May 22, 1911

From: Mai Gleasure, The Square, Listowel
To: Frank Gleasure, 437 Cambridge St. Allston, Mass U.S.A.

My dear Frank,

I received your most welcomed letter last week and was very glad to hear from you.  We are getting some splendid weather here at present but a lot of thunder and lighting around the county Kerry.  doing a little harm here and there.  I suppose ye have fine weather over there.  George is down at Toherbane at present on his holidays for the last week.  We had the big fair last Monday it was a very good fair and we done great buisness.  I was out at Tullig yesterday the old man is not very well at all he was very bad about a month ago we thought he'd die but he got a little better after that but he is getting bad again his legs and hands are all swelled up.  I did not get that music you spoke about in your letter yet  I hope it won't be long in coming.  We are going to have the Big Sports 29th June here in Listowel.  Henry Gleasure's son went over to the Parkinson last month they are in Nashua and are getting on splendid.  I never knew you were so old as 29 years.  I will be 19 next Saturday.  Did you hear from Mrs Morris lately or does she write to you now.  The next time you are writing I want you to send me a few flags for the 4 July.  be sure and send them now I asked you last year for them and you never sent them and the one I have is not very good and we would like to have them as we always wear them on that day.  I hope you will write very soon again and if you can send those flags No more to say at present so I will close.  I hope that music won't be long in coming  I hope you are well as we all are here at present.
I remain
Your loving sister
Mai.

March 23, 1911

From: May Gleasure, The Square, Listowel
To: Frank Gleasure, 437 Cambridge St, Allston, Mass, U.S.A.

My dear Frank,

I received your most kind and welcomed letter some time ago, but when you said you were sending me the songs I was not going to write until I'd received them but as they are not here yet I thought I would drop you a line hoping this will find you in good health as we all are here at present. We have very nice  weather here for the last 2 weeks. I suppose ye will be getting the fine weather there now by this. Bill Gleasure (Henry's Son) is sailing for that country next week he is going to Nashua where Alfey Parkinson went last year. The old man out at Tullig is not very well lately I am afraid he will not do much longer he was very bad about three weeks ago we thought he'd die any minute my father was out to see him and when he came back he said he'd hardly do 2 or 3 days however he got up since but his feet are all swelling again and that is a very bad sign. Was I telling you that one of our dogs won a silver cup down in Tipperary it is a very nice one but we will have to win it again next season to be the owners of it we got money along with it you know. I am sending you one of the Photos you asked me for and I hope you'll like it. It is much the same as the others it is not very well taken tell me how you like it the next time. I hope that music will land in a few days. Hoping you will write very soon again I remain
Your loving sister
May.

March 6, 1911

From May Gleasure
To Frank Gleasure, 437 Cambridge St, Allston, Mass, U.S.A.

The Shamrock Leaf will always be
A link to bind across the sea
The hands that join in memory
Of Dear Old Ireland!

Dear Frank,

I received your letter this morning glad to hear you are well as we all are here in Listowel. but the old man out in Tullig is not well for the last few weeks. in fact I think he won't do much longer. I am glad you like those Photo's I will send you the other when I am writing the next time I am waiting until I get the music until I write so I will tell you how I like it. I will try and steal one of Annie's Sticky backs but you must not say anything about it as she said she would not like anyone to see them they were so bad I am sending you this in memory of Old Patricks day. I will let you have all news in next letter Goodbye from sister Mai.

January 19, 1911

From: May Gleasure, The Square, Listowel
To: Frank Gleasure

Dearest Frank

I received your most welcomed letter some time ago but you will excuse me for not answering it when you hear that I was on my holidays, I went down to Toherbane to Fitzells' on last Saturday week and returned last monday, I had a most enjoyable time there, I went to see Ballyheigue and the Wireless Telegraph Poles I suppose you heard about them I also went to Banna Strand and I went to Tralee and I got my Photo's taken there I will send you some of them as soon as I get them I would have liked to stop there longer but father could not do very well without me, however a week is not all the bad and perhaps I might get another week later on.  I got 18 presents last Xmas they were as follows A Blouse, silver brooch, locket autograph, Money, bracelet kid gloves 2 hat pins 2 silk Handkerchiefs a bottle of perfume half dozen books 2 boxes chocolates a book of poems watch, box honey, and a Claw brooch.  I liked every thing I got except the two hatpins I did not get anything from Mrs Morris nor did not hear from her except a letter I got about 2 week before Xmas altho I sent her a present she never wrote to me since.  Tom Connor is working away at his trade but he is not doing as much as he used before he married I think when a person turns over like what he did that there is not very much thought of them I know I wouldn't anyway.  You were saying that you would send me some more songs I am giving you a list of some that I saw illustrated on the other sheets that I would like to have, Try and get them and send them on to me and I will not ask you for anymore for the year again for I am getting them all bound together by a book binder when I get some more from you so don't be long in sending them.  Times are very quiet in Listowel at present.  There is not very much doing.  I don't think I have any more of intrest to write about so I will close Hoping to hear from you within the course of three week

I remain Your loving sister
May.

I got the Photo's before I post the letter so I am sending it on these are two of the Fitzell girls along with me I got single ones of myself two but I have them all promised but if I don't give them all away I will send you one later Write as soon as you get these and let me know what you think of them and try and send the music for I want to get it bound with the rest.

December 13, 1910

From: George Gleasure, Listowel
To: Frank Gleasure, 14 Webster Ave., Allston, Mass., U.S.A.

Dear Frank,

iam sending you information as regards your baptisam iwould have written to you long ago but for the hadrid ihad for that country on account of what you know not on my own account what ever as iliked the country personaly verry well and got along splendid

do not be going to two much expence with presents something to pass the thing off there is no need of me sending you along letter at present as iexpect May will tell you every thing that is going on iwill write you if christmas was over pleas god hoping you will have ahappy christmas

Frank Gleasure born May 4th 1882
at Cobourg ontario Canada
baptised in the English Church of the same place
by Mr Rynarth the curit, of which Mr Stennett was Rector at the time, you can write to the rector of the English Church Cobourg ont, are if you like you can write to Miss Mary Stiles orange St Cobourg, your sponsors was Mr and Mrs Garland now dead ithink some time in june or july you were baptised same year English Church same as Episcopal in states
yours George Gleasure
To Mr Frank Gleasure

December 12, 1910

From: May Gleasure, The Square, Listowel
To: Frank Gleasure

My dear Frank,

I received your most welcomed letter a short time ago and was very glad to hear from you. I also got those songs this morning they were lovely every one of them and I am very thankful for them Annie got your letter alright Tom Connor has settled down in Ireland to shoe making once more and is getting too much to do. you know he was splendid at shoemaking. He is not at his own house but he is friends with them all the same. I suppose you did not know that his father was writing to him while he was in England But he was afraid to come across Jim or John. Paddy went to see him when he came home they were always great friends last Wednesday Tom was in our Kitchen and Georgie knew that John and Jim were in the shop so he went and brought John in and we made them speak so he meet Jim later and he spoke to him they are all in all again. he is going to get one of those Cottages after Xmas he is at Jude Daughtons (mother-in-law) at present. You'd know him the minute you'd look at him only he got older looking some way I am sure it is unacount of his mustache he would not know me at all he said I got so big, it would be hard to say that you'd know me so if you saw me. We had a splendid coursing match in Listowel last Thursday & Friday our dogs done very well there one of them got second in one Stake and the other got third in another Stake they would have won the Stakes only they were grulled in there other courses. You might not understand coursing but I'll try to tell you, there is so many dogs in every Stake and these are coupled and each couple has to hunt a Hare and half of those dogs are the ones that won and then what dogs remain are couples again and so on until it comes to the two last dogs and whoever wins the last course has won the Stake Our dogs met two very bad dogs and had to work and kill the hare themselves single handed so they were tried then and had to go for there next course with their tongues hanging out We got about L8.10 eight pound ten out of it there was a comrade of ours won the big Stake he was belonging to Fitzell in Toherbane we had a great time at the Coursing we enjoyed it more than we did the races. We had an awful crowd of the Fitzell's from Toherbane stopping with us the first night we done great business because all the men that were intrestid in dogs came to our place unacount of us having the dogs I am sending you a little present and hope you will get in all right. It must be very hard for you sometimes on those freight trains especially when you have to work by night. Do you ever take a notion or think about coming to Ireland anymore I don't think I have any more to say at present so I will close Wishing you a Very Happy Xmas and a bright and Prosperous New Year Hoping you are well as we all are here at present Write soon agan I remain
Your loving sister Mai.

October 16, 1910

From: May Gleasure, The Square, Listowel
To: Frank Gleasure, 14 Webster Ave., Allston, Mass, U.S.A.

My dear Frank,

I received those three books of music about a week ago and am very thankful for them they were very nice ones I had some of the songs that were in them myself. We are just over the races and Big Fair they passed away very quiet and we had two splendid fine days for the races but it was very wet for the Big Fair. We are going to have Coursing in Listowel on the 8th & 9th of December for the first time, there is an iron bridge going across to the Island Course so they can hold the race and Coursing there every year they have a lease of it for 99 years. Tom Connor came from England last Wednesday with his wife and two kids. he did not go to his own place or meet any of his own lads since he is out at Jude Daughton's his mother-in-law's. Father did not write to you since but he will do it one of these days he said. Did you here from Mrs Morris lately I had some papers from her but no letter this long time. I don't think I have any more to say Hoping you will write very soon I remain
Your loving sister
Mai Gleasure.

P.S. If you are sending me a Xmas present this year I would like a watch or bracelet and Annie said she would like a small gold locket one that you could close and open. I remember you said last year that you did not know what kind of things to get for us I would like a watch very much they all have them at home except me you can send whichever you like yourself. Hope you are well as we all are here at present.