| Title: | O'Donnell, Annie to Phelan, James, 1901 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6243 |
| Collection | Your Fondest Annie: Letters from Annie O'Donnel to James P.Phelan [A. O'Donnell] |
| File | fondestan/6 |
| Year | 1901 |
| Sender | O'Donnell, Annie |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | children's maid |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Pittsburgh, Penn., USA |
| Destination | Indianapolis, Indiana, USA |
| Recipient | Phelan, James |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | friends |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 710 |
| Genre | correspondence, work, family, Ireland, emigration |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Pittsburgh Pa. Oct 18th 1901 My dear Jim, It is almost time that I should answer your letter, I know you will think me very neglectful for not answering much sooner which I intended doing, but I assure you I have been quite busy and the little spare time I get which is usually at night I give to sewing. Since our folks went to Buffalo and left us with the children, you know we feel a big responsibility. You seem to think your letters in the past were not very acceptable, but that is not so, for I would never have answered them if I had thought that. It is very hard to please me in letters I do know, but must say yours are too interesting to leave unanswered even if it takes me a long time to do so. It is not through lack of thought, for if I did not care for a person, I would never condescend to put my thoughts on paper. Life seems just the same old way here. I have been out just twice since, had a pretty good time. Everybody seemed glad to see me back. Spent one Sunday with my sisters who wanted to know all about the Indiana letter they got for me. We talked a good deal of you. They live opposite the Union Station where we parted that day pretty near three years ago. There is a new depot built there now, yes, one of the finest I have seen in my travels. I have two sisters here, both married long before I dreamt of leaving home. One, the eldest of our whole family, has two little girls and a boy and the other has a boy and girl. I was but a mere child when they left for America. Neither of us knew the other when we met. I am the baby girl of the family. There is only one boy younger and he is the real baby although he is about sixteen. We had in our home originally five girls and two boys, but they are almost all far apart now. All my sisters being married but one. Father and mother still living. I hear from them quite often. I was born in a little place called Spiddal about twenty miles from Galway City. My parents always wished me to be a school teacher, so at the age of thirteen, they sent me to the Convent of the Presentation (Galway) where I was appointed monitor which position I held till October of '98. I did not board at the Convent but simply went there to school, and it is there that those dear happy days I told you of were spent. When I left there, I made my debut in this world and not until I reached Pittsburgh did I know of that selfish deceit etc. that rule this world. It was then that I missed everything, for I was thrown entirely on my own resources. And it was there also I chose my friends (very few), became independent and reserved and have been so ever since. When I met Ellen, I met with the one I often wished for. She is dignified and won't associate with everyone, and she is one of the three in my whole life that won my entire affection, a thing which is rather difficult to do, but once done is done forever. In the winter of '98 I weighed 116 pounds. A year later 127, later still 1371/2 then came down to 120, but I have grown quite tall since you saw me, my height being somewhere round 5' 6" or perhaps a little more. Well now, Jim, I think I have told you most every little thing of interest, so you will please excuse me for my mistakes as am in quite a hurry as usual, and hope you will write me very soon. I suppose I don't need to tell you to remember me to anybody. I get my share of teasing here about the little print letters from Indianapolis, but I never mind. I am always glad to get them and do write a long one very soon. Will now close with love x. from Annie |
