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Ready for Queenstown
The two months following Colm's funeral were busy ones for the Gilchrists. They were all learning to adjust to their new life without their husband and father. Margaret kept reminding them that "God will provide" and so they did not need to worry. The younger children were all going to Saint John's Cushlach National School and so that kept them busy. Seamus, however, dropped out of school. His mother did not approve, but he told her,
"Ma, if I'm going to go to America pretty soon, then I need to do some things."
Reluctantly, Margaret agreed to let Seamus have this free time. Every morning she prayed that the angels would watch over him as he rode off on his bicycle. She was sure that he was stopping every day at Old Dromod Cemetery and tending to his father's grave, and so he was. He would trim the grass and pull the weeds that seemed to pop up without any hesitation. One day, however, he passed by the cemetery and rode his bicycle all the way into Cahirciveen. He went the Undertakers and asked Mr. O'Connell,
"Mr. O'Connell, sir, I need to ask you about a stone for my Pa's grave over in Old Dromod Cemetery. Can you help me?"
"Sure, Seamus, I can help you. What would you be wanting for your Pa? Have you thought about it?"
Seamus pulled a sketch out of his pocket. He explained to Mr. O'Connell that he wanted a tall black stone with a cross carved on top of it. He said that he wanted the monogram of the Holy Name carved in the crossing of the beams. He then showed Mr. O'Connell what he wanted for the inscription:
Here lies in blessed hope
COLM PAUL GILCHRIST
entered into eternal rest
20th November 1882
39 years, four months, three days
a son of free Ireland
Pray for him and for his family!
"And there's one more thing, Mr. O'Connell, can you paint the letters with gold? I think that this would look pretty. Don't you think so too?"
"Seamus, I think it would be lovely. Let me contact the stone carvers over in Tralee and I'll what this will cost and how soon we can have this on your father's grave. Is that acceptable with you?"
"Thanks Mr. O'Connell, thanks very much. That'll be fine I know!"
As he returned to the Valley of Cummeragh that day Seamus began to think that his time in Ireland really was coming to an end. Here he was putting the final touch on his father grave, the headstone. Beyond this, what would there be left to do? He had best be talking with his mother about America this very evening. As he passed Old Dromod Cemetery he made the Sign of the Cross, but he did not go in. He just paused on the road and said, "Pa, will you forgive me if I don't stop today? I need to get home and talk to Ma about going to America. But I will remember you in my prayers this night before I go to bed. Ok, Pa?" With another Sign of the Cross he continued down the road to his home. As he approached, he saw his mother talking with Constable Ryan. Fearing the worst, Seamus peddled faster and faster. He screeched to a halt, jumped off his bicycle and threw it against the fence and ran to his mother and Constable Ryan.
Out of breath, he panted,
"What's wrong? What happened now? Why are you here Constable?"
His mother smiled at Seamus and Constable Ryan gently patted his shoulder and said,
"Seamus, thanks be to God, nothing is wrong. Everything is good, very good. I was just bringing your mother a telegram that was brought this morning to my office in Cahirciveen. The telegraph people thought that I might be able to get it out to you quicker than they could."
With that Constable Ryan handed Seamus a sealed envelope.
Rather than immediately opening it, Seamus began to tremble and he asked his mother,
"To me? To me? Why to me?"
Softly his mother told him,
"Open it, Seamus, open it. It's good news. I think it is very good new."
Seamus tore open the envelope and read the telegram and then read it again. Before his mother could say anything, he sat down on the chair by the door and began to cry. His body shook and shook as held clutched the telegram from America.
Margaret came and knelt by here son and said,
"Seamus, do you remember Paul Walsh? He used to live just down the hill from Mastergeehy Church."
"Yeah, Pa built a small storage shed for him about three years ago."
"Right, and then when his beloved wife died, God rest her soul, he went away to America. He said that he just had to get out of here and start all over again. Well, Seamus, he always remembered how you helped your father build his shed. He would tell people that his shed was built by you and your father only helped you."
Seamus nodded and then held up the telegram and looked at his mother questioningly.
"What about this?"
"Seamus, after your father was buried I had to go into Cahirciveen and pay Mr. O'Connell for helping us with the services for your father's funeral."
"I just saw him today and asked him about the gravestone for Pa. He is going to see how much it will cost and when it can be put on the grave."
"Is that where you went now? I wish you would have told me, boy. Ah well, soon enough you'll be on your own and you won't need to worry about me. Anyway, that very day when I paid your father's bill at the undertakers, I went to the telegraph office and sent Paul Walsh a telegraph."
"You knew his address, Ma?!?"
"No, I didn't know it, but I remembered that he went to a place called Port Costa in California. And so I told the telegraph people to do the best they could do and see if they could find Paul. Well, they did find him and there you are."
"So, Ma, when do I have to go? Can I wait until Pa has his gravestone?"
Margaret stood up and then bent over and kissed Seamus on the top of his head and told him,
"Seamus, of course you can stay 'til your father's grave is properly taken care of."
At this, Constable Ryan spoke up.
"Seamus, I will check things for you, but I do know that you will have to go over to Queenstown in County Cork. From there you will get a boat to America and then you will go to a place called Port Costa when Paul lives. That's in California. Then your new life begins! You'll do well. You're a good boy!"
Seamus blushed and then thanked the Constable for his help and said that he would wait until he heard from him. With that, Constable Ryan went to his horse and headed back to Cahirciveen. Margaret pulled on her son's shirt and said,
"And now you need to get ready for dinner. You've got a lot of planning to do. Time is not going to stand still for you! Get going, boy!"
Seamus stood up and headed for the door. Just then, his mother gently said,
"And don't..."
"forget to wash your hands," with a grin on his face Seamus finished his mother's admonition and barely escaped a swat on his behind from his mother as she laughed and looked with love at her eldest son, soon to become an American.
After dinner that evening Margaret sent the rest of her family off to the McGinty's. She and Seamus needed to begin a lot of work to get ready for his journey to America and the beginning of his new life. Seamus was worried what his future would be. He hadn't given too much thought to what kind of work he wanted to do as an adult, but now he was being forced to make these decisions immediately. With great concern evident in his voice, he asked,
"Ma, what am I going to do in America? What does Mr. Walsh do? Will I work for him?"
"Seamus, I don't know what Paul does. I think I heard he works for the railroads in California, but I'm not sure, but you'll not be working for him. I just asked him if you could stay with him until you got on your feet and could take care of yourself."
"But Ma, what am I going to do? I'm only sixteen years old! What can I do?"
Seamus' voice was getting louder and louder as his concern for the future grew and grew. He was at home in the Valley of Cummeragh. He had heard of California a couple of times, but he had never paid too much attention. He knew that gold had been discovered there a long time ago, but that was about it. His voice became very plaintive as he again asked,
"Ma, what am I going to do in America? I can't just go over there do nothing. How can I help you and everyone here if I don't have a job and earn some money?"
Margaret held up her hand as if to ask Seamus to be quiet for a moment while she thought. Finally, she spoke up,
"Seamus, when you get to America, when you are at Paul's home, I know that you will go to Mass. You will go to Mass, won't you?"
Seamus nodded as she continued,
"Go to Mass and then talk to the priest. Tell him who you are and ask him if he can help you. Maybe he will have some ideas. Maybe he can help."
"Do you know the priest's name, Ma?"
"Seamus, think about it! How would I know what his name is. I only know Father Kennedy at Mastergeehy. I once met Father Clark at Saint Finnian's in Waterville. I also met the Canon in Cahirciveen, but I cannot remember his name. What I will do is to ask Father Kennedy to write you a letter of introduction. Maybe that will help."
"Yeah, Ma, thanks. I think I will need Father's letter. But when am I going to go to America? How can I pay for the trip? How much will it cost?"
"I think you should leave as soon as you can, but we have to wait and see what Constable Ryan finds out. I am sure that he will let us know right away. As for your fare, don't be worrying about that. I have a few schillings set aside and I am sure that we can take care of that."
Ok, but I am still worried. I don't know what I can really do. Pa taught me a little about building stuff, but I don't know too much. What will I do?"
"Seamus, right now don't worry about that. Just get ready for your trip. I think that you had better go and visit your friends and say good-bye to them. It might be a long time before you see them again. If you like, you can invite them here and we will have a good dinner before you go to America. I will make anything you like. Now would you like that, Seamus?"
Seamus shook his head as if to agree with his mother, but she could tell he was still worried. She felt bad that she couldn't calm his fears, but she did not know what more to say. She reached across the table and gently took his hands into hers and stroked them over and over again.
"It'll be ok, Seamus, it'll be ok. Trust me, will you trust me?"
For what seemed like the longest time Seamus looked at the table as if hoping that some answer would come from the Lord in heaven telling him what to do. When it seemed clear to him that nothing would come from heaven, Seamus looked at his other and quietly said,
"All right, Ma. It's be done and I'm not going to worry. Will you ask Father Kennedy for a letter that I can give to the priest in America? And will you ask the constable to get me a ticket right away for the trip. It's no use wasting my time if I am meant to be over there? Can you do this for me, Ma?"
"Seamus, I do whatever I can to help you. Oh, Seamus, I do not know what I am going to do without, but I know you will be a good boy and be a fine credit to your father."
"Ma, remember, though you promised that I could stay until Pa's gravestone was finished. I have to see his gravestone there in Old Dromod Cemetery. I can't go without seeing his gravestone, Ma. That's important to me."
"I know it is, son, I know it is and you'll not be leaving here until you see it. Don't you give another thought to that. You'll see your father grave taken care of. That was your special thing for your father and you'll see it finished. That's a promise."
Seamus stood up and went around the table and hugged his mother.
"Ma, I don't know what is coming, but all I can think to say is thanks!"
Margaret kisses her son on the forehead and then he left to go ride his bicycle. Margaret would liked to have had some help cleaning up, but she knew that Seamus had to be by himself right now. She wondered if he was going down to the cemetery to see his father's grave, even though it was getting pretty dark. Well, she couldn't worry now about Seamus. He was almost on his own and he had to live his life and take care of himself.
Several weeks later Constable Ryan rode up to the Gilchrist cottage and waved to Margaret,
"Margaret, Margaret Gilchrist. Good day to you! I have good news for you! Where's Seamus?"
Margaret had been out weeding the vegetable garden, getting it ready to plant her vegetables later in the Spring. She wiped her hands on her apron and came over to the Constable.
"Good day to you too, but I don't know where Seamus is right now. I think that he may have gone to find out about Colm's gravestone. He said something about seeing Mr. O'Connell, I think, but Tomas was pretty fussy this morning and so I wasn't paying too much attention to him as he rode off on his bicycle."
"Well, can I be telling you what I found out and can you tell him?"
"Certainly, Constable, certainly. Come in now and have a cup of tea. You need to rest a moment."
Constable Ryan followed Margaret into her house and sat at the table and watched as she heated some water and made a pot of tea. She also cut him a slice of good, thick bread and set it before him. She said,
"Bridget McGinty made this bread and you no that there's no better baker in these parts than Bridget McGinty. Now tell me what you know about Seamus' trip to America. When can he go?"
"Well, Margaret, just after Easter there is a boat leaving from Queenstown over in County Cork. The trip takes about three weeks."
"Will he go to New York? I have heard that al lot of people go to New York."
"No, Margaret, this boat is perfect for Seamus. It will go all the way around and go to San Francisco in California. San Francisco is where Liam Hannitty is a priest, you know."
"Really, is that where he is now? Maybe he can help Seamus! Maybe he says the Mass in Port Costa where Paul Walsh lives."
"Well, about that I do not know. But this is what I do know. Seamus is going to have to go over to Queenstown and register for the trip at the customs office. With food, the trip will cost about ₤300, with food."
"With food? What do you mean, with food? How could he be doing without food? Three weeks is a long time. Seamus is a good boy, but a saint he is not."
"Well, Margaret, you see, sometimes people bring their own food and eat in their room, but the boat from Queenstown called, let's see what this boat is called..."
The constable shuffled through his papers and finally found the paper he was looking for and read,
"Hmmm, let's see, this boat is called the Olympic. It is part of the White Star line and it was built up in Belfast."
"Humph! Built in Belfast was it? Built by a bunch of Protestants I should think if it was built up there! Is it a safe boat? That's all that matters to me!"
Ignoring Margaret's fuming about the builders of the Olympic, Constable Ryan, assured her,
"Margaret, there's no ship sailing better than the Olympic. She's the best. Seamus will have a great ride and will get to California all ready to start a new life. He'll have a grand trip. There's no doubt about it!"
"But what about his ticket? Does he get that at the Customs House too?"
"Ah, you're one up on me. No, he only registers for the trip at the Customs House, but you have to go to the White Star office in Queenstown and buy the ticket. Here's the address. I think that it is near the Customs Office down on the docks."
Margaret studies the piece of paper Constable Ryan gave her and sighed deeply.
"I just cannot imagine that this is happening to me right now. It seems like only yesterday that Colm, God rest his soul, told me that he was going to go fishing for us. Then you showed up and told me what I already knew in my heart, that Colm was gone. It's almost too much! And now I know my boy is going away from us. Oh, God help us!"
"Margaret you mustn't worry. You are doing the right thing. This is what Colm would want, I am sure. Seamus will have a new life in America and you will be very proud of him."
"All right, Constable, all right! It's done then! Now we have to go to Queenstown, get his ticket, register him at the Customs House, and then he's off! Oh, God bless us all!"
After thanking him for looking into this for her, Margaret gave him a jar of jam that she had made the previous summer.
"It's not much, but some day I will repay you, Constable. You've been a blessing to me and to Seamus. Some day I will repay you, I promise!"
"Margaret, don't you be worrying about things like that. Just get Seamus over to Queenstown and get him ready for his trip. God be with you, Margaret."
"God be with you too, Constable. May the angels watch over you always!"
As Constable Ryan headed on the road back towards Cahirciveen, Margaret looked out for her son. After a moment she spotted him riding his bicycle down on a distant hill. It seemed as though it took Seamus a long time to get to the cottage and when he did, Margaret could see that Seamus was very excited. He hopped off his bicycle and almost threw it against the fence.
"Ma," he called, "what did Constable Ryan say? I saw him on the road a few minutes ago. He said that he'd just been with you and told you about my going to America! What did he say, Ma? What?"
"Calm down, boy! Calm down! Come inside and sit down for a moment."
Seamus followed his mother into the cottage and sat down at the table. He was annoyed that she seemed to be taking her time in getting him something to drink.
"Ma!"
With a wave of her hand, Margaret hushed Seamus and bade him wait until she was ready. It was like an eternity passed before she finally set a glass of water before him and took a piece of paper from the pocket on her apron. Seamus tried to take it from her, but she held it away from him.
"Slow down, Seamus. Give me a chance and I'll tell you what the constable found out for us. Let's see, Easter this year is on March 25th and three days, let's see, yes, three days later, the 28th of March, the Olympic sails from Queenstown over in County Cork and she will go all the way to San Francisco in California."
"San Francisco!"
"Yes, San Francisco and the constable said that we would have to go to Queenstown pretty soon and buy your ticket and make the arrangements for you to go. We will have to stop by the customs house there in Queenstown and see what we need to do so that you can go to America."
"Damn!" cried Seamus as he jumped up. "San Francisco! That's the other side of the world, Ma!"
Displeased with Seamus' choice of words, Margaret slapped him on the face, pointed her finger at him and firmly told him,
"Watch your language, young man!"
"Sorry, Ma. I guess I got carried away."
Margaret glared at her son, but realized that in so short a time she would not longer be able to show him the right way. She prayed that the angels would watch over him and keep him safe and true.
"Anyway, as I was saying, we have to go to Queenstown to get ready. Ash Wednesday is next week and so I think that the Monday after Ash Wednesday, February 12th, I think that we need to go to Queenstown and buy your ticket from White Star and see what the folks at the Customs House have to say. What do you think?"
Seamus jumped up again and cried out,
"Yes! I'm going to be a real Yankee! Ma, this is really something. I just cannot...Ma, I cannot, I cannot even think right now! I don't know what to say. Ma!"
Remembering her son's earlier desire to remain in the Valley of Cummeragh, she was happy to see that he was finally enthused about leaving Ireland and going to America. She wondered what the future would be for him, for the family, but she knew this was the right way to go.
"Seamus, well, we'll be getting ready then to go to Queenstown next week. But now, we're you in to see Mr. O'Connell? When are they going to have your father's gravestone ready?"
For a moment, Seamus looked at his mother as if she had just spoken to him in Greek. After a moment, he remembered why he had, in fact, ridden into Cahirciveen. That he had gone to see Mr. O'Connell the undertaker. He told his mother that the gravestone would be installed in two weeks time.
"This is amazing. I will see Pa's gravestone put in place and then I will leave for America. I just can't think right now. What am I supposed to thin, Ma? What shuold I do now?"
"I'll tell you what you need to do now, boy! You need to go out to the barn, take a bath and then come in and have something to eat before we go to Church for the Perpetual Novena and pray in thanksgiving for God's goodness. Get going!:
With a yelp of excitement that even surprised Seamus, he ran out the back door to the barn to take his bath. His mother wondered what his future would be. How big would he be in ten years? What would his job be? Would he marry and have a family?
"Well, dear Lord, you take of that now, will You? Send your angels to watch my Seamus. Keep him good wherever he is and doing whatever he does. Keep him safe, Lord. Let your angels always guide him."
As she made the Sign of the Cross, Margaret now turned to a more practical consideration, "What are we going to have for dinner?"