From: Clara Burr, South Natick
To: Frank Gleasure, The Square, Listowel, Ireland
My dear Frank:
I was very much pleased to receive your nice, long, descriptive letter. It came to me on the 4th of July, or to speak more correctly on the 5th, but that was the day we celebrated, and we drove down to Newton to a picnic at a friend's house where we go nearly every year. The boys went on their wheels for Houston and Shields now each have a bicycle now. They carried a box of firecrackers with them and had great fun all day long. We have a fine luncheon at noon in the summer house.
The boys were much interested in your description of the country around you and they enjoyed the paper you send them which came about two weeks later.
We all think you write a remarkably nice letter. It seems a pity though that you no longer have the privelege of attending school. Had you remained in South Natick, I suppose you would have been ready for the high school this fall. I believe only three boys graduated this year: Joe Wignot, Silas Hayden, and Walter Schuman. Houston and Shields like the high school very much and Houston held a very high rank and there were over 80 in the class. Shields did not get along so well with his latin, so this summer I am making him review it with me and I think he understands it much better.
If you could walk into South Natick today, I do not think you would find things changed much. Whittemore has built an immense new barn on his place and I think he has about 120 horses up there.
Does little Annie take all the care of the baby? Poor child, it must be hard for her to try to be a little mother to you all. I suppose May is as cute as ever. Does she like school? I shall always feel an interest in all you children, not only for your own sakes but for your poor dear mother's sake. Of course, it is not my business to speak, but I cannot help feeling sorry that your father has gone into the liquor business. I feel that your dear little mother would have wished it otherwise.
I hope you will not be tempted to drink because you have it near you. Your mother was very ambitious and proud of you all and I trust her memory will always keep you from doing wrong.
I suppose Miss Bailey and Miss Reardon write to you often. I hope you will pardon my not having answered your nice letter before, but it always seems a great task for me to sit down and write and I fear that my friends often think I forget them. When you write again, tell me all about each one of the children for I would love to hear about them. Houston is taller than I just think of it. He measures 5 feet, 11 inches, almost six feet you see. He is employed in an architect's office in Boston this summer and enjoys his work very much. Shields is growing very tall also, is 5 feet 7 1/2 inches. He has made a fine garden this summer and we are enjoying all the different kinds of vegetables. Neil and Miss Burr are pretty well. My brother George was married last summer to a nice young lady in New York state and they are home now on a little visit before he goes to work again. Houston and Shields join in sending kind regards to you and all the family including your father.
Ever your sincere friend,
Clara Burr
Showing posts with label Maria Dillon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maria Dillon. Show all posts
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
July 13, 1898
From Helen Reardon: 114 West Main Street, Westboro, Mass.
To Frank Gleasure: The Square, Listowel, Ireland
My dear Frank,
I should not blame you at all if you got all out of patience with us for not sending your Phillipines stamps but they are on the way now. I did not think best to patronize the dealer that would send them for 10 cents. Though he may be alright, I am sure of these which I send. They are 35 cents and come from the Scott Stamp and Coin Co. of New York. There is an exposition in Omaha, Nebraska this summer, much like the World's Fair, though not as extensive. And they have stamps which I will use to send this and a package. Save every one as they double in value in a short time. We are now feeling the effects of the war. They commenced the first of July to use the revenue stamps. I will send you as many as I can get a hold of. Mr. Bailey has to stamp every check he gives in payment to help, etc. And for every package you send, you must put on a penny tax.
I suppose you were very much puffed up when you read the marvelous feats of our seamen. I read yesterday that the 9th Mass were at the front in the trenches before Santiago. Frank Schuman, Willie Godendorf, Charlie Schneider, Fred Cook, and several other South Natick boys are there in the 9th. There was a fearful loss in the 2nd Mass two weeks ago, but now they are going to put in more artillery. So perhaps the 9th will fare better as they advance. I imagine the Britishers looked a little sideways when they saw what we can do without a navy as they said at first before the war was on. I'm afraid the Cubans are a poor lot and scarcely worth saving, but foreign powers will better undestand us. And another thing, the north and south are all one now fighting for the same cause side by side.
Miss Bailey is well and would send love to you all if she knew I was writing. Tell us how all the children are. We do not forget one of you. This spring, we set one of the prettiest pink geraniums we could find on your mother's grave. I hope you are all good children like what she was so anxious to have you. How I would like to see you all.
I am very tired today and I have not written very well. I will send the stamps in a separate letter.
With love to all the children, I am your friend
Helen A. Reardon
Westboro, Mass
114 West Main St.
To Frank Gleasure: The Square, Listowel, Ireland
My dear Frank,
I should not blame you at all if you got all out of patience with us for not sending your Phillipines stamps but they are on the way now. I did not think best to patronize the dealer that would send them for 10 cents. Though he may be alright, I am sure of these which I send. They are 35 cents and come from the Scott Stamp and Coin Co. of New York. There is an exposition in Omaha, Nebraska this summer, much like the World's Fair, though not as extensive. And they have stamps which I will use to send this and a package. Save every one as they double in value in a short time. We are now feeling the effects of the war. They commenced the first of July to use the revenue stamps. I will send you as many as I can get a hold of. Mr. Bailey has to stamp every check he gives in payment to help, etc. And for every package you send, you must put on a penny tax.
I suppose you were very much puffed up when you read the marvelous feats of our seamen. I read yesterday that the 9th Mass were at the front in the trenches before Santiago. Frank Schuman, Willie Godendorf, Charlie Schneider, Fred Cook, and several other South Natick boys are there in the 9th. There was a fearful loss in the 2nd Mass two weeks ago, but now they are going to put in more artillery. So perhaps the 9th will fare better as they advance. I imagine the Britishers looked a little sideways when they saw what we can do without a navy as they said at first before the war was on. I'm afraid the Cubans are a poor lot and scarcely worth saving, but foreign powers will better undestand us. And another thing, the north and south are all one now fighting for the same cause side by side.
Miss Bailey is well and would send love to you all if she knew I was writing. Tell us how all the children are. We do not forget one of you. This spring, we set one of the prettiest pink geraniums we could find on your mother's grave. I hope you are all good children like what she was so anxious to have you. How I would like to see you all.
I am very tired today and I have not written very well. I will send the stamps in a separate letter.
With love to all the children, I am your friend
Helen A. Reardon
Westboro, Mass
114 West Main St.
June 9th, 1897
From MM Hartwell: South Natick, MA
To Frank Gleasure: The Square, Listowel, Ireland
Dear Frank,
I received your letter and am always interested to hear how you are getting on. Everything seems about the same here. The schools close next week.
"Memorial Day" the schools had some exercises in the hall. Music and speaking by the different schools and some old soliders from the "Grand Army" spoke to them afterwards. The scholars went to the cemeteries to decorate the graves. Your mother's grave was not forgotten by her friends. I saw Miss Reardon planting a geranium by it. If you were to come back now, you would miss my old barn. It has been taken down and the shed that was between the house and barn. You remember where you had piled up the wood? They were pretty old and my brother thought best to have them removed. I miss them very much as they seemed like dear old friends to me. The place hardly looks natural without them. There is to be something put up in place of them sometime. Mr. Bair is at the hotel now. I think he was pretty lonesome up on his farm in New Hampshire and likes to get back here. We have had a great deal of rain this month and last and today is a cold, [?] storm. We have been having plenty of strawberries. Do you have them where you are? And all the small fruits we have here. Are the wildflowers the same? I would like to have some of the shamrock you were looking for, and if you find anything we do not have here, you might put a pressed blossom in your letter when you write. Do you study [?] at home if you do not go to school.
I suppose Anna and you all have grown so that I should hardly know you. Mrs. Williams is here and she wishes to be remembered to you all and says tell you Marian always wants to put flowers on your mother's grave when she goes to the cemetary. Now I shall be glad to hear from you again and with kind remembrance for you all.
From yours sincerely,
MM Hartwell
Thank you for writing. Your letter was very interesting.
To Frank Gleasure: The Square, Listowel, Ireland
Dear Frank,
I received your letter and am always interested to hear how you are getting on. Everything seems about the same here. The schools close next week.
"Memorial Day" the schools had some exercises in the hall. Music and speaking by the different schools and some old soliders from the "Grand Army" spoke to them afterwards. The scholars went to the cemeteries to decorate the graves. Your mother's grave was not forgotten by her friends. I saw Miss Reardon planting a geranium by it. If you were to come back now, you would miss my old barn. It has been taken down and the shed that was between the house and barn. You remember where you had piled up the wood? They were pretty old and my brother thought best to have them removed. I miss them very much as they seemed like dear old friends to me. The place hardly looks natural without them. There is to be something put up in place of them sometime. Mr. Bair is at the hotel now. I think he was pretty lonesome up on his farm in New Hampshire and likes to get back here. We have had a great deal of rain this month and last and today is a cold, [?] storm. We have been having plenty of strawberries. Do you have them where you are? And all the small fruits we have here. Are the wildflowers the same? I would like to have some of the shamrock you were looking for, and if you find anything we do not have here, you might put a pressed blossom in your letter when you write. Do you study [?] at home if you do not go to school.
I suppose Anna and you all have grown so that I should hardly know you. Mrs. Williams is here and she wishes to be remembered to you all and says tell you Marian always wants to put flowers on your mother's grave when she goes to the cemetary. Now I shall be glad to hear from you again and with kind remembrance for you all.
From yours sincerely,
MM Hartwell
Thank you for writing. Your letter was very interesting.
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