Part of the Frederick Brown Collection
Addressed to: Mr S Brown
Grocer
Main St.
Ballywalter
Co Down
Nor Ireland
1791 Pendoze St
Kelowna
B.C.
Canada
28:8:47
Dear Sam & Jeannie,
"It's an ill wind blows no one
any good." I sure was pleased to get your
letter, a bit of home. It's I that should
apologise to you, for being so long in keeping
my promise in 33 or 34, but I know you
will understand. I went through so much
one way & another when I was home. I
sometimes wonder I kept my reason, it sure
was tested to the breaking point, but I'm
still here & sometimes I'm not at all well
but so long as I can, to a certain extent, keep up
& look after things, I'm satisfied. I just have to be
careful & not let my Blood Pressure get too high.
Of course I have both medicine and tablets for it. Sam
I wonder something didn't burst in my brain when
I was home. I didn't say any thing to Dave, as I
know he was watching every turn of me. That's all
over now & my time will soon wear in. I have good
friends here, the Hamiltons couldn't be better. I
don't bother them too much. Walter drops in
occasionally & of course B. Walter [Ballywalter?] is
the [general?] topic, as far as news is concerned. There
isn't much correspondence between him and his people,
a very occassional letter from Nellie, & an odd one
from "Maggie Ann." She has been writing about coming
out & I can tell you Mrs H. isn't very anxious to see
her. Walter has no use for the Keenan folks, there is
no correspondence there. I told Walter I had heard from
you & he told me, when I write to remember him to you &
to say he wouldn't mind having a walk over the Wind Mill
Hill & to tell the truth neither would I.
Now about the Montreal Star. don't you remember
sitting at the fire with Dave & me & I said if that
deal come off (the house selling) I will send you the
Montreal Star. well I was a long time about it. Now I
want you to send me the little piece with your name &
address on it as I'm not sure whether I ordered it for
one year or two years so don't forget to send it to me
I get a copy of it brought in for friends
in the country. it will give you a good idea
of Canada especially the serial story. it is
about the country East from here. I am
reading it too. I like stories about the Indians
they are very faithful when they see you are
friends. we have some round here
but they have to live in their own camps
of course they can go where they like. we have
all nationalities here they live in the town
I enclose a cutting which you can read to
Jeannie. they can't sound an "R" it sounded
as an L. they live generally all together in
one part of the town. they are quiet, harmless
people. they as a rule grow lots of vegetables
& sell them round the town & to the shops
The Japanese live in a different part of town. They think
they are superior to the Chinese & so they are as far
as dress is concerned but there aren't so many about
now since the war. They are better educated too.
It was sad about Jas [James?] Mawhinney, he passed away
as he lived quietly. I used to think that maybe he
was married & wasn't saying anything about it,
life must have been very drab with him. no excitement
of any kind & he hadn't much to say on any
subject but his last action spoke volumes,
what a great thing to do. you know I would have
liked to have written to Mary but when I heard
through Walter that Mrs Fowler was very
attentive to her I thought it best not to write.
I liked Mary & I thought maybe I could have
given her a little advice but I'm glad now I didn't
write. imagine Betsy Fowler wanting her to be
Godmother to her child that would mean Mary
would have to go over & of course would mean a
present. Surely Mary isn't so dumb she can't
see through their actions. I know Maggie
Ann is keeping in touch with her as she has
mentioned this in Walter's letter. I heard that
Mrs Fowler has wanted Mary to go with her, to
see Mrs [McWhir?] (Minnie Eccles) I would be a bit
surprised if she didn't try that too, Sam you
surely can give a wee bit of advice to Mary when
she needs it. I have so much I want to write about
that I'll sure forget some thing. I had an Air-Mail
letter from Mrs Gibson telling me about Ewart's death.
well I was expecting that to happen [----?] [--------?]
remember how much [rest of line missing]
in the old days that was high Blood pressure,
well he knew where to go when his wife died
both for attendance and care, you would think by
her she had married into the nobility. the pen
is slipping in my hand, it's so hot, she writes how
fond all the boys were of her. I don't wonder it
was a relief to them, in more mays than one,
did she put the piece in the paper. it was a joke
especially the bank part. Ewart of all people
when I think of the things I heard Ewart say
about Sarah when Evans was on the run & also
Mrs Gibson. she never had any use for Sarah.
There's no doubt about it, he was as they would
say at home, "two faced." I some times wonder if
he would have come back to B. Walter [Ballywalter?]
if Dave & I had been living there. he sure did a
dirty trick on both Dave & me & had the nerve to
ask me to say nothing to the wife. She was coming
up to see me. when I look back it makes me do some
extra thinking. I suppose the family will all keep
in touch with her. There might be a chance of getting
some thing when she goes. She has sent me the
Spectator since I came back. You know she was
very kind to us when we were home & I can't forget
that, (must stop & make a cup of tea) in Sarah's
letter she told me about Keenan buying Stewart's
property. I couldn't write what Walter said when
I told him it wasn't very nice. so you will have
to come to your own conclusions. Bob is caught in
the trap now. I thought all along that Keenan had
his eye on his place all along & maybe had a good
hold on it, he's a better one now. What is going
to be the end of that Keenan. I always said his
sicknesses were a farce & I still think it. I get
occasionally a letter from Violet Skillen & in one
letter she said Charlie and Mrs K were going to come
to Canada. You should have heard Walter. You
understand generally when he comes in he is alone
and can say what he likes about his own people. He
knows I know them alright but I never heard
any more as to whether they were still coming
or not. they will not come to Kelowna I'm sure.
(the kettle isn't boiling yet) there are times when
I would rather not eat. This aloneness isn't
good for the appetite, it takes long to get used to
well that's over for another time. I never eat in the
Dining room. the kitchen table for me. I haven't
eaten in the D. room alone since Dave died.
In the Montreal Star of Aug 13th I was reading the
sermon in it yesterday & saw in it the picture of
a "skunk." it is in the picture with the old fellows
on it well it is a little animal about the size of
a cat & is hated both by people and other animals,
there are some round here. More in the country.
They go for chickens. well [it?] has only one protection,
a little sack under its tail. full of gas, it is the
worst smell you could imagine. you could tell
it a mile off the animal when it is attacked it
lets go. so if you still have the book you will
understand. when we came to Canada first, the
Lady we were staying with got in contact with [one?]
Well that cat wasn't alllowed in or near the
house for weeks, so you can imagine how vile it
is. you asked me "how about news." Well as I wrote
Mrs Gibson sends me the Spectator & writes
occasionally now. Violet Skillen sends me the
Chronicle & writes occasionally. cousin
Janie [Kinnard?] sends the Weekly Tele. She
has sent it since we came out & she writes too
& I needn't tell you they are all well read.
I am very particular about my letters to
Violet if I get one from Norah I am discreet
there too. I know them all too well. I will have
to write to Sarah too. well now for the weather.
This summer was very hot. just sickening. I
don't think I ever would get used to it. I seemed
to feel it more this year. it just seems to make
[me?] helpless & sick in the stomach. I always
have said, this country was only for the Indians.
We have a landing for aeroplanes here & there
are planes going backwards and forwards all
the time. I don't know what it will be like when
the solo plane get out. it won't be safe to go
out in the street. its terrible here with the motor
cars. The drivers are so careless & talk about
speeding. This country is just like a boiling pot
on the verge of boiling over, nothing but strikes.
More wages & less work. now I think I have
come to the end of my tether. There wouldn't be an
end of it so soon if I were talking. This is for
Jeannie if she is trying any of the recipes.
half a pint of water equals a cup.
get a cup that will hold a 1/2 pint of water or a 1/4
lb of Flour & that will be the same as the cup
mentioned in the recipes. A cup of flour
= a 1/4 lb but get something to hold a 1/2 pint of
liquid & that is the same as a cup. 1 ts is a
teaspsoon & tbs is a tablespoon. when we were home
Dave used to go to a little hardware store. I think
it was about Cornmarket. The owners name was
Boal. he had quite a few Canadian gagets [gadgets?],
I hope you will be able to make this out
I will excuse blunders etc. I daren't read it
over or it might go into the fire. I sent you
a Readers Digest. I get it & thought you might
too. I will send one now & then. I wrote to A.
Sumner some time ago. I address it to the
Bungalow. I haven't heard from her. you know
she [put?] like her mother who was my real
friend. Milly is the soul of honesty but has
her own peculiar way & can be very nice. I
knew when she and Sarah were working together
during the war it wouldn't last long & it didn't.
Now I think I have touched on every thing.
What is the name of the boat Ducal is on. You
know he was in Vancouver last year & was I
believe coming to see me. imagine. but I knew
he wouldn't be able to make it. it takes you
practically a night & a day to get to Vancouver
from here. I don't know him at all. I met him
once when I was home some time when Mr Heron is
in, ask him if the Revd Hugh Scott's father is
Sir William Scott now. I imagine that at the
beginning of the year, I heard his name
mentioned then I forgot all about it. his father
is a brother of Dave's Mother. Dave had no use for
his uncle nor for Hugh. He was in B.W.
[Ballywalter?] when we were there. Dave met him
& then Hugh seemed to have a swollen head. So if
I'm right it will be more swollen now, he gave me
the idea he was above Dave socially
now don't be stingy. drop a line My best wishes
to both
your sincere friend
[Minnie?]
P.S. old friends are the best
remember me to the Grogans.
I am sorry I wasn't able to see any
of them when we were home but you
can explain
M. [Minnie?]
[Newspaper Cutting]
Sam Ah on Illiteracy
By P.W. LUCE
SAM AH, my old vegetable Chinaman,
made change for the dollar I gave
him for my semi-weekly supply of Lulu
Island vitamines, draped himself
negligently over the back of a chair,
cleared his throat noisily, and inquired:
"Now what you know I don't savvy?"
"I hear there is a scheme afoot to
reduce the gross illiteracy of your
countrymen." I told him "What do you
think of that?" "She no' live any house
I sell vegellable," [vegetable?] he declared,
promptly. "I got Alice, Ma'galet, Jane, und Bessie.
I got Florence, Winnie, May, June, July.
No, not July. I no savvy any girl called
July. Not yet."
"What's all this about?" I puzzled.
"I didn't ask for a list of your girl friends."
"You so do so, too", he insisted. "You
ask what I tzink of Lily und Nancy.
How can I tzink of tzem when I no'
know tzem?"
"Your mistake and my error," I
apologized. "What you mistook for 'Lily'
and 'Nancy' was 'illiteracy'. It's a big
word seldom used in the vegetable business.
"Il-lit-er-a-cy. Do you get it?"
"Maybe, perlaps," he blinked. "He
mean good, bad, or worse?"
"Illiteracy is the mental condition of
a Chinaman whose education rating is
up to zero," I explained. "One who
could forget everything he ever learned,
and his best friend would never notice
the change. An ignoramus incarnate,
in brief."
"You one, too?" inquired the old man,
blandly.
"No matter about me," I said. "This
concerns Chinese only. An effort is
being made in some parts of your home
land to teach everybody to read and
write within a year."
"Learn to leed and wlite in a year!"
mused Sam Ah. "Is a lot to do if no'
got good blains on top of head. Look me;
I no' go to school, but can wlite und
lead. Can wlite flom top to bottom,
like you. Can wlite from bottom to top,
like me. Sometime' can wlite upside
down and inside out like nobody at all.
You tzink Chinaman in China can do
mo' better?"
"In time he may," I guessed. "He
is to be taught one thousand Chinese
characters in the first twelve months."
"One tzousand!" cried Sam Ah, all
amazed. "What good one tzousand! Is
umpteen eleventy million chalacters in
Chinese. How can wlite is savvy only
one tzousand?"
"They might write short letters," I
suggested, helpfully.
" No. No. No. No can do. Is all same
like you savvy A.B.C.D., but no mo'
letter' all tze way down to X.I.Z. How
can you wlite if you no' got bowels in
you' head?"
"It's a handicap," I admitted. "Vowels
play a big part in English, but it's
different with Chinese symbols."
"Velly tlue," conceded Sam Ah, dolefully.
"Chinese chalacters he kept bobbing
up all tze time. Like high school
tslang. I show you."
He drew an involved hieroglyphic on
the kitchen table oilcloth, improved it
by rubbing off two strokes with a moist
thumb, clucked in admiration, then said:
"Him velly good. Nobody do him
befo'. Chinese chalacters he like tzat.
You do him first, und bi-em-by you find
out what he is."
"You mean you fit the object to the
word?"
"You got so much to learn yet!" sighed
the old man. "You no' look out you
get to know less und less of more und
more until you go phttt!"
"You exaggerate my shortcomings,"
I retorted, a trifle miffed. "My English
is open to criticism, but no Nanking
official ever found fault with my Chinese."
"You hot in collar?" asked Sam Ah.
"You mad?"
"Not mad, but annoyed," I said.
"Classing me with the proletariat of
Nanking, where only fifty per cent can
read or write!"
"Fifty per cent of each man?" blinked
Sam Ah.
"Of course not. Fifty per cent of
the population."
"Oh! Ummmm. Well, why not?
Somebody got to be stupid in Nanking
same as in Vancouver...You tzink you
can learn one tzousand Chinese chalacters
in one year? You tly it for one
week, und see!
"I bet I could do it easily," I asserted,
rashly.
"Ye-ugh. You learn ten chalacters
today, und you forget fi'teen tomollow.
You keep it up for siss mon'ss, two
mon'ss, fi' weeks, summer und win'er
und Sundays, und where you get off
when you finish? I ask you!"
I took one more look at what was
left of the Sam Ah hieroglyphic on the
oilcloth, and decided to remain steeped
in ignorance.
