To: Arthur [Weir?], [1 Bridge Street Place, Belfast?]
From: Florence [Alabama, U.S.A.?], Janry 26/ --54 [1854?]
My dear Arthur
Will you forgive me for so long neglecting
to answer yr [your?] kind letter; which I found awaiting
me on my return from the North in Oct last.
Since then I have indeed like Martha "been troubled
about many things" which has caused me to allow
y [you?] letter with several others to remain much longer
unanswered than I wished; but believe me dear Cousin
not without thinking of you often. I congratulate you
& Margaret on the birth of another little Girl, which I
noticed in the last paper you Sent; May she live to be
[sic] of yr [your?] greatest earthly Comforts. When you write
tell me her name & how she is doing? Arthur sends
you his best thanks for the pretty paper he got from
you some time since. I never saw a Child more
gratified with any thing than he was with it. he showed it
to to every person that came to the house for days & last
night he was looking at again with admiration
yr [your?] papers have all been interesting to us; Mary was
greatly pleased in reading the acct [account?] of the
proceedings at the General Assembly; She is a real
Presbyterian to be sure. I cannot help feeling flattered by
the compt [compliment?] Margaret pays my letter writing;
and take it for granted She is a good judge, being well
aware you are a Gentleman of too much discrimination
to choose a Lady who had not good judgement in
this, well as other matters. I sincerely hope Mr. Weir
continues quite well & that Jane and every member
of her family enjoy good health. When you write her
please remember me afftly [affectionately?] to them All.
Suppose Mary is quite an interesting Girl. She has had many
advantages and from what I have heard has no
doubt profited well by them. It gratifies me greatly
to hear of the many improvements in different
parts of Ireland; I still hope to see some of them.
I read with deep interest an acct [accoun?] of the opening of
yr [your?] Theological College; what w [would?] I not have
given to have heard that Psalm Sung & address delivered
was Mr Weir over to hear it? we are almost buried
alive in these back woods and neither see nor hear
#PAGE 2
unless in the public prints; were I to give way to
useless regrets I might spend many an unhappy
hour; but this wd [would?] indeed be unbecoming
in one professing to be a Christain [Christian?], who is in
the daily enjoyment of innumerable blessings. You don't know
how much I enjoyed my trip to the North last
Summer and am in hopes it may lead to us
moving there. Mary is gone to spend the Winter
in Rathmore with our Cousin. She found the
Comfortable Cloak you sent her very useful on her
long journey. Neither of us ever thought for a moment
of it now being new. Robert has given up
business here for the present & is gone North
to take our poor afflicted little Girl to An
instructor there for such Children, I trust she
will be greatly benefited. Mary writes that she bore the
journey very well. Robert intended to stay some
time in New York to look around & see if he cd [ould?]
get into the business there to suit him. hope he may
succeed as I like that part of the world much
better than this. I saw Jms [James?] Robinson when on last
Summer, he looked well but was so much changed
from I saw him before I could scarcely realize it,
his hair is gray which changes his appearance
I thought he had a strong look of Uncle Jms [James?] Weir.
I left my son Jn'r [Junior?] in the City, very desirably
situated, the poor fellow is cast far away from home
at an early age but I trust he will be preserved
from evil influences & kept in the path of duty.
We spent two days with yr [your?] Aunt Chambers & if it is
possible for one old Lady to be in
love with another I certainly am with her, She is
truly a kind & most agreeable woman. we talked
much about you all & those that are gone; She
begged of me to ask you to correspond with her
daughter Mrs Young. I did not see her but was
much pleased with yr [our?] three Cousins all of whom
live in Phile [Philadelphia?] Mr Chambers is quite agreeable
also his daughter is married & living in Baltimore
suppose Sister Mary will get acquainted with her
I spent a week with Mr Collins in Phila [Philadelphia?]
he lives very nicely & comfortably indeed, has a
very amiable Wife & but one Child. I believe there
is not a Collins left in Cookstown now; do you
remember how numerous they used to be there?
#PAGE 3
To day makes the third I have attempted writing
this letter but from frequent interruptions had
to give it up; being a widow now the Ladies
take pity on me and come round frequently
to sit the afternoon & the last few days being
finer than any we have had for some time has
set many of them a walking. This has been quite
a severe Winter for Alabama. last nights Mail
brought me a letter from the G[?] Man, he was safe
in New York. Also one from Mary who was well;
in my next I hope to be able to say we are to move
on there, if so look out for my storming yr [your?] teapot
Some evening in University Place, it is not so far
fron New York to Belfast. Now dear Arthur will you
let me have that long news letter soon which you
promised in yr [your?] last. tell me all about yrself
[yourself?] & home concerns also about Jane & hers? wish> you wd [would?] give me her address & no mistake as I think
she did not get my last letter. Shd [should?] like to know
something of David Millar & family, I never hear a word of
them? How does DM Millar & Ellen get along, & how are all
the Weirs? if yr [your?] letter wd [would?] be three yds
[yards?] long I wd [would?] read it all with interest. perhaps
Margaret wd [would?] add a postcript if you
get tired. I do want your likeness & hers so badly, please
have them taken for me with the two little ones, it wd [would?]
gratify me beyond measure, you dont know what pleasire
[pleasure?] I take in looking at Jane & Mr Weir every once in a
while, remember I am away from all my kindred & have still a
warm Irish heart, ever yr [your?]
affec [affectionate?] Susan
