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1893 Queenstown, July 3
My darling Helen: I wsa greatly plesaed to get your letter and Nellie's a day or two after our arrival here- to know that you are all well and with a fair prospect of comfort for the summer. I myself can have but little news for you having as yet not left the ship. This has been partly because of a great disinclination thereto, but still more particularly because of some trouble with my leg which was bruised on the passage over. I paid no attention to it and supposed it was all right; but for some days it has been hurting me and I find that one is more often glands underneath- that is, back of the knee an swollen. This is always tedious and may materially present my
enjoyment of Ireland. My intention is, if well enough, to start for the Lake of Killarney on Thursday to be absent until Saturday night. I think I can make the trip without bringing much strain on the knee. Tell mamma there is nothing ailing the knee cap. Tell her also to let me know as soon as she learns from Little + Brown how the book has done this year. I see that the London agents are still advertising which I think a good sign. I feel so poor both for you and myself that I hope something helpful may turn up- I cannot but repeat if I have to lose my tact chance of seeing something of Europe. During the passage over I read very diligently at the Sonnets of the Century + want to caution you against what I think a very common fault in readers of
of poetry, viz: to read for meoldy and sweetness, without the mental effort necessary to realize the meaning. Such a method, robbing poetry of its intellect, soon ends in dullness.
2 passed here yesterday, having left N.Y. on the 27th - You see by the enclosed slip that I am spoken of as an Irish American Captain. Also, tell mamma I have had a letter from my friend O'Connor Morris, who has read my Farragut with "the greatest admiration and wishes I would write a proper biography of Nelson." Farragut he will review for the Academy. I will send mamma soon a review in the Guardian which I think was done by Major Clarke + also the second part of Col.Maurice's article. Tonight a party ofors an to dine with an Irish (or English) regiment about three miles from Cork by water, and to morrow the admiral + myself are to take dinner with the Lord Lieutenant whose yacht is lying in the harbor, on the occasion of the marriage of the Duke of York. You know I am not very fond of this sort of thing- but it is considered de rigueur not to refuse the invite of so high a functionary; both occasions will
also posses a certain interest of novelty for me. I am forced thus to postpone till Friday my start for Killarney but upon that I mean to put my foot down, if my knee, which is much better , will permit. The Admiral never expects to get away on Wednesday the 11thNous verrons With dearest love for you all your most loving father A.T. Mahan