| Title: | Fife, William to Fife, Fathy, 1875 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4346 |
| Collection | Oceans of Consolation [D. Fitzpatrick] |
| File | oceans/108 |
| Year | 1875 |
| Sender | Fife, William |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | small farmer |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Drumcullion, Co. Fermanagh, Northern Ireland |
| Destination | Sydney, Australia |
| Recipient | Fife, Fathy |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | father-daughter |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 833 |
| Genre | news |
| Note | |
| Transcript | 1875 Drumcullion April 16th My Dear Fathy A Short time Since I Did not think that ever I would write to you again. From November my appetite was failing fast and my Strenth also. I was tired of tea and Could eat very little. I was able to walk my lone with Great Difficulty. On the 1st of March I thought my lip was a little sweled and my right eye was very sore. Doctor Clark of Tempo was comeing from seeing Mrs Fitch patrick who had Got a fall and Broke her thigh Bone. The Doctor told me that that it was Palatic [paralytic] what we used to Call Palatic Stroke. My right eye is a little turned out and my mouth a little turned to the left. I must Keep my eye covered from the light and from the I had great trouble in suping any thing at first. When I took a Sup with a spoon it came out if I would not put my hand to my mout and Keep it in for I could not shut my mouth if Did not do it with my hand. But thank God I am a great Deal Better. I can shut my mouth now without putting my hand to it. The Doctor put a small blister upon my temples and one Behind my right ear and that was all that was all was Done. My appetite is greatly improved thank God. My heart never was touched. It is whole and Sound as ever it was and what I thought strange there is not a rhematick pain in my Body that the Palatic Did not Drive out as clean as if I never had one. I can put on my Coat now with out help. But after all my improvement I am only able to walk about the Door or to the road with a stick in my hand. I am like a Child Just Beginning to walk. When I am lying in my Bed I almost [doubt] that any thing ales me But the moment I put my Feet on the Ground I feel my weaknss. I totter and shake like a man in the Ague. Yet I [am] Grateful to God that I am so much recovered. My Dear Fathy I have the Best of all to tell you yet. As I Did not Know the hour that God would Call me into Eternity I was resigned to his will whether life or Death. I had no fear of Death thank God. If it had Been his will to Called me I Believe he would have taken me to Heaven. I considered myself as standing on the threshold of eternity. Thy will be Done was the cry of my heart and I trust ever shall. I think I am one of the Greatest Debters to God on the earth. But my Dear Fathy I had more to come through. The four Children put the Scarlateen Fever over them. First Francis he was little the worse then Marget she was very Bad then Robert and William the took it in one Day. Robert was very Bad we had to Bring a Doctor to him. I can Give you no Description of our State at the time. There was for a week and I think there was not one of us that had of[f] their Clothes Night or Day. All the rest we Got was lying about the fire one in this corner and one in some place else and the rest attending to Keep them warm was the Cry. It took all the Close in the house to Keep them warm. Warm punch when the could take it. Little Mary as I call her Brought her Bed and Stayed Night and Day with us. Thank God the are all recovered. After twelve Days the began to Do some work. We could not Get a man for any Wages. The Neighbours Did not like to meet any of us on the road so infectious the thought the Scarlitine. We Dont Know what we can Do untill we must Do it. This has Been a wonderful year of Sickness and Death in in this Country. My Dear Fathy I would have sent this letter to Nixon But I can not Find his letter that his address is in so I send it to you hoping that you will send it to him or a copy of it. You will have hard work to understand it as there is some words wrote twice and other words that I forgot. My Dear Fathy you will not be alarmed About me nor any of Boys. I am happy in God and in my own Soul for which I thank him Daily hourly. I hope yous will all meet in heaven. And now the Blessing of God Amighty and I trust and a Fathers Dying love be with Fathy George Nixon Eliza and Nixons Eliza Wm Fife |
