Dapitan
The governor general has not replied — A reminder of his request — Abaca agency in Manila —Rizal’s business transactions — Majority of his numerous patients are poor — He earns something but not enough for the work done — Tagalog dictionary — Difficulty of treating family members — Condolences for the death of Manuel’s daughter.
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Dapitan, 5 June 1894
MR. MANUEL T. HIDALGO
MY DEAR BROTHER-IN-LAW MANENG,
I have not received a letter from you in the last two mails and I know nothing about you there. His Excellency has not yet written me a word. It will not be useless for you to present yourself to him when he arrives there to remind him of my request.
I do not know if I can bother you about a business that I have undertaken here. I know that you are devoted to scientific and speculative studies and for this reason I have not written you and I preferred to address myself to Antonino for being more accustomed to these business matters. But I have no doubt that you or Sra. Neneng must know there somebody who wishes to be an agent to sell abaca and copra. We here could give him from 3 to 5% of the sale. I have written to Antonino but he has his lands in Bay to attend to. If Sra. Neneng were not a woman, I would make her my agent. Within a few days I am going to order there unbleached cloth (some three bales) and when I send abaca, I will order some 300 piculs of rice, and in all these purchases and sales the agent naturally has his commission. Excuse me then for making you this proposal, but as I know no one to whom to address myself, I am obliged to do so by necessity.
Here I have many patients, but the majority of them are por. I earn something but not enough for the work done,
Heeding what they are asking me insistently from abroad, I have decided to prepare a dictionary of the Tagalog language, ….
[letter was abruptly cut. Missing pages 383-384 in the book.]
[fragment of letter no. 188 or page 185]
…did not want to follow my prescriptions and got up and went bed by herself, went out to the service porch, removing and putting on the bandage, always telling me that nothing will happen to her, until her eye became inflamed, (she suspected that she received a blow during the night), and now she is very ill. I do not know if I can pull her out. The wound opened, the iris was ruptured and now she has an acute ophthalmia. Nothing can stop her, she reads, she goes out to the light, she rubs her eyes. What is happening to her is incredible. Now I understand very well why one ought to be forbidden to treat members of his family.
With nothing more for the present, regards of Nanay and Trining to all of you and you command your brother who loves you.
JOSÉ RIZAL
P.S.
For the present, while Tonino is there, as he has offered himself first, I will make him abaca agent of the Dapitanos.
We have learned here that you lost your daughter. Our heartfelt condolence. One little angel more and one Filipino girl less.
04-820 [Misc.]