Bagnalstown | March 12th
My dear John,
I am afraid you will often have cause to reprimand me though I assure you that you are not forgotten I think too highly of your friendship to forfeit it lightly. Circumstances prevented me answering your letter1 sooner not want of inclination. You have given a long glowing description of the ladies of the South,2 I am sure if they could have read it they would feel highly indebted to you and greatly flattered by your praises. I am surprised if you are quite heartwhole3 – in days past you were wont to say that you were a stoic4 is that the case still? I own I doubt it. You too that possesses such a romantic sentimental disposition. Surely you can not be insensible to so much beauty as you have described. You accuse me of blarny,5 if I possess any I think I must have derived it from you, as I assure you if I had the least tendency to vanity your extravagant praises as to my singing would have turned my head. However I have to return you many thanks and I hope the day is not long distant when I shall have the pleasure of personally thanking you. Emma6 also feels indebted and desires me to present her kindest love to you. In conclusion I would just say that you are anxiously expected in the sweet little town of B–7 and also that I am
Your sincere friend | Maria Payne.
P.S. your cousin’s address is | Mrs George Young8 | Shygaff | Bagnalstown
Write soon and give me a description of Cork I know when you like that you can shine in that way – excuse this scrawl as I am very busy.
M. Payne.
RI MS JT/1/11/3842
LT Transcript Only
your letter: letter missing.
the ladies of the South: presumably of County Cork.
heartwhole: not emotionally attached; not in love (OED).
a stoic: an exponent of the ancient Greek philosophy established by Zeno of Citium in the third century BC, which enjoined the acceptance of natural happenings and avoidance of destructive emotions.
blarny: variant spelling of blarney, smoothly flattering or cajoling talk (OED).
Emma: Emma Young (née Tyndall), Tyndall’s cousin.
B–: Bagnalstown.
Mrs George Young: Tyndall’s cousin Emma, the daughter of Caleb Tyndall, had married George Young on 22 November 1841; see letter 0111.
Please cite as “Tyndall0128,” in Ɛpsilon: The John Tyndall Collection accessed on 28 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/tyndall/letters/Tyndall0128