Maria Concepcion wrote a letter to her oldest sister (Chacha) shortly after the death of her baby, Angelina.  The English translation follows.

March 27, 1917

Dear Sister,

Yesterday, I received your letter with the note from Don Andres.  I always want to write to you but the time that I have is so scarce, that I don't even write to Mama.

You know about the death of my daughter.  This is very terrible for me.  She is better off than I, but I can't forget that where seven of us eat, there could have been eight.  My pain is very great and I have no one to share it with because no one would understand.  And with Ramon?  neither of us can say a word to each other.  Him?  you can imagine how he would be.  It seems that he loved her more than all the rest.  Every time he came home, he brought his daughter flowers.  He used to say they were her candies.  We always made her up so beautifully.  It seemed to me that I was looking at the Virgin of Passing.

I have suffered greatly, alone with my daughter in my arms, and  at night, while the others were sleeping, her father would hold her while I did the chores.  Then again, I would pick up my little burden and sit by the fire while we both slept.  This went on for 27 days.  How could you understand that I would have the strength for all that.  I myself closed her little casket.  The day my daughter died, Ramon had gone to Washington to teach his classes (you can imagine his condition when he left).  I was alone with my little girl and Luis unit 11 o'clock at night when he returned home.

How I remembered all of you, especially you.  how alone I found myself as i looked around and could see two of my children -- one dead and the other sleeping, exhausted from crying.  The neighbors came to visit.  The lady next door did not let me dress her.  It was too much for me.  I hope that God gives me no more children, it would be too sad.  I will stop this now because, for me, it is like the story of "the Good Pipe," one that never ends.  I believe now that I have passed through all sufferings.  now, I am like Rita, nothing surprises me.  I am like a dummy without a will to do anything or see anything, or be seen by anyone.

The rest are very well.  Connie and Rosario are getting ready for their First Communion.  They would not do it last year due to Rosario's illness.  It will be the last Sunday in May.. this is the American custom.  These people are very Catholic.  They never miss going to church on Sunday from 10 o'clock to 12.  And little Ramon is also told by his female teacher not to eat meat on Fridays, and she tells him many stories from the Bible.  He very happy.  i must tell you that the children pray in English and even I have to learn to do it.  Then, on Fridays, when I forget and set meat on the table, it's like "a gift from the devil," nobody eats.  Then they get eggs and cook their dinner telling me that we are in America and not Spain, and that the Sister would scold them.

Believe me, I am very happy that they are this way, and I am very careful that nothing interferes with them on Sundays that would prevent them from going to Sunday School.  these schools, and all the religion classes are directed by the priest, and the religion classes are taught by a number of ladies from the parish.  This is very convenient for the mothers and a "break" for the children.

I shall write more another day, this is enough for now.  Hug mother for me, and you know how much your sister loves you.

Concha

Give my thanks to Joaqina, and God forbid that she goes through this kind of pain which is the greatest.