Letters of love

My mother didn't keep many letters, so I know that the few I have were precious to her.

Here's a note from her father, Pat Maher, written - in red pencil - from hospital as he was about to have surgery. Annie was his eldest daughter, and the apple of his eye, and his thoughts on the eve of a dangerous operation were all for her welfare.
"Say a little prayer for me, and if things go wrong tomorrow, stick to your job as the home will be gone if I go, and you could do no good by giving up before you are through. God bless you my bonny little girl, from your ever loving Father."
Pat survived the operation, living long enough to know Annie's daughters.

The next letter was written to Annie by her Aunt Belle, a few days after the announcement of her engagement to Fred in 1936. Belle had a somewhat rambling style, and a rather Edwardian turn of phrase, but the love shines in every line -

"My very dear Annie,

I want to say, firstly how much I appreciate the very great confidence you placed in me in your last letter, & to say too that the news of your engagement (official!) gave me – and “us” too, very great pleasure & and I offer you my dear my unstinted congrats. & hope and pray that your new life & Fred’s too may be one of very great happiness.
 Of course our own people mean so well & they are all so anxious for our happiness that one must forgive them their doubts & sometimes disapproval, but while I think it is wise for them to be so, I think for those like ourselves that have given the matter the greatest consideration & stated the case fully & even exaggerated it to the non Catholic one, then after putting them to the test of years of waiting and agreeing to all the regulations – then I think there is nothing to fear."

There's more, too much to reproduce here; the letter concludes -

"Now my dear, you’ll be glad I’m ending, but I wanted to say these few words to you dear from the fullness of my heart & I know you will take them in all sincerity.

It is a bitterly cold day and I am writing by the fire on a little table about the size of a plate so please excuse all the scribble and blots & mis spelt words. Jim & Moya join me in loving congratulations to both you and Fred dear. We wish you every happiness & many many years together. Give my love to your dear Dad & Jack – I hope all at the Avenue are well.

With much love dear & all the encouragement that one who has been through it all can give – I am, dearest one

your loving old Aunt Belle." 

The other letters are just fragments, from letters written by Fred during their engagement. Mum intended to destroy them, but my canny sister managed to save these scraps. I'm not going to quote them, suffice it to say that they cast a new light on my father, a somewhat reserved man, but a most eloquent writer of love-letters.