[envelope]
Recd 30 March 97
P’O’Reilly Esqre
Point Ellice
Victoria
British Columbia
10th March 97
Baileys Hotel
London
My dear Father,
I want to with you many happy returns of your birthday 27th of this month and every loving & good wish to you dear Father. I hope this will reach you on the day to take my love and greeting to you. I am ashamed to say I have not written for more than a week & there is much to tell you but I have so little time to write that I cannot think. We have a great arranging & packing up in process for our start for Nice at 10 from Charing X on the morning after tomorrow i.e. 12th March. I had a very good journey from Tourin, a rather rough crossing, which did not affect me & arrived at Euston?
at 6 p.m. yesterday, the new steamer “Ulster” to Holyhead only takes two hours. They let me stay in the sleeper at Esuton till 8 a.m. I then drove to Scotter & left my court train & evening dresses with her & cane here found Uncle Joe & Josephine not up but very cheery. He said I was foolish not to have stayed over in Dublin for a dance at the Castle I was invited to last evening. Effie went up for it & I sh[oul]d have liked it but he had written me I must be here by the 9th if I want to go abroad. I have been rushing since I came as they say it will be very warm in the south & I had to got some cooler clothes for the Riviera. I am afraid I have been spending too much money with Dublin etc. I had no intention for of going to the Drawing Room. It was on the spur of the moment & I
wonder what you will think of my going! It was strange Carry wrote me some time ago she had her dress & w[oul]d like to present me in London! I said No I did not care for it & it was not worth the expense but I could not have gone to the Ball at the Castle without being presented. Old Scotter charged 10 pounds for my train, of course it will make a dress and now I have the train Carry w[oul]d like to take me & Josephine to the Drawing Room here in May & all go to the Buckingham Palace Garden Party. Uncle Joe seems to think it w[oul]d be fun – now people change in their opinions dont they? I think I had better be at Point Ellice Garden Party, what do you say. I have done a good deal in these two days. Ordered your shirts, cuffs & neckties from
Thresher & Glenny. bought some neckties for Frank & some cheap fashionable socks wh. Mother will allott to one of the boys. They are to be sent to Uncle John if he goes out. I have also taken upon myself to order for Jack a suit of blue serge for summer from Atkinson & the pr. of boots I thought of asking Mr. Ward to take from Wildsmith – all to go by Uncle John if he goes. He was here to lunch today & very nice about it, said he w[oul]d take anything for you. I have go a knife sharpener. Sir Richard advised me to shop in the hay market for it. hope it will be successful. All this takes time. this morning I went to see Mrs. Snowdon, she thinks they go back in May & w[oul]d take me that w[oul]d be nice for me. Effie is enjoying herself
so much that it is uncertain when she goes. This afternoon I had two teeth Point Ellice filled and he has finished with me five guineas for the threee teeth all he has done unless I have that tooth pulled over to the front. He does not approve of Quinlan’s plan of a gold band says it w[oul]d risk my front tooth (Mother will understand) he w[oul]d propose to put a plate in my mouth for ten days with elastic round the teeth (very ugly to look at he says) & I asked what it w[oul]d cost he laughed & said anything from 10 to 20 guineas. I don’t think he really meant it. He is an American, & said I could appreciate the advantage it w[oul]d be to me & that I should have to go often & he w[oul]d like to do it to show me what could be done. I really did not understand what he meant &
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Josephine though he did not very much want to do it. We went to call on Mrs. R. Ward. She is very anxious for me to stay with her when I return from Rome. they both seemed rather depressed. I was sorry to see him looking so very ill. He said he is going to B.C. in June & asked if I w[oul]d go with him. He told me their last ship sails in a day or two but there will be steamers going out which w[oul]d take things if I w[oul]d tell him what has had to go that he c[oul]d judge if the case w[oul]d be too large for steamers. I have been writing this whilst Uncle Joe has been out dining with Mr. Day. he has just come in & there is always so much talking I find it difficult to write. I have not told you about the visit to ? We went on Monday & returned on Wednesday
very glad to get back to Tourin. We were so cold as there was a dreadful storm & snow. It is lovely at Tourin & so comfortable Lord Listowel was very nice and talked much of you, said he was so glad to know me & asked me to send all sorts of nice messages I have never met any woman whose appearance I admire more than hers. She is a beautiful woman. I did not enjoy the dance they took me to at Fermoy. We did not get there until after 11 p.m. they did not introduce me to partners & I was perished with cold. Fortunately there were no ill effects but I felt sorry I had worn my pretty white dress. Ennismore asked me for a dace & we sat & talked. he was pleasant but I feared from his appearance that he has
tendency towards the failing of the Admiral. Sir Richard said he did not know but had heard so. it seems sad does not it. The remaining unmarried daughter Lady B. is not pretty & looks miserably dreary they saw the Mother monopolises all the admiration & attension I am sending you “The Sowers” a book, I think worth reading – so few are. And I enclose some shamrock – take care of it! as it is a treasure.
I must say Goodnight – it is late. I will try to write more before we start, but fear I shall not have time. Just rec[eive]d letter from dear Mother 20th Feb. many loving thanks one fr. Frank to Uncle Joe. Much love to all from
Your loving child
Kathleen O’Reilly
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This collection of letters has been digitized from an earlier transcription project and is for informational purposes only. This transcription has not been verified against the originals. Researchers interested in these letters should consult the original documents housed at the BC Archives.