Letter from David Evans to Children
Dowlais August 24, 1874
Dear Children Ve)
I received your letter the first dated July 7 the 4 of
August and the other dated the 30 of july I had it to day the 23 and I was
astonished to have it in so short a time after the other and after I read it I
was more so after I see that you have sent some money for me in so short a time
and that I must be ready against next month which time is to short to me to
prepare because as this and I do see that there is some things wanting
upon on the best in such a case as this, and I do see that a month of time will
never do and if I could make myself ready against the end of next month the
Journey would take another month or six weeks then it would be far in November
and then your sharp winter will commence then and how could an old shoe maker
of my age bear to begin to live there in your cold winter, it would be better
to start from here about the end of March or the beginning of April it would be
better to an old age as I am to come there in spring and then I would have the
summer to begin to live there because I do think to live as long as I can again
although I have lived very long already, the old corporution is so strong now
as it was thirty years ago especially in health, but as to come now it would be
a very foolish thing to me and to you the same because it will be better to me
to begin to coax a little assistance as much as I can from all of my
acquaintance and friends and that will require a little time, and if I can
prosper that might do a little good and after over everything I do see the
winter short enough for everything, and another thing which I have in veiw is
my right eye which is useless to me this very near two years now with something
growing over it I do have something put in it still to try, but I must try for
an admittance to Bristol Infirmary if I can with it, if I can go with it there
it will have fair play there, you may guess that it is a great lop and
hinderance to me all the while, I would sooner have it mended here than to come
there half blind as I am now, I could do something more afterwards of either
good or evil, it must be a great hinderance to me as it is now however--
After I begun this letter before I had time to finish it I
had a letter from Liverpool from some Jos. F. Smith with the order for the ten
pounds, but as I cannot come now I must send a letter to him to let him know
that I am not comeing at present for the notice was to short of six months, but
it was only six days on such as action as that because a person must prepare a
good many things for the Journey, only without mentioning of many other things
that a person cannot of them at once nor get them in a short time neither, and
it happened so you must have your ten pounds returned to you, I seen an account
that about 500 of latterday saints have gone on the second of this month and
that was a fine set to me to come among them for such a long Journey because
some of them are of the meanest characters a person can meet with wherever they
be, and unless I can come without coming among them I shall never think of
coming, and I cannot think what you ment I was, and seeing that I am always
against them and will be and every other superstition the same as long as I
live and it is a wonder to me that you are so blind and not seeing their
superstition so long which is so plain to every man.
But I must leave them now and turn to something else that I
may conclude this letter at last, I have been at it long enough or else since I
began it however near three weeks now and the reason how I have been so long at
it is that I have been at the Sea side more than a fortnight and I had to go
unaware to me with a comp after I begun to write it and that is the reason I
have been so long before I finished it, and now I must conclude it at present
because I have no more to say at present, your relation at Hirwaun are all well
and sends their kind love to you all, and all of them and all of you and the
old shoemaker the same and I hope you are all well the same as we are all of us
when this letter leaves me--so no more at present from your old Father David
Evans.
I have sent a directions to Thomas Jones's Children to their
Grandmother Mrs Anne Jones No, 57 Tramroadside Hirwaun Glamorganshire South
Wales.
Write back as soon as you can to the old shoemaker with a
full account of you all Monday morning September 14-- 1874.
