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Transcribed by Bonnie MacKay House, [email protected]
This is a letter written by my grandfather, Henry E. McKay, when he was a boy of ten to his sister, Priscilla McKay. He lived in Darnley (Lot 18) and she must have been away at the time (place unknown). I was able to identify the year by the reference to the death of Mrs. Helen Donald on April 19, 1886, the day before this letter was written. There are numerous Darnley neighboring families mentioned which I thought might be of interest. Bonnie MacKay House
April 20th (1886)
Dear Pricilla
I got your letter last night. We are all well. Mrs. Donald died yesterday about 12 o�clock. Mick Mountain is going to build a new house on that vacant corner on the new road. Ta (sp?) is getting better she was out emting the companion. ?? told me says she has a new brother and Ella Bernard has one too. We have got another mat nearly out and Susan took her mat out last night. We have got about 24 dozen of eggs. We set three gese Saturday with 33 eggs. We did not sell any eggs and Charlie and Ebby went to Malpeque today with the wagon. Ben Duggan put the ring in the bulls nose and he rode it and got away from him. Ben was near crying when he got away and he run through ? woods and nearly to Tom Mountain. We did not get him in till 9 o�clock at night. Ben was here choping wood at the door one day and Ben and Ebby was here choping wood in the swamp. We had 6 lambs and 4 died and a sheep died yesterday. Charley thinks the horse hurt it. Dave got 50 smelts down at the run with his hands. Ben Duggan and Charlie and Dave chopped four hundred stakes and hauled three hundred home one day. Charlie and Ebby went to Mrs. Andersons chopping. John and Isaac Clark John Bernard Donald Mahar Cole (sp?) Beairsto was all was their. Ben and Fulton did not go. They have been goosing they sent a large one to Mr. McMillan and one to ? They wished they had one to send to all their neighbours. Ma worked the ? she has it in ?. Mr. McMillan was around visiting . He was here and he was over at Uncle Johns twice to see Ta. Charlie is going to Mrs. Donalds funeral today. Our kiten got hurt and we got Ben Duggan to kill it the day he was here choping. After he killed it he thought it was alive and he went and got a stone and made a ? and put on it. He was afraid it would get up. Ma pulled the wool of the sheep and it weighed 10 lbs. Charlie got 3 lbs of paint and he going too paint the cartwheels. Lidie Clark is getting better.
Henry E. McKay