| Title: | Madox (n. Hughes), Mary to Hughes, Laurence, 1853 |
|---|---|
| ID | 6426 |
| Collection | New Brunswick Letters |
| File | newbrunswick/61 |
| Year | 1853 |
| Sender | Madox (n. Hughes), Mary |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | East Boston, Mass., USA |
| Destination | Fredericton, N.Brunswick, Canada |
| Recipient | Hughes, Laurence |
| Recipient Gender | male |
| Relationship | siblings |
| Source | |
| Archive | |
| Doc. No. | |
| Date | |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | |
| Log | unknown |
| Word Count | 979 |
| Genre | correspondenec, moving houses, rent, family news, friends, inquires about family |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Letter from Mary Hughes East Boston, Feb.26th, 1853 Dear Brother: I received your letter dated Jan. 30th and was very happy to find that you are all in good health as we are at present with the exception that I have a bad cold. You mentioned in your letter that you sent a letter to Father McElroy for Bridget and me. Went the city the next day but I am really sorry I did not get it. He said no letter came there. I wish you had sent it to East Boston. There is no difficulty to get letters for half the houses are not numbered. I fear that this house is to be sold and I don’t know what part of the town I shall move to. It is very hart to get houses here. I did not tell you how we live. We have kept no shop or boarders since we came to East Boston. Our living depends of Mathew’s health. He works late and early and keeps us comfortable as he can. Our rent is one hundred dollars a year. We can not get a decent place less and very hard to get a place at that. However, if he has any difficulty he says that we will go down to East port. He intends to be buried with his children. He is getting old like myself. he thinks he is going to die soon. I want to let you know how Bridget lives. She took the name of Mary in confirmation and writes her name thus, Mary B. Fitzhenry. She is a tailoress and works very hard for a living. She makes nothing but fine coats. She has to pay five dollars a year to cross the ferry to the city. She also pays her board to me and pays pewrent for her and me and also society bills. There is not a Catholic church here but has at least two societies to help support the poor and cannot. Bridget is a good steady girl. She has gone on a visit to the country for a month. There is no working doing here for two seasons of the year, part of the winter and part of the summer. I hope she will get home safe, dear brother. I suppose you think I do nothing but grieve and fret for the loss of my children but I do not. I would not call myself a Christian or a Catholic if I would grieve for the will of God. For I would rather bury 20 good children that rear one bad one. However, I cannot forget poor Catherine or if she had lives her husband would not see me want a dollar. He came to see us last week and gave me five dollars. he often done so before, God bless him. I for got to mention to you that I wrote a letter to Thomas a few years ago which I was very sorry for. For I did not ask anything from him, but I was inquiring for Peter. I’ll tell you how it was. Our priest called on me if I had any letters to send to Newry as he was writing home. So I got a man to write a few lines to me in a hurry. Through mistake he called my name Hughes. However I left it so and did not think that my name would affront him so much. I never done anything to disgrace him or another friend, thank God. In a few weeks I received an answer. It came with the priest’s package. He sent for me to get the letter. I was so anxious to hear it I got the priest to read it for me. It was a good letter though he chastised me a good deal. I thought his good knowledge would excuse my ignorance. I may blame him for me now knowing better. For he took no pain to instruct us dear brother. If you and me went to school all the time, who would do the work. But we had to work hard for a living. I might be living in Newry before him only for his foolish pride. For our absence was a cordial to him. I hope I will never affront him in another letter. You said that Mr. Whalen’s children were in Boston. If so let us know their names so we cans inquire about them. If not write home and let the youngsters come out. I would not at all advise Mr. Whalen and wife to come out for they are too old to come to this country. Whatever trade they have, they will have to learn it over again to suit the proud people of Boston. For they are all Ladies and Gentlemen, if they have a trade. When you write let me know where Edward lives. Also let me know about Patrick. I hope he has picked up pride enough to keep from low company. Our family joins me in love to you and your family. 1 remain yours, Mary Madox until death. (P. S.) Excuse me for reading the Boston Pilot before sending it to you. I sent you one 1st week and I’ll send one now. I will save the rest till Bridget comes home and then I’ll send them all together. I want you to let me know how your children are advancing in learning. I hope you will make good scholars of them all. If we move down east I’ll spend a week with them. (Postscript notation in different handwriting) Thank you sir for what you pleasant say about me. I would be a great deal better boy if I would take Mrs. Madox’s advice. Henry Madox. (Further postscript in different hand) Teresa is 8 years old and going to the grammar school. Teresa Madox. |
