| Title: | Agnes Shakespeare (Nesta), to "My darling Mother". |
|---|---|
| ID | 2424 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Shakespeare, Agnes/35 |
| 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/4/1-16: Deposited by Godfrey Higginson Skrine |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, Northern Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9909232 |
| Date | 05/08/1897 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | EMG |
| Log | Document added by LT, 21:09:99. |
| Word Count | 1174 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | High River, Alberta. Aug. 5th, 1897 My darling Mother. I can think of you every day now, in your double rejoicing over Archie and over Hessie. I feel so glad and so happy myself that every day is a 'giorno di festa'. Not only for them, but because you and Lou Lou and May must be having such a descent of peace and rest from wearing anxiety. Mind you take it! I mean, don't let any future be weighing on you before its time. Just let us all be glad and thankful to God together, and if only his loving mercies to us might teach us all to have faith in His goodness, and His love for those we love; the longest lesson of all to learn. And I need it the most, for I have not one of you in sight. I have been thinking ever since I heard it, how dreadful the double anxiety must have been at Rockport, about Archie and Hessie together. Of course I was thinking only of Archie; and it does seem rather heartless to remember how far from my thoughts poor Hessie was, just in the time of her greatest need - the poor child! I am just longing for the next news of them both - of the three of them, I should say! And I want so much to hear from you something of your own feeliing about your little grandson that has come. ("uto Maria! to have such a word to write!). I must say to me it is a very, very great pleasure. Which you may think odd, considering my sentiments expressed not so long ago. - But never mind that -. I think it is right, and splendid too, that this family with its manifold virtues, so well recognised by all of us its members, should be carried on to another generation. And of course this little boy is really a child of ours, just as much as if her were a son's son, instead of a daughter's son. I can tell you I am awfully glad about it, for our sakes quite apart from Hessie and Francis. And to them of course the possession of a son is the desire of their hearts. Though I never heard anything about it, I am sure of that. Even Walter remarked, "Well, natuarlly Francis would wish for a son - he's an eldest son himself, and it's part of his business in the world. I'm a youngest son, and it's none of mine!" - On this subject he has been perfectly killing. I wish he would write the letter to Francis he says he is going to. Of course I shall hear in time the day of the christening. I particularly want to, that I may read the Service to myself, as I did their marriage service. Do tell me, if you sent the beautiful little lace cap that dear father wore at his christening, for the new christening? It seems so like what would be done at Rockport, that I feel almost sure you did. I have been thinking a lot about the child's name. Of course Francis will wish to have his father's name given. And in spite of everything, I believe it's only right. You may be sure Hessie, if only her own feelings were in the case, would have had the name, Charles Henry Barkly. But it is nice for us that John is quite a Higginson name. There were our grandfather, and Uncle John, and the dear little eldest brother. I think I will say that to Hessie in my next. I must say I hope they will call the child Jack, when he is old enough. I wonder if Hessie has been able to nurse the baby herself. But of course I shall hear it all from home. I want the next mail awfully badly both for Hessie and Archie; so Billie Hurly will be sent to the [symbol- bar-U] on Sunday. But this must go before the other comes. The same Billie has nothing to do in the house now any more, where Hannah reigns supreme, and I live in complete idleness - most grateful to my nature, for these August days are hot. And I do so like sitting on the veranda, looking at the flowers and reading a book the whole morning. The garden has quite a few flowers in it. But my little white foxgloves I'm much afraid will die of the heat, tho' I have them in a shady place. The California Poppies here are in three colours, orange, yellow, and white. They look rather pretty mixed up with [nighouette?]. By the way - do you know that 'quite a few' in the West means a good many? The Chinese pinks are very gay this year, all sorts of colours, but no scent. I believe Sweet pinks and Carnations too would grow all right, if I could get them. I ought to have lots of Columbines next year for the Rockport seed has produced heaps of little plants. The kitchen garden has been quite a success. We have had new potatoes and peas every day for the last ten days. I am always wishing I could send them to Archie. You know how he liked green peas. We have more than we can eat now, and no neighbours to give them to. The hay is in full swing, and I am earnestly calculating it week by week, as I want the calculation to prove how much better we have done by putting up our own hay than others have done in getting it put up by contract. The first week ending Saturday last, resulted in a large stack, 120 feet long, with seventy loads of hay on it. Wasn't that pretty good for four men? But it was a particularly favourable week, not a drop of rain, and not a hitch in the machinery. We couldn't expect that sort of thing every week. But your good wishes took effect, you see, at once. It pleases Walter very much, your remembering what he is doing and sending him messages about sundry things. Poor boy, he is so totally unaccustomed to people who use their imaginations and their sympathies to keep in touch with those far away. I wish to goodness his own people had a little of the gift. But it's no use blaming people for what they are not, and never will be. They can't help it. They mean to be very kind, but it isn't in them to have the slightest comprehension of things not passing under their immediate noses. After all, with one old man, much preoccupied, and one invalid woman scarcely up to letter writing, it's no wonder that correspondence languishes. But Mary wrote to me very kindly about Archie, which I do not forget. Even now I can hardly realize how wonderful his escape from fever has been, after his first escape with his life itself. Best love from us both. Your loving daughter, Nesta. |
