our first settlement & has a most interesting collection nicely written down. at a loss sometimes for information as to the progress of early years *[I think I closed one of my letters with ending it and remembered it after Give my love to dear Uncle & cousins a kiss to your nice [chicks?] in one way as Charles likes to go on through every difficulty. since I sat down he got into some part for me to listen to, which does us no good as I cannot divide my attention & am good at neither Macauley I spelt wrong in my [luny?] when struggling in my [room?] when the early sunsets are so trying, much to be [crushed?] [into?] so few [homes?] - my mornings pass in housekeeping - so much [wines?] on, my mincemeat & cordial if possible this week, to be completed & a quantity of unrendered Lard came home to day to be [put up?]. I use unrendered lard for pastry, it is beautiful chopped fine & rolled into the flour thin, beaten well with the roller just into a hot oven - it is lighter & a beautiful colour if nicely done, recommend it to your cook on trial I got it in an English receipt [recipe?] book it is called Filed pastry my cordial consists of some of our Grapes which were late I put them into Spirits & now will make a good boiled syrup of sugar & water boiled like honey - adding Ginger and one lemon to flavour, it is a nice hot sip for a friend coming in, 1lb of sugar to 1 quart of the Grape & Spirit decoction I would like could I send you a bottle of it - we only use wine for sickness Charles never takes whiskey - his head so easily aches - Coffie [Coffee?] if a friend comes in & at dinner is our beverage - Charles is greatly taken with Gladsons [Gladstones?] phamphlet [pamphlet?] now appearing in our local papers - Gladson [Gladstone?] seems very clear & bold - I would like to know Uncles opinion of the state the political world is in now - how much we miss The Times as so much came so interesting & exciting that is to take place in London of Roman Cats. [Roman Catholics?] I hope the English will come out all right I must stop again & let Charles talk - do excuse my terrible scrawl. it is late but a very cold frosty night & bright wood fire burning so dearest Aunt good night. Tuesday noon - a heavy fall of snow has continued for some hours - the friends we expected evidently could not come through it with baby in the little sleigh - my morning housekeeping has given me my usual share of Rheumatism with the damp East wind Charles has wadded [waded?] off in the storm for his Globe where all the interesting news now comes from - Mary is busy trimming a new blue casmir [cashmere?] dress of three years [standing?] with black velvet cut on the biass [bias?] she spent last week at Goodwood where she always enjoys herself. [Mary?] Brown is such a good senseable [sensible?] pleasing sincere friend with a large amount worldly knowledge so useful nowadays, Bessie has great comfort in her dear adopted daughter Mary Brown is to go to Toronto soon after Christmas - Harriet has been in Port Hope for sometime & I hope dear [Bee?] may take a trip when [Mary?] returns - it is such a quiet place they are the [--ttie?] going turn about away now & again. I would go much oftener but Charles finds so lonely & [requires?] my care In sometime he now is so well I will tramp off for a day to my sisters soon - the greatest pleasure I can take - I think you have received a letter from Anne [May?] in which she has told you all about themselves - Annie Collins always has a delicate [look?] black about her eyes & very sallow - [Charley?] is a great darling - a [pet?] with [Tom?] who has more Jolly fun with him than Joss Joss seems truly fond of his wee boy & takes him carrying him & [fondling?] him more than I ever saw a young man do - dear [Tom?] he is like our own son & child here his Uncle is so pleased when he comes to see us, which is too seldom he is so busy now, but it cheers us old folk A remark came from Charles - Mary & myself today - showing how akin our feelings are - I said [last?] summer has been the longest summer he has had for some time from the quiet happiness we have enjoyed - I came in after being very busy & said to Mary "it feels so like a Holiday time all is calm & settled". Oh said Mary " I was just thinking it feels so truly happy the way we live now". I said why we had all something thrown over us of happiness when unexpected to ourselves we have expressed the same it is so true dear Aunt as if a storm had passed & the calm is felt - This season brings our [smiling?] mother so much to our mind - her busy loving heart ever on the look out for seasonable presents for her large flock I so like to look back the very snow falling has many, many early associations of my loved parents mixed up in all my earliest recollections of Christmas times has a strange rough look now - yet cheerfulness & love in all, could they all return I would go over & over it again my childhood had much in it compared with the young of the present day - but we shared the toil & burden of the day with our loved parents & became prematurely old I often think - & now I have mercies & blessings so great, so innumerable, I often pause & think - and can only say Thanks be to the Giver of All who has blessed me with such health & competence in my time of life not young now - I should never cease acknowledging God in every time of my life up to the present and live for His Glory if I could how far short we all come dearest Aunt to that - Again I make a final effort to end my letter - I could not longer listen to This letter must go on Thursday so as to have it the beginning of the month, I expect Kate Neill to come to me for a few days - & Mrs. Newnham [Newnheim?] her sister & baby so called a child over 2 years - Mrs. Newnham [Newnheim?] spent a [week?] lately; we like her very much, but she is odd. Col. [Colonel?] & Mrs. [Stace?] came two years ago with their family to reside in Peterboro' Mrs Newnham [Newnheim?], is their daughter, before leaving England this girl made an unfortunate match, two months after her marriage she left her husband The family went to Virginia Southern States - where this baby was born. her husband traced her & haunted her when the baby was five days old he insisted on seeing it. she was locked up in her room; the Dr [Doctor?] carried the baby for the papa's peep - another time he appeared at a window suddenly asked to even kiss her hand; well they left Virginia for Peterboro', Mr. Newnham [Newnheim?] appeared at the train, she had herself locked in & from fear of him when in the Hotels she had herself locked in & so they came to Peterborough Col. [Colonel?] Stace has been known by the Hamiltons over twenty years - Mrs. Stace is an Irish lady - connected to Lord [Roden?] also Mr. Smillie [Smilie?] of Dublin, she was a Miss [Molyneux?] her sister Mrs. Webb an [Auth-----?] is well known, Mrs. Newnheim [Newnham?] is very young & her sister Miss Stace is such a jolly nice girl very intimate with Mary - so they are coming for a day, to walk up & down baby in her little sleigh they are very nice living [& intend?], keeping no servant poor circumstances I think, they eat & drink with relish, all I have, much pleasanter than many, would be great people I know, _ I am very much pleased with with my good Mary the German, & she has completed her [Forth?] [Fourth?] month proveing [proving?] herself most valuable in every way - attachment one great point she speaks of next summer, as if next month - I pay her $5 per month & give her any little thing useful to her I may have. Charles sent me a likeness of dear Charlotte & her sweet baby Catherine, & the trio in a large armchair. I am delighted with them & he seems so too poor fellow - I admire Charlotte very much, she looks better for her years, I must write to Charlotte this week if I can - friends coming in interrupts one in their plans. Charles has been reading aloud to Mary & I Mc Cauleys [Macauley's?] History of England it is deeply interesting but an awful picture of the early reigns of England, no one need [be?] [proud?] of the Stewarts - from those terrible times - we get on slowly as there are many interruptions very trying to Charles he reads with such pleasure & gusto I am happy to say Charles is so much better, looking splendid I tell him, with his fine flowing beard almost white - his bald head, but his cheeks a fine full healthy look to what he had, he had let himself run slow - his blood was poor. I heard of a woman who sells the [regular?] plant called Sarsaparilla a most useful purifier for the blood I boiled the roots & he takes that twice a day - this woman goes into the swamps with a hoe - & pulls up these long running roots of [many?] [feet?] in length she sells it to the Apothecaries and Drs [Doctors?] and makes her 50 cts a bundle for all she sells - it is a most valuable remedy - I used to know the plant when living more in the wild woods - Charles says he read with interest what he says of Mr. Smiths trial - & hopes to see the final charge - I am so very sorry for poor Mr. Beggs has such a trouble now in their old age poor people, as such a disgraceful event must be bitter. I am writing at such a rate in my room the weather is terribly dark, a heavy fall of snow has laden every nook & corner - as well as every twigg [twig?] of the trees for the present I must say good bye dear Aunt again I must try what I can do at my letter - this regular reading is trying the far famed History the clock is near 9 P M commenced at 6 o'clock to read is as much as my old head will stand - I had a note from dear [Bee?] since my last [paragraph?] in which she says "our darling mothers little [bird?] is dead" poor [Bee?] feels it greatly for five years they have nursed it poor wee thing Believe me with sincere love your affectionate [old?] child Ellen Dunlop |
