1 39 Belgrave Square, Rathmines, Dublin. 22 March, 1916. My dearest May, I have started to write this
at home on Tuesday at very near midnight
and will finish it on Wednesday. The letter
I sent you to—day (Tuesday) was I fear a bit
abrupt at the end. Duffy (you remember meeting
him here) called in to go to dinner with
me and I had to close it up rather hurriedly.
If I left it over till the evening I would
probably have missed the post. About this watch
I am sorry that it is not giving satisfaction.
O’Leary in Hopkins told me when I bought it that all watches
of the kind are a bit flighty at the start and
he asked me to tell you to let him see this watch
the next time you were in town in order to
have it tested again. I shall call and see him 2 and tell him about it. If you like I could
take it back with me when returning to town after
my next visit (Saturday next I hope) and I could
bring it down to you at Easter. Please yourself
though in that respect. As it will be so short now
until you are here for good (my good) perhaps you
would like to wait till then. I don’t see any reason
why it shouldn’t keep good time all right because
it was tested beforehand for three days and was
then all right. I’m glad to hear you are so fond
of it (I hope for my sake). You will see by my other
letter that I am anxious to go down either this
week end or next. If you decide to let me
come down this week end, I am half inclined
to come down on Saturday morning by the 9:15 from
Broadstone (11:15 at Castletown) so as to
have the day with you. The other train is later
and I have to change at Mullingar but perhaps
it would be inconvenient for you for me to come
on the early train as Saturday is generally a busy day in every house and besides you might
be going to Mullingar and might prefer to
meet me there and be home with me. I’ll
leave it all to you as well as the decision
whether I come next Saturday or Saturday
week. If you say next Saturday let me
know by return which trains I am to come
on and whether I am to meet you at M'gar.
It will be delightful to have the details of the
marriage to talk over and to be able to settle
things once and for all. If you don’t care for
Killarney it’s easy to go somewhere else. I’ll
make enquiries about other places down south
and we can go to one of them and perhaps
drop in at Killarney for a day or two on our way
home. I don’t mind where I go so long as
you go with me. As regards the dress I’m afraid
I’m a poor guide as to either colour or make
although I could tell you all right whether I
liked a dress or not. I was at last Mass on 3 Sunday and we had a passable sermon (quite good
for Rathmines) on St Joseph but I’m sorry to say I
didn’t pass very particular remarks on it. If I had
thought of your interest in St Joseph I should have
been more attentive. Judging by the papers, you had a nice row
down in Tullamore on Monday night. I suppose you
have heard all about it by this. There must be a
queer crowd of the rowdy element there when such
things can happen. I was at another concert last
night run by Cope for his choir. Nora is going to
him for singing lessons hence my presence at it.
I’m sending you the programme in case you might be
interested. It was very good all round but nobody
we know was performing. Am spun out of news
now so will shut up with my warmest love
and devotion. Your loving and faithful husband soon James