[Envelope}
Miss Reed [1] ,
Pensionn at Ray Haldemann,
Friez près Grandson
Canton do Fond
Switzerland [2] .
August 4, 1897

Slieveroe [3]
Sunday

My darling Eva

Just as I have a little quiet time this evg.  I’ll write to you. Indeed I feel so dazed with all the events of the past month that I can hardly collect my thoughts to write. I got your letter yesterday & someway it did me more good than all the other heaps of letters I have got. Many a time I longed to have you with me but I could not think of taking you home. After a little, things will go on as usual and the dead will be almost forgotten all the annoyance & vexation came through that cursed drink [4] & after all are there not worse vices?

There was nothing immoral or dishonourable to be laid to my poor pets charge and that is a great comfort to me. The thing I am sure of that he loved us all & you best of the three. He did not mention you during his illness, indeed he was too ill all the time – 20 days – to think of anyone. Lizaba [5] & Brownie [6] were away a week before he missed them, & after the second day he never asked for Georgie [7] , but he used to watch for your letters as anxiously as I did, he never forgot the miserable row before you left, but he knew he was to blame for it himself – Life seems very lonely to me now but I have so many others to think of that I will not have time to brood over my own troubles – God is very good to me. I have always so many kind friends in all my troubles – Andy [8] was only two days in the grave when Uncle Tom [9] sent me £50. James McC [10] gave me a present of £5 & G.mother [11] also.

My poor old man made a will leaving everything he had to me, & although its not very valuable still it shows the confidence he had in me.

Anything like the kindness of the neighbours I never experienced. Mrs. McClelland [12] kinder than all. I got Lizaba & Brownie home this day week. G.mother came down on Monday & left next day bringing Aunt Mary [13] home with her as Mollie [14] was tired being alone & they are expecting Kathleen [15] & Amy [16] over this week. Amy is much better. Sallie [17] & Mollie [18] are still in Liscalgot [19] . James McC stayed with us till yesterday, so we were hampered for room, but I hope to get them home this week.

Annie Johnston [20] gave the little ones black dresses & hats & I sent money up with Aunt Mary [21] to get things for the other two.

I believe Aunt Bessie [22] intends coming up for a few days, indeed I did not ask her, she treated me most shamefully all these years but I am not one to keep up spite, so I will try to forget the past. One would think I had done something dishonourable to her the way they treated me – Mollie [23] went to Belfast last Wednesday and got our mourning, of course the things are not home yet. She was down from Armagh with the three Brown [24] girls Jeannie [25] & Kathleen Jackson [26] , so she was in Aunt Kate’s [27] for dinner.

We got an awful fright with Aunt Jenny [28] on Friday evg. Mrs. Carlisle [29] & Miss Isabella [30] were coming down for tea, & about 3 o’c Aunt J. disappeared. I went down the lawn to the boys where they were working with hay I knew if they had seen her & Patrick [31] said he saw her go along the avenue some time before. I concluded she had gone to see Mrs. M[?] Reid [32] & I sent Bridget [33] there only to find she was not there. We looked every imaginable place & at the end of about two hours  she was found up to the neck in water in that old drain at the right hand side of the lane, the place Tom [34] once jumped into, more dead than alive. What a sight she was four men carrying her up the lane all sure she could only live a few minutes – I sent off for the Dr. feeling sure that artificial respiration was her only chance, & in the meantime we got off her wet clothes & got her feet into hot water & kept rubbing her body with brandy, poor Miss Isabella working away like a brick – all the time Aunt J quite unconscious & hardly able to breathe. She seemed choked up with water & weeds. We got her carried to bed & surrounded with jars & hot irons - & after about two hours she fell asleep. We feared it was the sleep of death – The poor Dr. came perspiring from every pore after a hurried ride up on his bicycle, Aunt J. waked up when he came into the room & he said “How are you Miss Reid”. To our amazement she replied “Very Well”, & she just seemed as if nothing had happened, he had not a single thing to do for her, but he came up next day as he said she might take inflammation of the lungs or bronchitis however she took nothing at all & is just as well as ever & remembers nothing of the whole escapade.

Mrs. McClelland & Mollie sat up with her that night.

Aunt Annie [35] is at the Manse now. Mattie [36] was over for dinner yesterday.

Had you a dreadful thunderstorm while you were at Zurich? We saw a report of it in the paper. Did you get Uncle David’s [37] £5? Mattie sent it to you through the post office on Monday last? I must stop

My dear child
With much love & ________
Mother.