In 1848 Samuel Crawford and wife Anna Maria West emigrated from Newton-Forbes
to America with their large family and settled in Iowa. This is a letter
from Anna's sister, Mrs. Thomas Connolly to their eldest daughter Mary,
her namesake.

My Dear Mary,

I send by this post a newspaper with an account of Mr. Parnell's funeral.
there was never anything like it seen in dublin before. His death took
everyone by surprise. He was about two months married to Mrs. O'Shea. they
were married by a magistrate. They intended to get married in church afterwards
but the Archbishop of Canterbury would not allow any of our clergymen to
marry them. Mrs. O'Shea seems to have no sense of shame. She is in great
trouble after him. All her children live with her except her oldest son,
they never left her. Mr. Parnell is almost as well known in America as
in Ireland. If Gladstone was gone now "Home rule" would have a bad chance.

I have very little news to tell you. Your uncle Francis Crawford's daughter
is engaged to be married to a Mr. Gorncastle [maybe Horncastle]. Marie
Crawford says he is a very nice man, and a good match for her. Her mother's
health is failing very much, she is glad of the prospect of a happy home
for Edith.

Letitia Donaldson [dau of G.B.West, Leitrim] did not pay us a visit this
summer, though she was invited. Her health was not very good at the time
she was to have come.

George Gosselin met with a bad accident, he was out on his bicycle and
another young man's ran into his. George fell off and broke his collar
bone. It was only last Monday, he looks able to go to his work. It was
a great mercy he was not killed. We are all thankful he got off so well.

We are all well, thank God, after the wintry summer we have had and the
crops are much better than was expected. Thank you for the Visitor, we
like it very much. I hope you have got the Herald I sent.

How is your Mother? I hope she continues to gain though she and Aunt Eliza
and myself are living (as Mr. Moody says) on borrowed time. Perhaps another
year would unite us in our heavenly home. I hope your eyes are stronger
and your Father and Ronald well and the absent members of the family also.

Aunt and Alice send join me in fond love to all. I remain dear Mary, ever
your affectionate aunt,

M. Connolly