From Robert Allen   3rd Jan. 1844

Preston 3rd Jan. 1844.

My very dear Jack

Depending upon the forgiving character of your disposition I venture to send a few lines after a week’s delay in reply to your very kind letter of the 25th Xmas day,¹ on which I dined with Marquis and your late French master.² Tyndall’s prayer availed on behalf of young Allen’s appetite. Had the disfigured remnants of the roast joint and pudding, been visible at L.Bridge³ I am convinced your opinion would coincide with my statement of the devouring fact. During the festivity I was highly amused with the master of French language, despoiler of its manners but an adept at Ballroom etiquette. An ensample of polite literature indeed. In my mind I compared the Tutor with his absent Pupil, and what a contrast realized itself. Without flattering, Tyndall appeared enthroned on the most exalted views of my imagination. ‘Oh! land of my forefathers’,⁴ seat of intelligence, bright adornment of the universe – ever remain ‘first flower of the earth – first gem of the sea’⁵ – still continuing to shine in the light of thy gifted sons. But I must subdue the rising spirit of patriotic pride that would fain expand my soul at the remembrance of past days spent with the brave and generous men of Erin;⁶ and try to give you the particulars at least an account of passing events. Since I last wrote Sayers is gone, I saw him off on last Saturday morning with Mrs Banister, patroness of ----------⁷ for London. She desired her kind remembrance to be sent by me to Mr Tyndall. Sayers had the honour and privilege of witnessing the tender smiles playing upon the lip of the amiable Miss B ----r⁸ as he left, either to his pleasure or pain, perhaps both – poor fellow (soon by all accounts to become rich) I felt very much at his leaving, as I might almost term him ‘the last of the Mohicans’.⁹ He promised to write in a week or ten days; had a letter from bro. Lat.¹⁰ on Friday, is well, and safe at home; his love I am sure is not waxed cold, neither are his affections gone from his old help-mate of Butler St.,¹¹ so that I conclude you have ere this heard a long detail from him of his tour by land and sea. I had also a note on last Monday morning from that little rebel of Carlow¹² reproving me for a neglect of his letter of eight or ten days antiquity which his impatience had summed up to a fortnight. I had just the night previous to the date of his letter, sent six pages of cross written scribble¹³ which I hope for the present has set his mind easy. You state that an appeal for the last time was made by him concerning his notorious character as an outlaw; a very great inconsistency appears to be connected with those characters given at the same time. You and Sayers have got Protestant ones, previous to the general delivery. Now Griffin being a pious Roman came with the rest under the condemnation of the unrighteous law of Tucker and suffered the penalty thereof with his unholy accomplices. Yet a facsimile of your dismissal was handed to him at the same time with that of the Out Cast Evans, as a quick passport thro’ out of work purgatory. This information I send considering it to be a great injustice done to the remainder. Caroll I believe has got a situation as schoolmaster. Holland has come back on the reduced wages of 2/9 per diem. Since the 1st good for nothing sneak, never made any exertions except exercising his limbs six nights out of the half dozen on the boards of a factory ball room (alias) the floor of a public tap room. McGowen¹⁴ left on last Friday for Manchester to meet his Papa. Todd¹⁵ received a letter today conveying no better news from his family than that he refused to go home – intended to try Bolton,¹⁶ and determined to dance on next Tuesday night at St. Austin’s Ball in Preston, sweet man. Again, nought else of importance has since transpired save that your humble servant on yesterday took the place of George¹⁷ at Miss Forthergill’s¹⁸ wedding. The boys in the office all were certain that it was myself who bore the name of groom, but if you add man to it a correct idea of my situation will be had by you. Needless to mention that all went off well. Felt myself an Irishman throughout the whole, consequently satisfactorily performed my duties to the approbation of the idle spectators and to the delight of my charming Miss Smith,¹⁹ and to my own gratification, spent a pleasant day and a happy evening enjoying the rapturous emotions that ever swell the blissful bosom when seated close to the darling of the heart, you may guess and rightly too that my arms more than once encircled her graceful form and pressed it gently yet -----²⁰ to my beating breast. I have little time to say more on the subject at present, but if spared the next will be on the heavenly theme of devoted love. Goodnight my dear Tyndall write soon and

believe me yours most sincerely | Bob Allen

I will be most happy to hear of your proceedings at London²¹ if prudent to make them known I should never ask had you not intimated [for] having received more than one or two insults from some of the fellows here, for not acceding to a proposal which I conscientiously refused at the time of your leaving, not being made acquainted with it in a satisfactory manner, nor at all in a way pleasing or agreeable to sensitive feelings. I have been called to my face a coward in the matter before the men of the room when discussing upon other topics not at all connected with it, [but] I feel myself ever the same, ready to act consistently at all times upon the principles of propriety and justice. I may not have sacrificed as much as many on the occasion yet I have a certain sense more than persons are aware of. I care not for this, what I have done is done without regret and was performed without fear. I should not let you know anything of this only I did feel a little hurt by the insinuations which have in the manner referred to been thrown out without any cause. Laterly there has been no excitement of any kind.

R.C.A.

RI MS JT/1/TYP/11/3484

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