| Title: | Agnes Shakespeare (Nesta), Alberta, to "My darling Mother" |
|---|---|
| ID | 2416 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Shakespeare, Agnes/7 |
| Year | 1897 |
| Sender | Shakespeare, Agnes |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Alberta, Canada |
| Destination | Ireland |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | daughter-mother |
| Source | D3590/M/4/2: Deposited by Godfrey Higginson Skrine Esq. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9909225 |
| Date | 14/02/1897 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 21:09:99. |
| Word Count | 1154 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | My darling Mother, Strange to say, I am writing for once with a reasonable certainty of posting the letter tomorrow. There has been a little snow, not much; & we mean to drive over in the sleigh. (alias 'jumper') tomorrow to Pekisko, post our letters & get them too. Probably we shall stay the night at Pekisko with the Stimsons, & next day we can drive a few miles on, call on Mrs. [Bedingfeto?], & come home again. That lady, who is not usually credited with a very amiable disposition, has always been very nice to me; in fact, kind. (N.B. She has only seen me three times!) The other day she sent a book which she had heard I wanted to read. I am going to take her a 'Spectator' with a review of the "Fermingham Letters," by Lady Fermingham, & her daughter Lady Bedingfeto. They are bound to be relations afar back, so she is sure to be interested. John Skrine sends the Spectator to us very regularly, & he also sent us a Xmas box of a cheque for ÷2. Wasn't it nice of him? He sent me a copy of his new book of verse, "Songs of the Maid", which has been very well reviewed in the 'Times', & compared to Matthew Arnote, & I don't know what all. I do wish I could agree with the serious, for I do like John, but I do not like minor poetry, and it's hard on me to have a brother-in-law who writes it in such quantities, and sends it to me with kind words. Some things in it are nice, of course; especially the two effusions on his own home, "Home Revisited" & "Nostrum in cunabula gentis" - meaning "The cradle of our race," dear. I can send you the little book, if you have any curiosity to see it. As I said, some things are quite nice. John is a highly educated man, you know. He sent a little volume of school sermons to Walter, which we both thought simply admirable; perfect English, perfectly simple, & full of feeling. I must tell you, I was so glad that in the week of Walter's birthday he had letters from ever so many brothers, from Duncan, John, Sholto, Percie, & from Ethel too. It was merely coincidence for only Percie remembered that it was his birthday. But still it was a happy coincidence. Well, dear Florence has gone. I have not of course heard from her yet, but I ought to get a letter tomorrow with my others. I ought to be most grateful and glad to think how long I have had her here, & of all the happy days we spent together, and especially that it did do so much good, for she went away much stronger than she came; and also that she and Walter know & appreciate each other. She will be able to tell you about him probably much better than I should in various ways. I think Constance is simply longing to have her back, but she wont be going home for another month, you know, as she has all her Canadian cousins to visit, in Toronto, & on Lake [Simpson?], & one in New York. I wish you were going to see her sooner, but I don't suppose it will be possible before the summer. I was much disappointed when I realised that it was impossible to send back the boys boxes with her, of our dearest boy's things. With the cross country journeys that she has to take, & then in one case at least a long drive instead of the rail, & other difficulties, we had to decide it was impossible. But she offered to take back anything I would giver her. So I very carefully packed up and sent the following things. His watch, & [neck?] chain: the watch he designed. Craig should have his gold grenade pin for Uncle Harry, also another little round gold pin that had a small dent in it; his gold sleeve-links for Uncle Metcalfe, & in the same box are three gold collar studs of different sizes. His silver match box, on a little leather strap, and the tiny gold locket that you gave him with it. His tobacco pouch, & that little pipe, just as he left them. These things I packed in his round leather collar box. I also sent his big photograph book, as I knew you wont all like to have that. I sent nothing else, except a blotter with some letters in it; amongst them the one from dear Archie, which he received in the hospital, & Nurse Tyers told me he had read it - on the bag that he lost conciousness. One thing I did not send with Florence, as I want to bring you myself, some say, the locks of hair. Only remember, if any of you would rather, I can send them in a letter. There were several questions you asked me, about things of his. I have got the leather top of the spy glass, quite safe on it. Walter does not use this, as he always takes the glasses Gerald gave him, out riding. They are easier to see through though the spy glass is such a good one. He did not bring Green's English History here & I did not either. I hope you have found it. I have often asked Walter to wear dear Barkly's "poshtein," & told him that you s... Continued at Pekisko. I was going to tell you that Walter never wears any furs, and so I am just keeping them all safely for the boys, the sealskin cap too and gloves. But some of dear Barkly's things, Walter does use, and most useful they have been one of his thick white knitted jerseys, when he went out camping, a pair of boots, which I knew neither Archie nor Billie could wear, & a pair of gaiters; also a pair of black pumps, when his own were too completely gone. I can understand his feeling that the things ought to be kept for the boys but still I know you want Walter to have some of them too, for indeed he was like a brother to our darling boy. I have got your last letter here from [Cou..llmore?], and will answer it properly next time. I was so very glad, and greatly relieved to hear of your visit to Doctor A in Dublin, and it was so good of you to tell me exactly what it was he did say, for it is a great relief not to hear vaguely. I am most thankful for his saying it was nothing organically wrong. Please, Dear Mother, do tell me exactly how you are going on & what relief his prescriptions give you. This is in [....?] haste. Your loving daughter Nesta. |
