1
Travena May 11: '16 Darling Friend When I wrote to you, I knew no details—
now that some news is forthcoming, I must
write to you to tell you that my heart is brim—
img over with sorrow and sympathy for you
and little Owen. I wish that I could see you,
you dear thing — do keep holding on to the thought
of the reality and truth of the fact of life being
only just begun here, in this world we call
Earth. Dear Mr Skeffington is alive more truly
than when here, and had been spared what
falls to the lot of most of us, a long illness, and
a gradual decay of his powers— It must be
well-nigh impossible for you to bear your life
from day to day — even from hour ot hour — but
a brave woman, honored by being the wife—
comrade of such a brave man, has much to
live—up—to hasn't she? The cruelity of the separation
and the butter loneliness are oh! so hard for you—
my heart is wrung to even think of it —
2
I saw the obituary notice in The Irish Times and
I don't think anything could be better than the
R.I.P, provided The I.P. does not exclude full
and joyful and unimpeded energy and vital
force, which, I believe he now has, in a very
much fuller sense than ever. My grief is for
you, and what are you doing? How do your
days pass? The children join me in warm love, dear
Mrs Skeffington— Always,dear. Yours lovingly— Alfreda Mrs MacBride asks me to send you her love
and deep sympathy.
In this letter from Alfreda Helen Baker (b. 1893) to Hanna Sheehy Skeffington (1877-1946),
Alfreda expresses her condolences regarding the death of her husband, Francis. Alfreda
offers words of comfort and implores Hanna to tell her how she is doing.
Alfreda Helen Baker was a consulting surgeon who graduated from Queen's University
Belfast who worked at a number of hospitals in England and Northern Ireland.
Hanna Sheehy Skeffington, suffragette, nationalist, language teacher, was the founder
of the Irish Women’s Franchise League and a founding member of the Irish Women Workers’
Union. She was the widow of Francis Sheehy-Skeffington who was summarily executed
on 26 April 1916. She was active during the Rising, bringing food to the Volunteers
in the G.P.O. and the College of Surgeons. Four days passed before she found out what
had happened to her husband, Francis (1878-1916), and it wasn't until almost two weeks
later that the full details of his execution emerged.