| Title: | P. Hughes, Woodstock, Maryland to [Willy Doran?] |
|---|---|
| ID | 1492 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Hughes, P/22 |
| Year | 1894 |
| Sender | Hughes, P. |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | studying to be a clergyman |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Woodstock, Maryland, USA |
| Destination | Ireland? |
| Recipient | Willy |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | Document Presented by and Copyright Retained by Sharon Doran Turnbow, 6321 Roosevelt St., Coloma MI 49038 616 849 0240. Sharon@parrett.net or info@sandcastlescottages.com |
| Archive | The Centre for Migration Studies |
| Doc. No. | 201114 |
| Date | 17/05/1894 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, Td by Maxine Green, 07:01:02 |
| Word Count | 767 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | A.M.D.G Woodstock College, Woodstock, Md [Maryland?] May 17th 1894 Dear Cousin, You will be surprised to hear from me that the envelope out of which you have just drawn this letter had your address written on it at Easter. Why then did I not dash off a few pages of news and fold them up nicely within the said envelope and post the whole to you? The truth is l had already begun to write to you when l was prevented in the way I shall now relate. You know l spent my last 3 years at Frederick, a town about 34 miles from here. Well during the Easter holidays, when we were off study for a few days, l was asked to join four others in a walk to the old spot. Of course we could have taken the train, but for the sake of exercise, and to try our strength, we thought we would make use of the good old customary way of going from place to place on legs. So off we started on a bright March morning at 5.30, and after covering the ground at a pretty respectable rate, and taking a slight rest here and there along the way, we reached our old home with our many kind friends there at 3:45 in the evening. I do not intend to tire you, Willy, speaking of men and things, which, however dear they may be to me, are nevertheless unknown to you. However, as an old friend and school fellow, l am sure you will not hear with indifference that though those who are dearest to me on earth are far away and likely to remain so, yet l am not friendless. There are kind and generous hearts to greet me wherever I go - dear brothers who have more than a brother's affection for me, and whom I love with a brother's heart in return. After remaining two days at Frederick we returned and began once more the study of our Philosophy - But, where am I? lf I do not change the subject instantly I shall find myself at the end of my letter without having told you anything except the reasons for my not writing at Easter. So now for a few words on Killowen affairs - I had a letter from Francis less than a week ago and here are in brief a few of the things he told me. My mother had been sick of influenza ("the grip") for six weeks when he wrote, but was then, thank God, almost well again. Alicia had gone to live in Dublin. Patrick Fitzsimons was working in Liverpool. He had started three weeks before Francis wrote for America, but, in finding work in Liverpool, changed his mind. Edward Rourke died in April of an inward cancer. Tom Moffatt, Tommy Cull, Eddy McGivern of Ballindoalty [Co Down?] were married. This is about all he had to say except to express the hope that my mother would be able to write the next letter to me. And now for yourself - I have not yet told you how much your letter delighted me. It was well written too, and only confirms me in what I said in my last letter. But do not let the desire of writing well, keep you from writing much. "Tell me all you can" as the old Irish song had it - and I will add "all you can about yourself - your hopes for the future, your ideas about things which interest either of us - your castles in the air." Every young fellow builds castles you know, though with this difference, that noble hearted fellows build noble buildings, whereas others do not. Would you like to know where my castles are? Well, I would like to convert this big round world of ours to the true faith; but since this is not in my poor power, for many, too many, do not want to be converted, then with God's help my life and my labors will be given to the grandest, noblest work on earth - that of bringing all the souls I can to Heaven and to the feet of Christ. Oh Willy, how I long for more virtue and holiness, and more talent too and learning, that I may be able to do this work the better. I am now preparing for it with God's assistance. Pray that I may suceed. I pray for all each day at Mass, and for you in particular. Write me a long letter soon. Best wishes to all. Your affectionate Cousin P. Hughes, S.J. [Society of Jesus?] (Transcribed by Maxine Green.) |
