1 33 367 (7) 8 Temple Villas
Palmerstown Rd 21 June 1916 I am so
sorry your
brother is in such
a bad state. May
God save him
& bring him back
to you again. My Dear Sister Francesca, I should have replied to your
letter before now, but I have been so busy
and upset by one thing or another that I
have no time for anything but business
letters. All the same, I am really grateful
to you for all your kindness to Muriel and
her children. I assure you, she is a very
difficult person to deal with, and I fear your
goodness is not appreciated. As to Muriel
settling down in the country, I don't think
it at all likely she would content herself there. I am glad you are getting a change to
Tramore. It will do you good. I hope you
get out to the sea & that you don't have to
wear that appalling dress & veil, which
are enough to kill the patience of any poor
human. I'd just like to see you dressed in
a nice white dress, with a nice dainty pair
of shoes on your nice little feet. However
I suppose you prefer to mortify the flesh,
& you do it with a vengeance. Now as to
Muriel's story about her box being broken
open and rifled. I think the probable
solution of the affair is what Liebert told me.
He said that she had it so tightly packed, that
he had to get into it & dance on the contents
before he could lock it, and that after that
Muriel opened it again & put in more 'stuff''. 2 as he called it. Probably and most likely the box
burst open, of its own incapacity to contain so
much, and that if Muriel enquired at the station
at Thurles, she might get her things back. Liebert says he did not pack the cup and
has no idea where it was put. But I hope
it will turn up all safe. The last time I saw
it was in 29 Oakley Road, when the baby was
sitting in her high chair banging this mug
on the handle of it, and I dared to suggest
to Muriel that a penny tin mug would give
the child quite as much pleasure, besides
being lighter to handle. I also suggested that
it might be advisable to put the silver mug
in a place of safety, preferably to lock it
up. But what she did I cannot say. It is
very good of your brothers to offer to help Muriel
but at present, at least she has plenty of
money, and I don't think it would be wise to
let her think she can spend it foolishly, and
then expect help elsewhere. I am saying all
this in confidence, as I know Muriel much
better than you could. I am losing dear
Liebert tomorrow. He is sailing from Liverpool
on Friday afternoon. He crosses tomorrow(Thursday)
by the 9.20 boat from North Wall, I shall be very
lonely without him. He is such a kind, loving
son, but God will keep him and we shall meet
again, if not here, in a better world, where
there is no sin, no heart-soreness, and where
we shall see the face of the Dear Saviour, who
loved us and will love us to the end. God grant
that we may all have this glorious experience.
Good bye, dear sister. Ever your loving friend I.J. Gifford 3 Sister Francesca
Star of Sea Convent
Tramore Waterford