October 1, 1911

From: May Gleasure, The Square, Listowel
To: Frank Gleasure, 10 Electric Ave. Brighton, Mass. U.S.A.

Dearest Frank,

I received your most welcomed letter last week and was very glad to hear from you father is almost better now only to get strong he did not come in the shop yet for he feels very weak still. It was a terrible mistake for him to neglict himself like he did. We may thank the good doctor that we had he is only a young man and he is about the best that is in North Kerry. father's case has made a great name for him everyone is saying that for there were several men in the town that had to go under operations within the last few years and they all died within a few days of the operation even though they had Specilists down from Dublin so you can see that this fellow proved himself a great man. We had two doctor's and one of them did not want to operate at all but father made them do it and when it was done he said to the man that operated that he took a very serious business in hands and that father would not live until evening. He had some terrible pain before he was operated on and all the night before he was suffering and never called up sure it was me that went into the room to him first and when I saw the way he was I said that I would go for a Dr. and he would not let me so in the end I did not tell any of them in the house but went out and brought him in he told me it was an awful surprise as he did not die during the night without anyone knowing it. There are very bad times here in Ireland at present that is the Southern part of it owing to a Railway Strike that is going on. There is hardly a drop of stout in the town we are out of it for the last week and a lot of other goods besides no trains ran through this place for the last fortnight until today there was two ran but it was men sent over from the English government and there was soldiers on the train as well, guarding it so you can see that it is a very serious business I am sparing up some newspapers for you and you can see all about it. I suppose my letter was delayed because the letters are taken by car now from place to place. Have you got any more papers or books that you would send over as I am rather short of something to read I am kept very busy now in the shop I have to be there all the time it was a very lucky job that George and I were so well up in the business or we could never have managed as well as we did. Did you ever get my letter that we wrote to you about the old man's death. you never said any thing about it at all. I wrote to Fanny about the same time as I wrote to you telling her about him and I never wrote to her since do you ever write to her now. I hope the next time you write you'll tell us something about the missus. I have no more to say for this time so I will close Hoping to hear from you very soon again. I remain
Your loving sister
Mai.

Write as soon as ever you get this. you must excuse this notepaper as I can't get out to get any better for this time.