Mary Anderson, Chattanooga, USA to her Mother, Co. Wicklow, Ireland

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Document ID 9408287
Date 28-10-1886
Document Type Letters (Emigrants)
Archive Public Record Office, Northern Ireland
Citation Mary Anderson, Chattanooga, USA to her Mother, Co. Wicklow, Ireland; CMSIED 9408287
36808
       Chattanooga
          28th October 1886

My darling Mother,
Your last letter, about a week ago, was
in answer to mine, moarning over the loss of
letters - of course you know, long before this,
that we are now receiving them regularly -
but those to B'ham [Birmingham?], & one Good Words we
never received, & never shall I fear - Papa's
Express came yesterday, & interested us - I was d
SO much grieved, & indeed so was H. [Henry?] to hear of
poor Miss Charlotte Strange's [?] death - She was
so vigorous & all when we last saw her,
& the others so fragile - Life and Death are
strange - I feel much for the poor sister,
please when you see them, give them
our true sympathy - Poor old W. Stead gone
at last! as old Mr. Harnett of Listowel.
Said in the greatest seriousness "People are
dying now that never died before" -
& Lily married! I wonder how she will like
Australia - We have all been more or
less ill - The children with bad malarious
colds - & I with a sort of nasty feverish
attack, I felt very wretched for a week;
cold, hot, awful headache, pains in
bones etc, etc, for two days I was in bed,
Henry doing every single thing, & keeping the
whole house in perfect working order -
Violet very helpful, & indeed all of them
good - Not a thing neglected, but all as
right as any housekeeper could wish to
see it on getting up - I am now quite
better, but HE just beginning to be as I
was -
So much I wrote two days ago, &
have been too poorly to do any more at it
since - but today feel much better & am
going out for a little walk with Henry who
did not get such a bad attack as I
expected & is now well again but for a
cold - We have had wretched weather
for some weeks  - very cold, damp
raw & foggy - today is nice and sunny -
Children now well as possible again
Yesterday this letter came from Mr Gamble
in reply to mine - A very kind, friendly
letter, I am so sorry I have this moment
upset the ink bottle on it - if the children
had done it I'd have been very
angry - however you can make out
the sense of it I think - They wd [would?]
I am sure, be glad to have us go
& stay at their house - & I do
hope we may be able to do so - It
says it must be done & that I must
go - but Oh dear! in this country a
woman can seldom leave home, if
she has children - What would I have
done but for H. [Henry?] this time when I
was ill?
  I have not had a single other visitor
& positively I am glad, it will be
just as hard to go out visiting us here
as in Wicklow, with everything to be
done at home -
When Mr Smittison [?] was here he & H.
talked a good deal about us opening
business in Charleston! on account
of Real Estate etc being low after the
Earthquakes!!_ I can imagine your
consternation at the idea, but
I should not mind it in the least
tho' it has been quaking frightfully
of late.
Now Mother darling I must close,
this is a stupid letter, but I feel
stupid & can't help it -
I am going to write again to Mr Gamble
when we go shall bring all
your photoes [photos?]
  Fondest of love to each & all
      Your own child
          Min