1 1 St. Mura's Tce Church Road Dublin 12th July 1916 My dear Bessie Since my reply and acknowledgement of your kindly favour
on 26th ulto, and reposted, on account of return by
Censor on 30th there is nothing new so far as home
affairs are concerned to which I need call your attention
We continue in our usual good health and thank Heaven
and also to your kindness we have nothing of which we
could reasonably complain. Mamma is remarkably well
and she looks it. Barbara also is well — she is never
ill— and continues her employment. As to myself
I was never in better health, but there is a certain
crapidnessin my fingers which will not obey my will.
This is only felt in the right hand and hampers me a
good deal in my writing, but I do not in any other way
suffer any inconvenience. I don't think I have before told
you. I am in employment in the Department
of the Local Government Board. My hours of duty are from
9 A.m. to 5.30 p.m. My duties are merely nominal and so is my
pay, but then it is something and removes that despondency
which lack of employment ever produces on a capable 2 and willing man. Thus matters go better with me.
I have referred to Mamma and Barbara. I now
turn to Gerald. I have not heard directly from him
since his letter which I posted to you with that of
Finneen's on 30th ulto. but I hear of him through Maggie
from whom I learn that he continues well, and is studying
hard to qualify for a higher position. I enclose Finnie's
last letter which speaks for itself, and in passing I
cannot too deeply impress upon you my gratitude to him
for his constant and filial devotion to me when in the
thick of battle - and Finnie is I know in the very teeth
of it - he manages to send me word from the few
moments he has to recoup human nature. I most
earnestly thank God for his safety so far and I pray
earnestly for a continuance of the Divine Protection.
When it is considered that he has been in the forefront
of danger since the first shot in this terrible war was
fired, now two years ago, I cannot but think that God
has in His mercy something good in store for him. Could
you only see the sorry spectacle which the invalids from
this war presents who return alive, then indeed you
would conclude that the Power Divine favours your Brother 3 Putting the matter outside of wounds by the enemy
the frostbites of the feet which took place in the
first winter; the shattering of the nervous system
as the result of heavy artillery fire, the gassing,
and liquid fire poured upon our troops by the
Devil's devices and the Germans — taking all these
into consideration together with the fact that he like
his compatriots has no bed to lie on, it is simply
wonderful that for the couple of days he was allowed
to run home he could have presented such a specimen
of splendid young manhood. By the time this
reaches you, you will see by the papers that the
end of the war is not far off. The Allies in general
and the British in particular are punishing the Germans
in such a manner that they cannot last much longer
The process of the war I shall not further enter into
here. You will learn all this from the papers, but as
I write the Allies are doing splendidly. The outstanding
subjects of which I know you would like me to treat
are the rebuilding of Dublin and the Coming of Home
Rule; but as to do either of these subjects justice would
take a letter each to itself I must for tonight put it off 4 I was speaking to Cecilia Kelly a couple of days
ago, and she told me that Mollie had received a letter from
you and that they were all much pleased. When on
that evening I arrived home I found our Mollie
awaiting me, and she told me that she had received a
parcel from you but no letter. She seemed very
much pleased of your attention and kindness and
said that she would write to you in a day or two's
time. I never saw Mollie looking better, of which
I am very glad, as her state is, I learn from some
hints from her Mother interesting. Mollie was pregnant with the mother of this transcriber. May Healy was born on the 20th October 1916. Be sure you forward to Sue Finnie's letter and
I wish you good night Bessie. I shall wait till
the night post comes along, and if I get nothing
which would cause me to prolong this I close
with love of those at home, and the love and
blessing of your father. Denis O'Driscoll