| Title: | Anne Hincks, Montreal to Isabella Allen, Belfast. |
|---|---|
| ID | 1443 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hincks, Anne/29 |
| Year | 1873 |
| Sender | Hincks, Anne |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | middle-class housewife |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Destination | Belfast, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Allen, Isabella |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | D1558/1/5/77: Presented by the late F.D. Campbell Allen, Esq., 15 London Road, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex, England |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9804178 |
| Date | 28/09/1873 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 08:04:98. |
| Word Count | 1237 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Montreal Sept 28th [18?]/73. My dear Bella, I could not answer your welcome letter by return mail as I generally like to do, so I shall begin this early that I may be ready for emergencies. We had such a large household for more than a fortnight that we had enough to do, 10 in the parlour & 5 in the kitchen! It kept us all pretty busy. We had the Keadys with us, and we enjoyed their visit very much, and felt quite lonely on Friday when they left us. Mary is such a merry sprite, and so full of mischief she requires constant watching. She and her little cousin became great friends, and Stewart quite missed her the first day. How you would delight in him he is the perfection of a baby so good tempered and bright, and has been such a healthy little man. I am very glad the Photo gave such general satisfaction; I did not think I should ever have been persuaded to have another taken, but Fanny Hincks urged me so much to let her have one, as when she married she could not even have one of the old ones, that I thought I could try, and when it proved successful, I wished to send them to other friends. Certainly the climate here is very favourable for taking them. We had great heat yesterday and a tremendous thunder storm last night, with such heavy rain, this has been a lovely day after it, but I should not condemn if we had more to-night, the heat is very great, and we feel it all the time, as we had been having quite cold weather. The foliage is grown most lovely, and we have such pretty trees just opposite to this house. My brother has been quite an invalid lately, he had a slight touch of gout in his toe, and I was in hopes when that disappeared he would have been much better, but he is still far from well, and very much depressed, as all men are when any thing is wrong. Lady is much better, but her arm has never got perfectly well. Frank is very much better and able to attend at the Bank and can walk pretty well, and he is generally better in the winter, so I hope he will escape another attack during the Autumn. I cannot say that our housekeeping troubles are at an end, we have a very cross old cook, who carries the life out of me sometimes by her forgetfulness, I have been doing the housekeeping ever since Lady Hincks was ill, so I get the receipt of the crossness, but you seem to be no better off at home. Certainly servants have it in their power to make you very uncomfortable. I am sure you must have been all glad to get back to the meeting house, and it must certainly be much improved by all the alterations. I believe we have to thank your father for the copies of your Uncle's sermon, which certainly was most excellent, and I am sure must have been very impressive delivered by him. It is a pity not to have some memoline of dear Miss Cunningham in our Church, she and her mother were so long connected with it, but I suppose the Thompsons wished to have something under their own eyes, and that seems natural too. How pleasant it is to hear that your Mamma is able to be down to breakfast every day. She must be very much better. I hope she will go on so and have a good winter. The accounts of Aunt Eliza too are very cheering, and I am glad your father is so flourishing, but he ought to take a holiday on Saturday sometimes at least. I am sure it must be pleasant for you having the Nixons at Ireland [bious?], and I am sure they will enjoy the country. I am glad Mr Drummond keeps so well, you must give my love to Miss Bella C. [Campbell?], to Lizzie Nixon. So the Windsor cousins met Peter Boult in the Continent. I heard his daughters were going for a year to Dresden & that they did not much like the thought of it. I was dining last Monday with some old friends of my brothers, and the niece & her husband have not long since returned from England. They had been a [on ?] Continental tour, and had met the Campbells of Mossley somewhere. Miss [---?] Lang was with them, and I suppose my name was mentioned & she told Mr Masson she knew Frank. Mr Masson seemed to have been quite taken with the whole party; she said Mr Campbell was suffering from rheumatism, and as the husband also suffers that way, I suppose it was a bond. Oct 1st. I write so far on Sunday & must now finish up rather in a hurry as I have several letters to answer this week. I went last night to hear a "Beethoven Quintet Club" and it was quite a heat & there were 5 of them, 2 violins Viola, Flute, & Cello & the sounding was beautiful & all first class music, we had also a soprano who sang well, above the average. I do not often hear music now, so enjoyed it all the more, the want of it is one of my deprivations though it saddens me to hear it. I suppose that feeling would wear off if I heard it oftener. One thing sung last night was "Angels ever bright & fair" and you can fancy that took me back to Fannoran & the old times that can never be again, but I must not begin to write sadly. When we returned home we found Charley Keady had come from Ottawa and his appearance I fear will greatly strick [strike?] his mother as I am sure it did all of us, he looks fearfully delicate, about a month or 6 weeks since he had a bad attack of Bronchitis, & he does not seem to be shaking it off, but I trust going home, & being well nursed, will soon improve him. Sir Francis is better but had another [-----?] of gout, & has not been out of his room for some days. Have you ever come across "Lords & Ladies?" If not I would recommend you to get it; I think it would amuse your mother & your fancy very much, but try to read it aloud, for you will enjoy it more together. I am sure parts of it would amuse Andrew James if he had time to listen. We seem to be having equinatial gales just now. Did Jim Quinsy talk of having the new carpets washed? It would not surprise me if he is most eccentric about such things! I expect to hear of their moving soon. I hope A [Andrew?] J [James?] C [Campbell?] will not work too hard for his scholarship examination. I shall want to hear the result. I am glad James enjoys the school of Design & I have no doubt he has made great progress. Well I must come to an end so with very much love to you all and the Aunts & Believe me Your affate [affectionate?] friend Anne Hincks You have not mentioned the Beattys lately. Are they well? Remember me to them. |
