I received your letter of the 15 March which informed me of your sad affliction and indeed my dear sister, I can not tell you How much I am grieved to hear it. oh, How I do wish that you were in Dublin. there are so many Eminent Physicians here that I feel confident they would relieve you, if not altogether to make a Perfect cure. But tis Folly to be thinking of that. May God Almighty comfort you my poor sister, and enable you to bear your Heavy trial with resignation. I am glad to hear that you have got a daughter {page 2} able to take care of you, now that you stand so much in need of kindness and attention[.] I havent got much to tell you about myself, I have to make hard Battle with the world to knock a living out of it, But then I am Blessed with excellent Health, and so long as God spared me that I wont complain, I have been living here for the last nine months, But I expect to be leaving in the course of a few days, and God knows where I will pitch my tent next. we are after putting one of the most severe winters over us that has been remembered for the last Fifty years, the vegatables are all destroyed with the Frost, you will pay {page 3} a shilling for as much Cabbage as would do a modern Family for dinner, in fact everything is unreasonably High, in the provision line. while I am writing this I am looking out on as wild a day as you would care to see, neverthless our Beautiful city looks well But in fine weather it looks Charming it has been so much improved and so many magnificent Buildings have sprung up of later years,- {page 4} I send William a newspaper it may amuse you to have it read, though theres not much of interest going on at present,-

with Love to all, and in hopes that this will find you better, I remain your ever

Affectionate Sister

{signed} Kate Armstrong,

P.S. I never received a line from any quarter since direct as formerly,-

it is now a long time since I wrote to you and I am becoming very uneasy at not receiving any answer. do write on the Receipt of this and let me know How are your Poor Eyes. I trust through the {page 2} Mercy of God, that they are Better with you for it is a very sad affliction. I also hope that William and the Children are in the enjoyment of Good Health as likewise my aunt and uncle. I have no news to send you about any of the other Members of the Family as I never receive a line from any of them, Willy has {page 3} finished his aprentice-ship last September but has got no Employment since. So he is Getting out to America if Possible. I got a good spell of Idleness since, I wrote last. but am at Present living as Housemaid at the Turkish Baths. it is a weekly situation but I like it better than a service in a private {page 4} Family. I get the best of Health Thanks be to God. and if I was but sure of a little Employment Constant. However we must only try and be Content, no Matter what our Circummstances are. Hoping to have good news from you soon. with love to all, I remain your ever

Affect Sister.

{signed} Kate Armstrong

After a very long silence on my part, for which I have no other excuse to offer, than that of being thrown out of my comfortable situation in the Baths, long before I received your last letter, through the means of a New Matron, who came to fill a great womans place[.] She got rid of all the old Hands, as she said Her Predecessor had spoild them all, in consequence, I was thrown once more upon the world, and remained tossing about for months, that I cant bear to think of, when providence sent me one more offer to setter myself in a little Home, which I very gladly Embraced. He was a widdower, but without any Family. He is also a protestant {page 2} and a Slater by trade. His name is Samuel Overin, well, in my trouble, I dident like to write, and afterwards I was shy in doing so, and I kept putting it off from month to month the longer the time dragged on, still making me feel more backward until this present affliction came upon me. when I feel as I could Face anything, I enclose the letter I received.{from Jane Armstrong about husband Robert} it will explain everything Better than I could. I will not dwell on the Grief I feel for the Fate of the Darling child that I reared and who was my poor Fathers pride[.] no, the poor Fellow is gone and cant be recalled, But the question now is, what is to become of the other poor afflicted creature thrown upon the a Hard unfeeling world without the slightest means of assisting himself and unfortunately situated as I cannot do it, if I had him here I could divide Food and Shelter {page 3} with him and feel happy to do so, And it is utterly out of my power to send for him, as it is by the strictest economy that I try to get along, owing to getting so much Idleness through the Bad weather. there are many weeks that we havent more than two three days work to depend on, as they are broke for the smallest shower, and also is the winter coming on, when there can almost no work be done, which leaves one Embarrassed during any fine weather that may be occur trying to recover themselves[.] and for Willy, He is just as Bad for as it never was in his power to join the trade society. of course he in consequense has no claim whatever on them as a Body of Men and what is worse, he is kept out of Employment through the same cause, unless an odd job now and then in what they call a Rat office which barely enables him to get along after a sort of Fashion[.] {page 4} Now my dear Sister I come to the chief part of my sad letter. I want you and William to come to my assistance in my present great trouble, there are two ways of doing it, You might either send for him to go to yourselves, jane would manage it for you I am sure you have her address on the letter or else you could send me the means of bringing him Home or I might send Willy out to him as he could support him well if he was there. now you know all, and For Gods Sake dont disapoint my hopes, I cannot answer that Poor Creatures letter for some days longer as I feel Bound to send her some trifle if it was ever so small to help that poor Fellow, though where its come from at present is a Mystery to myself,-

I hope my dear Sister that this will find William and the Children in Good Health, and yourself as well {page 5} as your sad affliction will allow I think my dear Neice for the nice kind letter she wrote to me so long ago, and that circumstances prevented me fromanswering with Love to all, I remain my dear Sister your affectionate Sister

Catherine Overin

I hope my aunt and uncle still enjoy good Health

{page 6} James' Daughter Maggie, has Emigrated to New Zealand, there was a letter from her which said that she had got a situation on landing at 30 pounds a year, while here she couldent secceed in getting two I have never since received the smallest account of Henry to say whether He is living or Dead Please write as soon as ever you can