Urker, November 30, 1871

 

My dear Tommy[1] – (I must still call you the old pet name. I received your letter of Oct 2^nd containing the happy and welcome intelligence of your marriage. May you both be happy and may God bless you both in Time and Eternity. I am glad that you are married, it is not good for man to be alone, and from all you tell me, I am well satisfied with the partner you have chosen. One word in your last letter pleased me better than all; that she was a God-fearing Christian. That is just the one thing needful. Oh my dear children, be helpers of each other on this heavenly earth!  Love God and love each other; then though troubles may and will come, you will never be unhappy. And now my dear Tom, if you do not make a good husband I know not where the making of one might be looked for. Be most attentive and affectionate and confiding to the dear girl that has left all for you; and be particularly careful of her health; she is very young, and her constitution cannot be fully formed yet; the climate is dangerous; but you have some experience of it; and can the better guard her from its dangers. I will give you a few lines of an old Scottish song very applicable to your present circumstances –

 

She is a winsome wee thing

She is a handsome young thing

She is a winsome wee thing

            This bonnie wee wife of mine.

I never saw a fairer

I never loved a dearer

And next my heart I’ll wear her

For fear my jewel’s tine [2]

 

May such be your feeling and spirit towards her, as long as God spares you to each other. And dear Tommy, take care of yourself for her sake; I often told you to do it for mine.

And now daughter Minnie[3], a word to you. You have got my greatest earthly treasure into your keeping with my good will. Oh love him, comfort him, watch over him, soul and body; and  may God Almighty for ever bless you both. I long to fold you in my arms, and give you a Mother’s blessing. Perhaps that may be before long. Tom wrote hopefully about visiting Ireland in several of his later letters; the last of all was rather doubtful on that subject. To meet would be delightful to us all and besides there are some aged relatives whom we cannot expect to have long here, who would wish to see him and you before they die; nevertheless; he must not injure his prospects or neglect his business. What I would advise is, that you should take all sides of the question into consideration; and then decide upon whatever is best. I hope it may turn out that you can gratify us all, without doing your interests any harm. I hope my little token of affection has reached you safely ere this; but it will be long ere I can hear that it did. I feared that it had gone down in the Rangoon[4] now I think it was not there. I was [nearly] omitting to say we had received the letter of the 18^th Sept. containing Minnie’s[5] letters to Father[6] and myself, which pleased us very much. I appreciate the fact of her taking time to write us on the day before her marriage, at its full values. If she had not been particularly anxious to show us respect and good feeling she would have put it off to another opportunity.

As for home news, I believe there is little since I wrote in the beginning of the month. But no news is good news. We are all in life and in our usual health. Uncle William[7] had an illness about a fortnight ago, but got over it. Little Thompson Brown[8] had also an attack of croup (what took away poor little George[9]), but it ended favourably. The Prince of Wales is ill of a fever; you will hear by the papers how that will end. The Tichborne[10] case ~ has not yet concluded. It is a wonderful romance. Old General Bouverie[11] is dead and Jane Grey[12] and her husband[13] have come into the inheritance. I believe I wrote you of William Grey’s[14] health at the time it occurred. This will be a hard enough year on many Irish farmers. Potatoes generally are very bad, and flax was a complete failure in many places. Our corn was good, flax middling potatoes nothing to boast of; but the cattle did well; and even have ten beasts still feeding. On the whole it is not a bad year to us.

I have but one thing more to add: which is: now that there are two of you to write; I shall expect more letters than ever. To hear from my absent children is the salt and solace of my life.

Father and brothers John[15] and James[16] write in love to you my dear Tommy and to your wife, with your ever

Affectionate Mother,

Eliza Jackson[17]