May 30, 1897

From: Helen A Reardon, S. Natick, Mass
To: Frank Gleasure, The Square, Listowell, Ireland, County Kerry

My dear Frank,

You letter was received in due time, but you know how very busy we are at this time of year and the days slip by before we are aware. It seemed a specially appropriate time to answer your letter today. Today is Decoration Day, you will remember, and we thought much of you all. This morning, being Sunday, we got up early and took our flowers to the cemetery. We put a nice bouquet on your dear mother's grave, also one on the baby's, and set out some of our prettiest pink geraniums there.

I will enclose the little pins you wrote about, one for you and one for Joe. I do not know whether they are just what you want, but I could not find them anywhere in Natick, so I had to wait till I went to Boston.

It grieves me to think that your class graduates now, in three weeks, and you are so far away. I hope, however, that your time is not wasted and perhaps you will be all the smarter man for seeing the world. A famous Irish temperance lecturer has been lecturing in Boston all winter and last Friday night, he lectured in the hall. John Foster and lots of the boys signed the pledge, and they say they are going to keep it. The man's name is Francis Murphy. He described his Irish home where he was born not far from you. He thinks liquor has a good deal to do with the hard times in Ireland. We read in our papers that the Irish do not take kindly to the celebration because they have not enjoyed the prosperity that the rest of the Kingdom have.

The man who is watching now in the stable is John Wilson. He is a young man from Nova Scotia. It seems to me he worked in the stable days when you were here. He is a slight built fellow, as quiet as your father. They like him. I hope I have written all that interests you. I do wish Annie would write me just a line in your letter. She is a dear good girl and I think of her so often. Miss Bailey has not been very well. She has been quite lame in one of her knees all winter. I will send you a paper when I send this.

I do not know whether you knew that Allie Hartwell is going to be married to one of his cousins, the oldest of the Sandwich Island girls. They have torn down the old barn, and Allie is going to build a house on the side. Miss Hartwell cried when she found they were going to tear down the old barn. Mr. Branagan still lives in the other side of the house where you lived, and I do not know the people who live in your side.

With much love to you all from Miss Bailey and myself,

Your Friend,
Helen A. Reardon