| Title: | McIlrath, Eliza Jane (Jennie) to McIlrath, Sarah, 1914 |
|---|---|
| ID | 4538 |
| Collection | The McIlrath Letters: A family history in letters from New Zealand to Ireland (1860-1915) [Bassett, McKee et al.] |
| File | mcilrath/57 |
| Year | 1914 |
| Sender | McIlrath, Eliza Jane (Jennie) |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Springfield, New Zealand |
| Destination | Killinchy, Co. Down, Northern Ireland |
| Recipient | McIlrath, Sarah |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | cousins |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 853 |
| Genre | photographs, family, illness, wedding, family, acquaintances, politics |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Thorndale Springfield March 1st 1914 My Dear Sarah You cannot tell how pleased I was to get a letter and a Xmas card from you on Xmas eve. I had given up all hope of ever hearing from you again. Father was pleased to hear from you. He had not heard anything from any of his relations for a long time. The photos arrived on Boxing day. They are very nice and clear photos. You look well in it and your husband looks a nice, steady man. I was very pleased to hear you were married. What a nice present the church made you. You seem to be very comfortable and have a nice place. What a trial it must be for your sister to have one of her children blind. I am pleased to hear your Brother Hamilton is steadier now than what he used to be. It was hard luck your Brother losing his wife and so young to, I feel very sorry for your Mother when she suffers from rheumatism. It is a terrible painful thing. Has she ever tried black sulphur and gin for it. Father used to have it very badly and he used black sulphur and gin and he does not complain of it now. He filled a whisky bottle half full of black sulphur and filled it up with gin and shook it up well and let it settle, then he used to drink a wineglass full of the liquer once or twice a day. He also took a teaspoonful of epsoms salts every day in his tea. Years ago he went to the hammer hot springs for it and took a lot of hot sulphur baths which done him a lot of good. He is free from rheumatism now and keeps pretty good health. He keeps a lovely flower garden, in fact it is the best for miles around. It is a mass of bloom at present. We are near finished harvesting. We had nearly 200 acres in oats & wheat. We have been at it since Jan. 29th. We bring most of the meals out to the paddock. I have one sister (Edith) married. She got married on Dec. 31st 1908, to a Mr Syd. Gillett, a neighbour of ours, and has two fine boys. Edith is the fourth girl. Jim my third Brother got married to a Miss Wright in 1911. They have no children. He is an inspector of schools in Auckland. Auckland is in the very North of New Zealand. It takes him three days to come home. Frank my youngest Brother started school teaching, but gave it up and is in the Lyttleton Times Office now as reader. He hopes to be Editor some day. The other boys are all farming. Bill & Fred are at home and Johney & Hamy have a farm about three miles from us. Emy, Olive & I are still at home, altho I will not be at home after this year if all goes well. I am going to be married to a Mr (Jont.) Ward of Russell's Flat about the end of this year. He is a farmer and a fine big man. We have known each other for years and I feel we shall live very happily together. Mother keeps splendid health. I have not got a photo of myself, but I will try and send you some of the others. I have one of me taken with Mother & Olive in front of our house. I will send you one of them. They are not very good ones. We are not a great family for having our photos taken. Haven't the strikes been awful. Before Xmas nearly all New Zealand were out on strike in the towns. The farmers went down to act as special constables in the towns and ports, and also to load boats etc. They are all over now in New Zealand but may go out again at any time. I see that "Home Rule" is getting a serious thing in Ireland now. We have great accounts of it in our papers. It is about the first thing mother always reads. She is greatly interested in it. Don't the suffragettes carry on in England. The women in New Zealand have all had the vote for years now, & I think they ought to have it in the old country to, but I think they are going the wrong way about getting it. Thank you and Mr McCormick for your kind invitation to go over to your place, I am sure we would enjoy ourselves, & some day some of us may go. We often want Father to go, but he is not on for that. He thinks it is too far. Father knows all those people you mentioned except the Reids. We all join in sending you our heartiest congratulations altho it is late, and wish you all prosperity & good luck. Father often wonders he hears no word from Uncles William or John and wishes to be remembered to them. Your affect. Cousin Jennie Mcllrath. Write soon. |
