1 We got currant cake with
wine on it & Jenny
called it tipsy cake
The hint might suit Nora.
She goes in for them Togherstown
Ballinea
Mullingar, 15th March 1916 My dearest James I was glad to get your letter this morning I
would have written but the evening turned out so bad
I could not get it to post I hope you had not been expecting one
as I would not like to disappoint my poor hard working man, you
should not have worked so late as to take the sleep of yourself
so long as you are working like that you have no need to fast or pray or
anything- it takes a lot of obligations off you after. I may go to the
post this evening and do the Stations of the Cross. I have gone every
evening I could since Lent came in & I always say a little prayer for somebody.-
You need not be one bit sorry you did not speak to John Duffy I am
very glad you did not let him think someone feels above him. Mrs
Sweey was in Balrath last night. They were telling her there, all
John was telling Gertie & Cookie Kiernan the day they paid him
a visit. He said the reason I am going to marry you, is because “I
am mad he did not marry me- that I was expecting he would” I
would not be quite so sore about that as about Jennie- he said she
married Corbett because Jim Fay would not marry her and that she wrote
scores of letters to him (J Fay), he saw them himself. He told a lot of other 2 stories about other respectable girls all to the effect that they were
mad after him & asked him to marry them etc. I think he
must be going off his head to say I was thinking of my blood
first cousin & a man I always looked on as a mild form of
the old boy himself from the few things as I told you, you may form
no opinion of him, there was a little foundation for Jennie
about the letters, You know J. Fay was really in love
with Jennie, & wanted to marry her, he wrote constant to her.
She answered a few of them where she wanted to get him
to sell tickets & again where he said he’d go on a booze
the morn he should have a letter if he had not. I saw the
letters she wrote & partly dictated them; the sarcasm of them I
remember well left them as far as she was concerned that they could be
read on the chapel gates- I know all that rests with you. He speaks
of Mother & Mrs S as Monsheen Fay & Mary Seery the talk of
him in Kelly’s could not be compared to Dan Kiernan’s before
his bride- enough to make you happy you did not speak
to him if you did see him-. I won’t write anymore it has taken me ages to write this,
you would not see by it my hand is shaking. I have a bit of
a headache. Bye Bye now dearest James Tons of warm & bestest love
from your loving May
I am getting to be a great walker
I never feel my ankle at all