| Title: | O'Brien, Joseph Sinton to O'Brien, Thomas Emlyn, 1843 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6142 |
| Collection | The Transatlantic Letters of an Irish Quaker Family_1818-1877 [B. Jackson] |
| File | quaker/149 |
| Year | 1843 |
| Sender | O'Brien, Joseph Sinton |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | clerk |
| Sender Religion | Quaker |
| Origin | NYC, USA |
| Destination | Collins, Lake Erie, NY, USA |
| Recipient | O'Brien, Thomas Emlyn |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 1039 |
| Genre | enquires about the family and the farm, comments on a friend's wedding, becoming grown-ups, might go back home soon |
| Note | |
| Transcript | New York 2 Mo 26th 1843 My Dear Tom 1 received thy letter about 2 hours ago and hasten to answer it. It gave great pleasure to hear that thee continued well and was doing well, but I am sorry thee did not tell me more about how they are getting along at home. I wanted to know if Father had sold any of his Stock and whet het he would have to buy any hay this winter and how many cows they will have next summer. I hope you have not Sold the oxen after selling the mare. Thee dont say whether Father made a good bargain or not in his trade with Hugh Laing. I almost envy thee thy Sleigh ride to Farmington: you must have had a fine time of it - I suppose thee had Pomp before thy cutter. I hope the boys take care of him this winter. As for me I have not had a sleigh ride yet and do not think I will now as there is not enough Snow and I dont think we will have any more. I am glad thee had got such a nice young man for a companion as thee says I. Hopper is. I often see his father here but did not get acquainted with him until a few days ago. He appears to be a very nice old gentle-man and very kindly invited me to make him a visit and I think 1 will; he told me he was acquainted with the Greeves's of Philadelphia and the Simons and he lived a while in Ireland and knew a great many of Mothers relations there. I see you have a great many weddings. I believe they are die only things that are plenty these hard times. What does Wheeler S. want a wife for and where is he going to take her to, now that he has got her. I hope thee will not be so foolish as to get married at least till I see thee again - but when will that be? My Dear Tom, there is not one I would rather sec than thee. We did not know how much we were attached to each other untill we were separated, but now we look back to the many happy hours we have spent together and wish they would return - but alas! they never will. Yes, Tom, we have seen happy days; cannot thee imagine thyself a boy again, standing by the brook with a crooked pin for a hook and a piece of thread for a line, angling for little minows as eagerly as if thy life depended on it; and cannot thee feel thy heart beat as it would at the sight of a pigeon or a partridge when we were first allowed to carry that instrument of destruction called a gun. I can imagine all this and it seems but a Short time since I felt the reality. But, my dear brother, we have grown to be what the world calk men, and now let us endeavor to act the part of men. We are now old enough to judge for ourselves in a greater or less degree, and as a great deal depends on how a young man spends his unemployed time and much more on the company he keeps, let me warn thee to be careful lest thee should go farther than thou art aware. My dear Brother, I have learnt a lesson since I came in contact with the world that I will not soon forget and I find that it is best to have few friends and no flatterers. There are but 3 young men that I associate with and one of those I would not like to take as an example. I will not mention his name but mother can tell thee who he is. But I n[ever] met with a finer young man than James Bell or nicer young ladies than his sisters. But thee asked me when I was coming home. Now this is a question that I can hardly answer. I may be home much sooner than you all expect and I would not be surprized if I was farming at home this summer; but I am afraid there is not much for me to do there and if Abraham Bell knew that to be a fact, he would keep me here: but I believe he sometimes thinks he is doing wrong in keeping me from father. I know James wants me to stay but it depends on what his father says. 2 Mo 27th I shall not have time to write to Father by A.V. as it was late in the day when he came to A.B's yesterday and I wrote 3 pages of this last evening after 9 oclock and he will leave early in the morning and I must write a few lines to Maria. When I write to Father I will be able to tell whether I am coming home or not. I believe I once told thee what I had to do, since which their confidence in me increases. I receive 10 dollars at a time to pay postage and have a book in which I keep an account of it and every evening I have to count all the Cash that is on hand, and as we take a great deal of Silver from Irish people who send money home to Ireland it is often a great job to count it, after which I put it up to take to the Bank the next day. Thee must get A.V. to describe to thee the Merchants Exchange and the Custom House. Did Newton H[errick] and Henry [Candee] ever get any papers that I sent them. Give my respects to them and tell I should like to hear from them and would write to them if I had time. I have not time to write more now. Remember me to all inquiring and write to me often, and read this letter just before thee writes and answer some of my questions. With love to thy self, Father and Mother, Brothers and Sister I remain thy Affectionate Brother Joseph |
