April 10, 1912

Dear Mrs. Andrews (and whichever one of her three children happens to be reading this aloud to her),

Your letter astonishes me. Perhaps in Innisfree, Ireland, delving into the affairs of other people is permissible but certainly not here, in civilization. I humbly suggest that you and your husband kindly refrain from giving advice on matters which you both have long had no experience in. An Irish sheep farmer and his blind wife can hardly claim any personal knowledge of transatlantic voyages, upper class luxury and the inherently rushed pace of modern life.

I'm boarding the ship that you referenced so dismally as soon as I post this letter. I will be in New York in five days, no more. Look for my triumph in the newspapers, if indeed you have such things in the wilds of Innisfree.

Cordially,

J. Bruce Ismay