| Title: | O'Brien, Joseph Sinton to Candee (n. O'Brien), Maria Wright, 1843 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6140 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/147 |
| Year | 1843 |
| Sender | O'Brien, Joseph Sinton |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | clerk |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | NYC, USA |
| Destination | Buffalo, NY, NYC |
| Recipient | Candee (n. O'Brien), Maria Wright |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1559 |
| Genre | correspondence, news of family and friends, weather, greetings |
| Note | |
| Transcript | New York 2nd Mo 21th 1843 My dear Maria It is a long time since I heard from thee or from home and it is a long time since I have written to thee or Mother. The last letter I had from home was from Brother Thos which was written the fore part of November, now nearly three months ago, and thou may be sure I am very anxious to hear from home again. I have not had time to write before for the last month as we have been very busy balancing the books, since the end of the year; and I can hardly find time to write now and am afraid I shall not have time to answer brother Thos's letter very soon and I would like to have thee lee them know that I am well as soon as thou gets this, which thou can do by writing or forwarding my letter. Thy letter to the care of Mr [Candee] Palmer I reed from him and I am almost ashamed to say I have not yet called on him but I intend to soon. Thy letter to Rebecca came to hand in due time and I had the pleasure of reading it, which informed me that thou wert well and that thou wert well pleased with thy new home. Rebecca said to me she had not answered it yet but intended to do so soon. Nathaniel Potter is in town: he called at the house one day and left his address and so I called on him one evening and spent an hour or two with him. I wonder what brought him here. He told me he was attending medical lectures here: I suppose from that he is Studying to be a doctor. I saw him again last first day at meeting and he told me he had not been very well for a few days past. He desired me to give his love to thee and Cortes when writing; please accept it. I wrote a letter to Aunt Susanna about New Years day. I suppose thou will say to thyself "I would like to have read it." I had not much news to tell her but I managed to fill a sheet and cross it with something, I can hardly tell what myself. Tell mother I will send Aunt's letter to her as soon as I have a chance to send it by private hand. Quarterly meeting is just past here: I had no chance to attend, neither had James; and Abram was unwell and could nor. Thos & Eliza were in town and attended; also Abms sister-in-law, aunt Rachel Bell as they call her, who formerly resided in Pensylvania but who now lives with her son on Long Island not far from Bayside. She is what I would call a real Yankee and is more ignorant than our western folks. William Bell of Belfast, formerly Editor of the Irish Friend, is in N.Y. He has been hereabout a month. I do not know what he is doing but he intends remaining in this country and has sent for his wife to follow him. He brought a son with him about 14 years of age. It is rumored here that he left his country for his country's good, and he is not much noticed. He often calls at Abms and appears to be a very nice man. Grandfather and Aunts Jane and Susanna were well when he saw them last. Cousin John O'Brien has given up his business (I suppose on account of their difficulties) and gone to Liverpool and is in an office as clerk: his employers are Richardson Brothers & Co., brothers of Thos Richardson of this city. We have had a most extraordinary winter here: the snow [has] not been more than 8 inches deep at most and for the last month we have had no frost of any account. We have had but one week's Sleighing in all, the best on New Years day. I have not had a Sleigh-ride yet and I begin to think I shall not get one at all; if you have any snow in Buffalo please take a sleigh ride for me. I have not been out of the city for nearly four months: I have forgotten how the country looks but it will soon be spring and then! Oh! then how I would like [to] be with thee for a week, yes! three or four of them! I have very few acquaintances yet; And I associate with no young men but those that visit at Abraham's. I dont know how it is but I believe I am getting to be a very odd fellow; and I dont know but I shall get to be very unsociable as I care very little whether I have any more acquaintances or not, but I have the pleasure of knowing that the society that I meet with is the very best and that is something I had long wished for. I hope you have a good many friends and acquaintances and plenty of good society and I hope thou art happy and enjoys thyself much. I am very anxious to have a letter from thee; (dont say I filled up my letter with telling how I feel, for if I remember rightly I believe I have written something else). But let me say a few words more-I feel that by thy leaving home one tie is broken that bound me to the home of my childhood, one of those ties that I once thought never could be broken. I feel as if I had lost a sister; yet why should I? Is not thy letter just before me that says "although another now claims my warmest affections I still love thee with the sincerity of a sister's love". Is not this enough? Ah! no; can thou ever be to me what thou hast; the companion of my daily walks, the sharer of my joys and sorrows, my confidant, my advisor and my dearest friend - can thou be all these again. My Dear Maria, I fear it is impossible. To think of home without thee makes me sad; but families must separate, and already we have begun, and perhaps ere this there are others of our brothers and sisters seeking other homes than that in which their happiest days with ours have sweetly passed. But thou art near them and can tell me all. 2nd Mo 3 I have just reed a paper from Cortes which informs me that you are well and that thou are in the country; at home I suppose, and now I shall have a chance of hearing from them. We had a light fall of snow yesterday morning and today it is quite cold - at least it feels so after the warm weather. I suppose you could hardly believe in Buffalo if I were to tell you that it has not been cold enough to freeze in my room since I have been in N.York, yet such is the face. I must tell thee of a wedding: I suppose thou does not know either of the parties but die young lady is Maria Todd's (Malcomson) eldest daughter. She is married to a sea Captain said to be in affluent circumstances - Maria feels very proud of it: I see her very often at Abms. Edith [surname?] is still with Rebecca - she improves much. She wanted me to give her love to thee, as also did Willy, and said they would like very much to see thee and would like to have a letter from thee. Please mention them when writing as it pleases them very much when thou says anything about them. Now, My Dear Maria, if thou can possibly spare the time, write to me by return of mail as it is so long since I heard from home: I hardly know how to wait so long to get an answer from thee and trusting thou will write s[oon] I remain thy affectionate brother, Joseph Cortes's letter enclosing one to Grandfather came safely. He mentioned that he had engaged in the Hat and cap trade and I suppose by this time can tell how he will succeed. Please tell me all as every thing connected with thy welfare interests me and I am very anxious that Cortes should establish himself well in the beginning, and by perseverence and prudent management, in which a great deal may depend on thyself. I am sure he will succeed. Thos Richardson has just come in and says he had a letter a day or two ago from Uncle John Owden which says that Aunt Jane was well and that the youngster was thriving finely. Give my love to dear Cortes and all fathers family as soon as thou sees them, and tell Margt1 and Thos that I have not forgotten that there is a letter from each of them unanswered. Joseph Beale said his family desired to be remembered to thee. If there is anything I have forgotten to tell thee, please remind me of it. Thy Brother Joseph FC. Candee, Buffalo, N.Y. (for Maria) I cannot enclose my letter in a frank this time as our member of Congress is in Washington, President making. |
