Letter From R W White Dated 24 August 1913

August 24, 1913

Willoughby House
Enniskillen

R Noble, Esq
Cristobal, Panama Republic
Central America


Very kindly remembered friend Noble,

Man of mystery. How are you? Where are you? What are you doing?

Seven years and no word from you! How ably and how cruelly honest you have been in keeping your word. And, yet, I might have known it. Although, Noble, on that evening when you came to say good-by, making threats of complete exile and isolation, I took it with a grain of salt, so to speak. I said good-by to you then, dear fellow, fully believing that but a short time must elapse before I should see you again. And I'll tell you why it was that I ridiculed your notions.

You had made great beginnings. No young man in my experience had succeeded in placing himself so prominently before a community as you had done. Your big notions of progressiveness. Your well-formed ideas of the better social laws. Your philanthropic aims and efforts for the betterment of your county first, and for the advancement of your country at all times. Your schemes and your plans appealed to everyone, and your enthusiasm and kindliness won the hearts of the people. Dear me, why did you go away? I have watched the things that you had started grow and develop for the common good, just as you had phrophesied(sic) that they should. I have seen those other things and customs wither and go out of existence, because, it seemed to me, that your condemning word and powerful mind warned us that they had long ago lost their usefulness. Your memory shall always live here, old boy. There have been reforms and alterations carried out here during your abscence(sic) that must always remain with us as monuments of your rousing doctines of government and of law. And yet you stay away from us, and lose the value of your many successes. Was it not you who first suggested the uses to which the council might put the old jail premises. Well, they have carried your plans out to the letter. It has been the most creditable thing done here within memory. Your suggestion, too, concerning the ornamentation of the river banks, and the shore promenade, these are other tributes to your wonderful ability. God, man, how hard-hearted and immovable you must have become?

Well, I have searched the world for you with letters. They have been returned to me from India, Africa, Italy, and from all the corners. Again it is but mere speculation that you shall ever receive this. P. Crumley is now M.P., for this district. (1) Just fancy that? And, sure he was only your pupil. If only you had been here. What a sweeping victory it would have been. And how justly entitled to it you are. And the people -- why bonfires should have blazed from every hill-top, if you had been returned. Remember your great election campaign? that aroused and awakened the people. During the last election your ears should have burned. Everyone recalled how that it was you who had broken the first ground. One of the papers wrote an editorial upon your great speech at Tempo. It was a masterpiece. If only you had been ten years older then. People sympathised with your youth. Somehow, I can only remember how you were charged with the fire of love for the people, and with patriotism for the country. Must we lose men of your calibre, and mind, and worth? Come back, your(sic) are wanted. We all love and respect you. I'll promise that there shall be gala celebrations upon the day of your return.

What are you doing at sea? However can you content your heart? I am sorry to tell you that the N.W.I. Printing Co (2) (3) has fallen through. I know that you shall be sorry. Cahal O'Byrne [photo, right] passed through here sometime ago, he came to find out if I had ever yet heard from you. Little Cis, your sister, spent a week's vacation with Mr Healy last month. She has grown very very thin. I was speaking with her. She cried heartily when got a-talking about you. Your father, too, does not look quite so well. Indeed I think that his business suffered after you went away. And I heard that he took to drinking for some time. Dear, dear boy, wherever I look that you once were, I see big, empty places.

So make up your mind to come back to us. I shall await with anxiety the moment when I shall receive some word from you, after which I shall write you at greater length. So with deepest and warmest wishes for your health and happiness I shall conclude, and I have the rught(sic) to send you not only my love but the love of ten thousand admirers.

From your most sincere friend

R W White

1. Patrick Crumley was Member of Parliament for South Fermanagh beginning in 1910. He replaced Jeremiah Jordan, who served from 1895 to 1910.
2. Derry People, a newspaper based on Richmond Street in Londonderry, was operated by N W I Printing Co, according to the 1910 Ulster Towns Directory.
3. NWI Printing Co is likely an earlier iteration of the North West of Ireland Printing and Publishing Co, which operates