Charles B Strain; Pittsburg, Pa (Charles Strain Stationary); August 28^th, 1905

My Dear Uncles,

I received your very welcome letter yesterday morning and was very glad to see by it that you are all enjoying good health a blessing which it leaves My Mother, George, Leo and myself enjoy at present Thank God.

We all feel very, very lonely since my dear Father’s death and I am very sorry indeed to say that he did not have the priest at his death but Thank God we had the priest the day before his death and received the blessed sacraments. We tried all we could do to have the priest at his death but death overtook him before we could get the priest. The Priest was in bed when we went for him and before he was ready to come my Mother’s Brother had come with the news that my own Father was dead. We had him buried with a solemn high Mass and have had about 6 or 7 Masses read for him since and we are going to have thirty masses said for him beginning the 7^th of Sept and ending the 7^th Oct. My dear Father fretted about my dear Mothers and Mollies death as he was always thinking about them. I hope they are all in heaven that holy place of rest. I am still working in the same place also Leo and George is working in the same place as he was in. I go to church every Sunday and go to Communion every two months and as far as company is concerned I don’t take up with any. I always stay in the house and read or pass the time away at something else. I intend going to a night school this winter to learn as much as I can possibly learn as I wish I had learned a little more than what I did whenever I was at Glasker school. If I didn’t feel the loss of scholarism then I feel it greatly today. Please send me all my school Books my reading Books. 1 Grammar. All Arithmetic Books and any other school Books that I had. In reading Books send me them All from second class to sixth second if you have got them all. I would be very thankfull to you if you would send me half a dozen pairs of socks the same as we taken over with us woollen ones size [illegible] and half a dozen collars size sixteen the same as the ones I was wearing when I left there name St Patrick about 2 ½ inches high and if Rob^t Stokes has not got any room for them all leave the collars and socks out but send the Books. I am working steady every day my hours are from 8am until 5pm Saturday 8am to 10pm some of the stores closes 1pm Saturday and give their salespeople a half day to themselves that is. Only during July and August we always have news from Uncle John and Aunt Mary Anne.

Aunt Mary A stands [illegible] she is a great big stout [illegible] and her age don’t show on her very much. She has got a few grey hairs around by her ears but nothing that signifys she would like to take a trip over she said only it would cost to much money. She was asking about you all and how you were all getting along. She called around by New York to see all friends there by her way home. George, Leo an I received the papers alright and we are very thankful for you sending them. I will send you some american papers in about a week. I had a letter from James Byrne about two weeks ago. George and Leo will write you in a few days or so. Let me know in your next letter whether Rob^t Stokes is going to Philadelphia or Pittsburgh. I think I will conclude for the present hoping this will find you, Uncle William, Uncle James, Margaret Rose and Peter in the enjoyment of good health and invoking God’s Blessing on you all.

I remain

Your Loving Nephew

Charles B Strain

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