1 F50 at Stafford. 41 Wolverhampton Rd. Stafford. 4.7.16 Dear Mr. Ryan, We have been wondering
a good deal how you are getting on &
how you like your new surroundings.
Father Moore called in last night
& said so far he had heard
nothing. This morning he sent a
message for me to call to see him.
I do so & it was to show me a
letter he had received from the
Chaplain. But as he lives a good
distance, almost 30 miles I think, it
did not give much news. He is
an old Cottonian (a College for boys in the 2
Midlands) & it seems Fr. Moore & he were
there for a short time together — but his
younger brother was a classmate of
his. We were quite glad to hear it
because it seemed to make a link
still with you as we know Coilín - my
brother was there a long time but of
course at a much later date. So we
trust to hear further details later. I have already sent you one
letter. I wrote it Saturday —but as
the address was doubtful I am not
sure that you have received it.
If you have & if I tell you the
same things again you must excuse
it because that is the reason. In it I told you I got to know Mr.
Duffy & Mr.Caralon (from Belfast)
by taking a message about collars
& ties etc for M rs Figgis. The
former said he knew you at any rate
by sight & I gave him a message fo r
you in case he sees you. Mr Caralon 3
said he was a good friend of yours. I was sorry you were taken away
in the first lot & not left till later -
there are still a good many here. But I
daresay you will like it better as you
will have discovered your other friends
down there there & others have gone on from here. I think the warder in the gate
was rather glad because he said
he is spared writing down your name.
He thought you were the most popular
in the barracks, he had to do it so
often. Father Moore happened to call
in Thursday night - the 29 th. He
said it was not the same place down
there now that all the nuts had
gone. M rs. & Miss Pearse came to Stafford
on Friday night & we were lucky to
see a good deal of them. Last night
they left for Shrewsbury en route for
Frongoch which they intend to
visit today, but I am glad to say they
are returning here for a short time. 4
The priests here said the Masses on
Sunday & Monday for her two sons & she
was awfully pleased about it. She
told us a great many details. It was
very sad but she is so sweet & so
wonderfully brave. She said 'My loss is
an irreparable one but knowing what it
is, if I was asked to make the sacrifice
again tomorrow, I would do it just as gladly'.
She promised to send some mortuary cards.
I did not like to ask for one though I
wanted to do so badly but she turned to
me & said 'You shall have one - I wont
forget'. I was so thankful to have had
the opportunity of meeting her & I am
sure I will be different all my life for
having done so. I do hope your cold is better - if you
only had stayed a bit longer you would
have had more medicine & then probably
the cure would have been complete. If you
have to do your own washing be careful
not to put on anything damp or else you
will get it again. I wish I knew your new number -
I have asked my friend to ask Mr.O'Connell when
she writes to him & let me know. Goodbye for the present. Yours very sincerely Kathleen Teebay.