| Title: | Ada C. Edgar, Birmingham, Michigan, to "Dear Annie". |
|---|---|
| ID | 963 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Edgar, Ada C/28 |
| Year | 1890 |
| Sender | Edgar, Ada C. |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Birmingham, Michigan, USA |
| Destination | Pontiac, Michigan, USA |
| Recipient | Weir, Anne |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | Copyright Retained by Mrs Linda Weir, Tirmacspird, Lack, Co. Fermanagh, BT93 OSA. |
| Archive | Ulster American Folk Park. |
| Doc. No. | 9905105 |
| Date | 21/06/1890 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 20:05:99. |
| Word Count | 937 |
| Genre | |
| Note | Née Burns. N.B. she struggles with money and child-rearing, husband Thomas left one day while drunk, left to look for work somewhere else; landed in Glasgow, Scotland, and stayed there for at least a year; he wanted Ada to come to him but she'd rather stay in America. When she finally made arrangements to leave for Glasgow, the baby got sick. Thomas still wanted to stay in Scotland. |
| Transcript | Miss Annie Weir. Pontiac. Mich. [Michigan?] E.M.A. Birmingham, Mich. [Michigan?] June 21st 90. Dear Annie. I received your kind and ever welcome letter to-day. I am able to be [around?] although I am not strong baby is real well. My dear Annie I have very sad news to tell you a week ago last Wednesday Thomas went away and I have not heard from him since I did not know where he went until last Thursday, I had a letter from his brother in Pittsburg Pa [Pennsylvania?] saying he was in that city John had not seen him but Thomas had been to a place where he used to board when he was there before. I tell you Annie it was a hard blow on one for him to disappear so suddenly he left me with very little money, I don't know what he could have thinking of (sic). Of course you know he had been drinking that day when you were there, he took to drinking the day baby was born and was around the house for ten days before he went away under the influence of drink. Bella was to see us the next Tuesday after you were there he was nearly sobered up when she was there but took to it again as soon as she was gone. I tell you Annie I am as unhappy now as I was happy when you were in (sic) I had all the confidence in the world in Thomas but when drink is in him he is as crazy as can be by spells, I think he did not realize what he was doing when he went away. I know he never done it intentionally he thought to [too?] much by his home it seems to me for to do such a thing he had [pleasured?] so much for our dear little darling. I hope and trust in God that he will either write or come back. Dear Annie you know how happy we were, you know we thought there was no one's happiness equal to ours but the happiness is blighted now the tempter was at his elbow it seems, I got up the next Monday after you were in. Mrs Fitzpatrick got mad and left the next Sunday after you were there. I wrote to his brother in Pittsburgh and told them Thomas had gone away. I wrote to Bob and Rob and Hattie came in a week ago to-day. But was sick and could not come they made me come to B-ham [Birmingham?] Dear Annie I dont want you to think that I think you are a flirt for I know you are not, don't get married to any man untill [until?] you are suited. I had a good husband he was to [too?] good and it makes the trouble harder to bear to think of the change there has been in the last three weeks if you can come to B-ham [Birmingham?] some time next week and I will tell you more than I care to write for if I don't write it, it won't tell no tales as letters sometime get mislaid. I was to Detroit (sic) to-day and I got your letter I will stop writing to-night and finish to-morrow. I am very sleepy and tired the folks have all gone out to-night and I am alone. Bob lives in the house right back of Wm [William?] Robinson Sunday Morning. Dear Annie I will finish my letter this morning. I am feeling quite well so is baby. I am going out home Tuesday unless something strange happens. Rob is going home and I will go with him, he is real good to me, but dear Annie my heart is nearly broken you don't know how sorry I feel, Oh the cursed drink has broken the happy tier of our home in Detroit but I hope and trust in God that my dear Thomas will try and make me a home with him somewhere. You know he told you that I always looked on the bright side of every thing, if there was one to be found, he went away and told me he was going to look for work as he had got discharged where he did work but his old boss told me that he did not, or sent me word rather. Rob and I are going to Church over to the Baptist Church this afternoon, I got baby a little cloak and cap yesterday in the city dear Annie I hope you will excuse such scribbling for you must know I am very nervous. My trouble is of the last kind I should have thought of coming everybody was surprised around where we lived when they saw him coming in under the influence of drink and still more so when he went away for they all thought he was a joivel (sic), he never was out no more than you saw when you were in. I must close hoping to hear from you soon I remain your friend forever Ada C. Edgar. Address to Oxford Mich. [Michigan?] Box 378 [?] J. Holten. I tried to coax Thomas to let the drink alone he would say yes I'll stop tonight but he did not know but he was saying I told him to bring it in the house and drink it if he was bound to have it. I had all the patience in the world with him and coaxed him to leave the cursed drink alone he told me when he had sobered up when Bella was there he had spoiled all our planning for our future happiness, good by. write soon. |
