March 25, 1913

From: May Gleasure, The Square, Listowel
To: Frank Gleasure, 4 Bayard St., Allston, Mass, U.S.A.

Dear Frank,

I received your most welcomed letter a short time ago and was very glad to hear from you. We are all quite well here at home hope this will find ye the same. We had very bad weather here all the winter we had a few great storms through the winter but its just like Spring for the last three days. I got that music book all right it was a splendid one. and some nice songs in it thats the kind of a book I like to get those music sheets you used to send me used to be too dear and you would not knock half the value out of them. Hilgrove McCarthy you were asking me about poisoned himself it was the way that religion was playing on his mind it was over in England it happened. Mrs Behane's sister has the lisence in her name now any of her daughters were not old enough to take it up. Myra Smyth is with them all the time they could never manage the shop without her. but I thought you knew that Harry is a manager in a Medical Hall. Patsy Dillon comes into us all the time he is failing very much lately is it the way that his daughters are living any where near you. Its a wonder they never write to him Father Paul is thinking of coming home this year to see him he is a Parish Priest now you know, he was very successful from the very start do you hear anything about Mike at all? Ned got married last Summer and got a nice little handful of money with the girl by all accounts Tom is going after a girl here in the town oh but she a horrible old thing she is an assistant in a drapers shop. James Connor is living all the time he is laid up with cold for the last month young Jim is laid up also I thought I told you that Tom Connor came back from England he is carring on in the shoemaking trade again and can't get around all the work he has to do, he is living with his wife's people (Jude Daughton) Sarah & her husband has a cottage in Jame's land they are not badly off either for he is a sensible fellow. But Liz is over in England yet and you may say has a bad time with her husband (Bill Connor) she knows what poverty is anyway I nearly forgot to tell you that I was at a lovely dance last month here in town. it was the first Ball I was ever at. and you may say I enjoyed it all right It started about 9:30 and we did not leave until 7 in the morning. there were fifty couple at it. It was held at the Gymsaum Hall I don't know what came over the boss to leave me go there he is not so strict lately as he used to be. and thats no harm. I don't think he'd let me boy if he knew it was a boy that was taking me there. I had a lovely pale blue dress and black patent shoes. I got a great cold out of it. for when we were coming home in the morning it was very cold and wet. Do you ever see that Chute boy that went over there last year. Jack Dowling came home from New York about 2 weeks ago he is a regular hobow. and is drinking hard. I think I will close now Hoping to hear from you soon again I remain
Yours loving sister
Mai.