Dapitan
Dapitan, 14 March 1895
MRS. TEODORA ALONSO
Manila
MY VERY DEAR MOTHER,
The bearer of this letter is Miss Josephine Leopoldine Tauffer[1] whom I was on the point of marrying, counting on your consent, of course. Our relations were broken on her suggestion on account of the numerous difficulties on the way. She is almost alone in the world; she has only very distant relatives. As I am interested in her and it is very possible that she later decide to join me and as she may be left all alone and abandoned, I beg you to give her hospitality there, treating her as a daughter, until she shall have an opportunity or occasion to come here.
I have decided to write the General[2] to find out about my case.
Treat Miss Josephine as a person whom I esteem and value much and whom I would not like to be unprotected and abandoned.
Your most affectionate son who loves you,
JOSÉ RIZAL
If Trining can’t come alone, it is very easy for her to come with Antonio.
03-845 [Reformists]
[1] This is the Irish young woman who accompanied Mr. Tauffer of Hong Kong to Dapitan, seeking Rizal’s services as ophthalmologist. She also called herself Josephine Bracken
[2] That is, the governor general.