To: Uncle [James Weir?], [Belfast?]
From:
Philadelphia November 30th 182[?]
My very dear Uncle
I received your truely [truly?] kind and
affectionate letter by the Robert Fulton of the 16th of May,
and would certainly before this, have expressed to you, the
great pleasure it afforded me, had it not contained the
promise of a long letter shortly, but I am now tired of
waiting, and having heard that some concerns of the heart are
likely to engross a good deal of time have determined by
writing to claim an immediate fulfilment
Both Sister and myself, my dear Uncle were very
desirous of realising some of our long cherished day dreams
of the happiness that awaited our long talked of visit to
Ireland, we were very anxious to accompany my dear Father,
but we heard so frequently of our detracting from his
pleasure by increasing his anxieties, that we said, at the
time of his departure, but little on the subject You have
heard some of our bright anticipations expressed, a Father's
land and native home must ever be dear to affectionate
children and [end-ly?] the presence of so many near and dear
friends it feels as if it were impossible to give up the hope
of ever visiting it
If you could be induced my dear Uncle once more to visit
America I think I could promise that you should be better
pleased, you saw but little of it in your first visit and
became acquanted [acquainted?], comparatively speaking, with
but few Americans. You were a great deal separated even from
your immediate friends and had the most unfavourable season
of the year If you were to come, you would be sensible of
great changes, Margaret and Matilda both romping girls when
you left them are now quite old fashioned married ladies, our
dear Margaret although at a greater distance than we could
have wished most happily settled, it is an old saying that
one wedding makes many and I must confess that I now think
greatly more favourably of matrimony than I used Margaret and
I remember were peculiarly attached and I missed more than I
can express her society I am thinking my dear Uncle that I
should no longer be your favourite niece on this side of the
water were to see the improvements time has made in our
little Sally's mind, manner, and appearance she is now a
women [woman?] possessing all her natural naivete and warmth
of heart, rendered more interesting by polished manners and
improved personal appearance. Surely I daresay this to my
Uncle without any imputation of vanity if you were to know
#PAGE 2
her you would say I could not say much. Our wee boys are all
worthy of an Uncle's affection the little Silas is a beauty
and does not suffer by comparison even with his sweet cousins
picture which now hangs in the parlour between my Father and
Mother the object of great regard. My dear Father has
delighted us with a minute account of all his enjoyments, we
feel that our Irish friends by their extreme kindness to him
have become still more endeared to us and we only with that
some, if not all of them, would let it be in our power to
prove our gratitude in a better way than in words. Do you
not remember my dear Uncle that you promised to be at my
wedding, some of these days when you least expect it I will
call upon you to fulfill [fulfil?] your promise, I will I am
sure have time to give you due notice and if you have a wife
before that time so much greater the pleasure. Pappa has
told a few tales you perceive of some symptoms that indicated
an event of the kind. My dear Unlce [uncle?] you must give
my warmest love to all my my friends, I intend writing to
several of them shortly my Mother writes at this time to my
Uncle Smith or I should have answered his truely [truly?]
kind and affectionate letter. I remain as ever your
affectionate
neice Elizabeth P. Weir
