To Emma Tyndall   Tuesday night, Oct. 13th, 1840.

Youghal, Tuesday night | Oct. 13th, 1840.

My dear Emma¹

You no doubt think it wrong for me to delay without writing you, circumstances however prevented me. My family consisted originally of four lads, namely, Evans, Tidmarsh and Higginson, you know the first the second is a lad from Cork and the third a young gentleman from Dublin. While we remained together we contrived to live calmly and quietly but we have lately received an accession to our numbers in the persons of Messrs Roberts and Wright a son of Capt. Wright the Chief Constable² whom you may have seen in Leighlin. So you see that my family at present is rather large and indeed sometimes my children are very unruly so that my spare time being taken up in keeping them in order I have scarcely a moment to devote to the writing of a letter. Necessity, however, is the parent of invention and my anxiety to hear how you are getting on at your history enabled me to find a method of writing to you. Do you not now feel a pleasure in perusing the account of events which belong to the olden times? I have no doubt but you felt it irksome at first to sit down and put your ideas under restraint, and I must feel grateful to you when I consider that it was to please me that you put them under that restraint; the result, however, will prove that I had not only my own pleasure but your interest at heart.

Words cannot convey an idea of the happiness I felt on hearing of my mother's good health. Emma be kind to her; she is now descending the vale of years,³ and, depend upon it, that when she is gone you will find inexpressible pleasure in the reflection that you were the solace of her declining years. That event, however, is I trust, far distant.⁴ I expect to spend some happy days at home with you and her yet; when, having returned from my ramblings, I may be able to lay some of the fruits of my labour as well earned trophies at her feet. Write to me soon and tell my father to write to me also. I would fain hear from you all every day. God be with you.

Your affectionate brother | John Tyndall

I’ll hold you a wager of a shilling that you’ll not imitate this fold.

RI MS JT/1/10/3192

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