From: Helen A. Reardon, South Natick, MA
To: Frank Gleasure, The Square, Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland
My Dear Frank,
I think I must owe you a letter, for I am so busy all the time, I generally owe everyone I write to one.
First, we wish you all a Merry and Happy Christmas, and you will have it I trust if you are all well.
How is the stamp collecting progressing? Did you get the little magazine I subscribed for to be sent to you? I have sent for a new catalogue and hope they will send me a few stamps for a premium. I should think you might get hold of some old ones at your grandfather's. No matter what they are. Save them all and duplicates are good to exchange. Everything is about the same as when I last wrote. The Burr boys are getting to be six footers and the other boys are keeping up. John Foster is a beauty. He wears short pants still and is nearly six feet. He is in the eighth grade and they can scarcely tolerate him. We have a new principal, a Mr. Blanchard, who is very nice, much more social than Mr. Emerson and very strict. The scholars like him though. John's life is miserable through, being obliged to mind.
Mr. Alfred Hartwell has built a nice new house near Miss Hartwell's. He is on here now, on account of the annexation of the Sandwich Islands. He is very much in favor of annexation.
You would like the work in drawing now. We use water colors and ink drawings and the scholars do beautiful work.
We have had two light snowstorms, but the ground is bare now and not frozen. Schools closes the 17th of Dec. for two weeks.
I will send a photograph of your old home. It makes us all sad to pass by there. Mr. Daniels and the neighbors are all the same. The cement mill has changed hands and young George Foster was dropped from the workman. We expect nothing but old George will have to go too. Little Ned Daniels is very bright in school. He can read quite difficult reading right off.
I wish it was possible to fill all your pockets with American oranges and candies at Christmas. How is Annie, and how does she spend her time. We shall think of you all and will be glad to know how you are prospering. The papers are prophesying better times here. There are many people idle now. There are five thousand working-people (men) idle in Boston alone. And many people are idle here too, but we hope for better times.
Ella sends her love to you all as I do also. Write very soon.
Your sincere friend,
Helen A. Reardon
Showing posts with label Martha Hartwell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martha Hartwell. Show all posts
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
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
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
Sunday, January 8, 2012
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.
January 25, 1897
From: MM Hartwell, South Natick
To: Frank Gleasure, The Square, Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Dear Frank,
I thank you very much for the very nice letter you wrote on your arrival at your Grandfathers. It was very nice in you to write and it should have been acknowledged long ago. It was such a nice account of your voyage. I enjoyed it very much. And now I want to hear again from you what you are doing, how living, and about the place you are in, anything you may think of to write will interest me. Have you been to school? I wish you might have stayed here and gone on with your studies, and graduated. Your mother was so anxious to have you. Miss Bailey knows more than I do about the schools and writes you about them perhaps. I know Mr. Emerson has a new assistant. Elijah Perry who was your nearest neighbor when he died last week suddenly of heart disease, which leaves Mr[s?] Ross alone. I missed you very much this summer and fall as I had no boy to call upon to do little things for me. Tell Jaire [Joe?] I missed him too. We have had no snow as yet this winter and it is getting late for it. I think Mr. Bailey would like to see some [?] for parties. How is Annie? Give my love to her. I shall hope to hear from you soon with kind wishes for you all from the friend of your mother,
M.M. Hartwell
Feb 2nd
You will see by the date of this letter that I have delayed sending it but I have been wanting to get your address of Miss Bailey and this morning called at the school house for it. We had quite a big snow storm last week. Before that it had been fine skating on the river. Do they ever have any snow where you are? Or ice. Does your grandfather have a large farm and do you live with them. I will send you some papers soon. You may like to see them. Do you have much to read.
MMH
To: Frank Gleasure, The Square, Listowel, Co. Kerry, Ireland
Dear Frank,
I thank you very much for the very nice letter you wrote on your arrival at your Grandfathers. It was very nice in you to write and it should have been acknowledged long ago. It was such a nice account of your voyage. I enjoyed it very much. And now I want to hear again from you what you are doing, how living, and about the place you are in, anything you may think of to write will interest me. Have you been to school? I wish you might have stayed here and gone on with your studies, and graduated. Your mother was so anxious to have you. Miss Bailey knows more than I do about the schools and writes you about them perhaps. I know Mr. Emerson has a new assistant. Elijah Perry who was your nearest neighbor when he died last week suddenly of heart disease, which leaves Mr[s?] Ross alone. I missed you very much this summer and fall as I had no boy to call upon to do little things for me. Tell Jaire [Joe?] I missed him too. We have had no snow as yet this winter and it is getting late for it. I think Mr. Bailey would like to see some [?] for parties. How is Annie? Give my love to her. I shall hope to hear from you soon with kind wishes for you all from the friend of your mother,
M.M. Hartwell
Feb 2nd
You will see by the date of this letter that I have delayed sending it but I have been wanting to get your address of Miss Bailey and this morning called at the school house for it. We had quite a big snow storm last week. Before that it had been fine skating on the river. Do they ever have any snow where you are? Or ice. Does your grandfather have a large farm and do you live with them. I will send you some papers soon. You may like to see them. Do you have much to read.
MMH
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