[Page 1]
April 5th 1881
My Dear loving friends Once
more lift up my pen to right [write?]
to yous [you?] to let you know that
we are all well thank God
for his kind mercy to us all
hoping that when this reaches
yous [you?] that yous [you?]will be all the
same I am long waiting for
a leter [letter?] I cannot waight [wait?] no longer
right [write?] as soon as you read
this as I am longing for some
news from yous [you?] the [they?] say the [there?]
are troubled times in
Ireland I hope it has not come
your lenth [length?] Dear Elisa I am very
sorry that you are not in this
country it is a plentiful country
for them that does what is
right the [there?] are hundreds of people
landing here at present from Ireland
[Page 2]
Dear Elisa we had the coldest
winter here ever was seen in A
merica Dear daughter I was poorly
all winter myself I fell and sprained
my foot it is beter[better?] now thank
god for his kind mercy to
all I supose [suppose?] Elisa you see bela [Bella?]
Graham often there she will
soon be coming back here again
let me know how aunt Jane and
Maryan [Mary Ann?] is and how they are getting
along well Elisa I had my cousin Margaret
hutchin [Hutchison?] cousin Elisa Melon and
cousin Jorge hutchins[Hutchisons?] daughter
to see me on Sunday last the[they?]
tell me that aunt Betty is
well she wants me to go and
see her I will go some of these days
Thomas and Mark Graham was
in our house on Sunday he
has young son born to him
on the 26 March I was over
[Page 3]
their [there?] yeraday [yesterday?] Martha and
the baby looks first rate she says
the [they?] will call the baby thomas
Mary and Sary [Sara?] went to New York
the[they?] stops in your aunt Elisa Carsons
Sary [Sara?] has lerned [learned?] a trade of making
boys suits it is a good trade here
Mary is sails [sales?] lady in the store
that Aunt Elisa young son is in
it is the largest in New York the[they?] say
the [they?] would not stop their [there?] the [they?] will
come back to Philadelphia the [they?]
were in cousin James Colhoun
at a grand party he had three
children babtised [baptized?] he has a splendid
home of his one [own?] the [they?] see Maryann
McNickle often and likewise
Ann Melon the[they?] are all well
John is always [always?] working in the
oil works he has ten and a half
Dolers [dollars?] per week Samuel is their [there?] too
in a tin shop he has four Dolers [dollars?]
as well
[Page 4]
David and Wiley [Willy?]
is in Aboss? shop David
can make twenty Dolers [dollars?] per
week and he pays Willy eight
dolers [dollars?] per week out of that
his baby is bad with the hoping [whooping?]
cough it is the fates [fattest?] baby I ever
saw your uncle David and the family is all well the [they?] were here
on Sunday eving [evening?] with the rest
of the friends the [they?] enjoyed them
selves well Dear Daughter when
you right [write?] let me here [hear?] a good bit
of news as I here [hear?] that people in
Castletown is greatly reduced the
times being so troublesome I suppose
Elisa dear you can tell aunt Janey
that aunt Katy Calhoun is living
with her brother the doctor in
Toronto and Margred [Margaret?] and Samuel
is dead and the rest all
keeps store John keeps a hotel his wife is
dead and left no family
{Kate is alive at home with
myself she wishes me to remember
her to yous [you?] } [written upside down at top of page 4]
Dear friend Joseph I hope you will be kind enough to
rite [write?] to me if Elisa does not good by and God bless all you
[written upside down across top of pages 2&3]
No more at present but remain
Your ever affectionate mother [written at top of page 1]
to death right [write?] as soon as you receive this
and excuse this bad righting [writing?] as it is old woman
