| Title: | Moore, Sally to Pettit, John, 1874 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4186 |
| Collection | Argentina - Pettit |
| File | pettit/26 |
| Year | 1874 |
| Sender | Moore, Sally |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Destination | Melbourne, Australia |
| Recipient | Pettit, John |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 926 |
| Genre | decease, cholera, family, correspondence |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Buenos Aires, July 13th, 1874. My dear Cousin, I have been along time thinking of writing to you, it is nearly six months since I sent you a number of the Standard and one of the daily news in which was announced the death of our dear Patricio, he was in good health and spirits on the day before his death, he had been amusing himself killing rats in the store with a friend of his until twelve o’clock at night and at a quarter to seven he called a young man who slept in the next room and sent him for the doctor and for one of his partners, who slept near his place, when this person arrived he seemed to be in great pain, he complained especially of a fearful pain about the chest and heart, this ceased after a short time so that Mr Feely his partner thought him better, but he raved and took convulsions and departed at about eight o’clock an hour and a quarter from the time that he had called for assistance, without a priest or one of his family near him and we within a half hour’s journey from him, he called for Mama and embraced Mr Feeley, thinking it was her. The Doctor said that it was one of the worst cases of Cholera that he had seen, in the papers it was announced as heart disease on account of the trouble the authorities put people to when anyone dies of cholera or of yellow fever, they burn and destroy things that perhaps were not near the patient and shut up the house by way of preventing the disease to spread and they don’t allow them to be buried in the Recoleta. Thanks be to God that we at least had the consolation of having him buried with his father, to Mamma this was a great comfort. I need not tell you my dear cousin how much afflicted we all are, he was the youngest and gayest, all life and fun, he used to come on Sundays and Holy days to dine with us and often remained until next morning, we miss him so much, he played the violin and sang very well, now all is silent, and our house will never be gay again, even to our cousins don’t like to come to the Quinta since he is gone. The terrible scourge cholera it seems is not to leave us, this time it came in December, and although there were not so many cases as before they were of a worse kind, more violent, some only lasting two or three hours, poor Patricio was very much afraid of it at first but at the time that he died he had got over it, at first he used to come home to sleep, or else go to Fannie’s which was much nearer to the store, but as the fear wore off him he thought it better to sleep in his own room at the store, God’s Holy Will be done it was to be so I suppose and he would have died just the same at home with us all, the case was too violent to admit of a remedy. Poor Mama is getting only poor health she suffers very much from pains in her shoulders and general debility, we spent a month and a half in the Camp after Patricio’s death. John is her comfort now. Robert has been so long away from her that she does not miss him so much. Fanny I think that I told you that she was married to Mr McLean Patricio’s partner, she has a young daughter a month old, the child is well but Fanny has not been very well since, she is getting better however and I hope that by the next time I write she will be quite well, she is great company to us now that she lives altogether in town. Aunt and all our cousins are quite well. Fanny’s oldest sister Anita had the misfortune to loose her husband on the 24th of April last, he had been sick for some months of disease of the lungs, she has two little sons. Our family is getting small by degrees and so many young people who have died from among us these few years past. This is a very severe winter in the camp, it is many years since there has been such a scarcity of grass owing to the want of rain in the Autumn there are dreadful losses in cattle and horses especially and in some parts of sheep also, this is all bad enough but what some people fear is that so many dead animals in the camps is likely to bring sickness. Your cousin M. Roach now Mrs Porritt is well, she is living in Monte Video. Mr and Mrs Patrick Browne have gone to Ireland for a trip, they intend being away only for a short time. I have not received a letter from you since one I received dated 10th August last you promised to write soon but I have received none since I received two papers about two months for which we are thankful. Now my dear John, I hope that you will not be long without writing to us. Poor Patricio never received an answer to his letter to you. My mother and sister join me in love to you hoping that you are enjoying good health. I remain your ever affectionate cousin, Sally Moore For John Pettit |
