To John Campbell Esq
Sheriff Depute of Forfarshire
At Forfar

Free
M McMillan

My Dearest Moitié
As this Epistle is begun before I know if the post has brought me a letter from you. I shall proceed without the ordinary introduction of having heard from you etc; and in the first place My Dearest I cant be longer without telling you my uneasiness on account of several dreams I have had concerning you, most of which represented you always as greatly the worse of drink, which I can’t help interpreting literally as Im afraid the way of Life you are in just now will expose you sadly to that pernicious inconvenience; I know that in Perthshire a Stranger cannot escape it; and I’m afraid tis much the same where you are now, so beg my Dear Life you’ll write me if tis so or not for as for my advising you to [?] it that I need not do, as I know yr aversion to it – We have very pleasant weather just now, yesterday was like a day in June, so temptingly fine that it invited me to a walk in the Garden, where I never now think of going without some body comes & forces me into it, Mr Johnstone & I had a sober chat in it for an hour together last Sunday evening, how much lost my Dr would you reckon yr time if past in the same manner, however ’tis been other wise, & if miricles [sic] was not ceased might be again; I was on saturday paying several visits in Town, among others I calld upon Lady Leviston & the young Ladies because twas a place you wanted me to go to, however I had not the good fortune to find any of them at Home; nor indeed any one I calld for, tho’ I made seven visits, so that I should have gone back without coming once out of my Chair if I had not been a little suppersticious [sic] on so uncommon a circumstance & to break the omen went & paid a visit to Mr James Menzies & his Spouse, who I found sitting lovingly together, like the first happy pair; I thought to have congratulated Mrs Campbell augline [sic] that day too, but her being abroad prevented my doing my self that pleasure, he makes her a very fond Husband if it lasts as the saying is, I have over & over again askd Miss Mackeller to come here, but have never seen her yet. Betty Kintire was here to day & I charged her to come & bring her here to dine to morrow which she half promised; Worthly Stewart I’m told is still in Town, & that she has refused the Baron of Buclivie who it seems languish’d so much for her that he is gone to the country quite in low spirits upon her refusal; all the little people are I thank God very well, I call archie Papa’s little picture which is a Name he gives himself very often, & tother day hid himself behind the curtain and askd me where Papa’s little picture was now, he & I are great friends, Peggies being some days away made him take a particular liking to me. I happened to ask him tother day what he would do if I was to die, & he not chusing to answer in ye positive, said – me no laugh if you die Mamma, which I thought showd a very manly spirit in ye youth. Many are the notable sayings I could tell you of him if I had time to recount them all; Dr little Jack too gets the tongue very fast, But Sandy laughs at every Body & keeps his mind to himself. He is doing very well since he lost the breast. I had the favour of a visit last sunday from three of yr acquaintance Mr Johnston, Maxwell, & Dalrymple & Mr Andrew Stewart has been so good as to give the Duchess of Hamilton & Lady Coventry in property, which I think is a great present. I had 15£ offered me for the calf tother day but ev’ry body tells me tis so fine a one, & of so good a kind tis a sin to sell her, so I’m bringing it up, theres a young cow here in Mr Sinclairs park that was calfd at Martinmas & yet is doing vastly well; if I live to go to the country next year she’ll be very useful to me. & yet I’m not sure whether I had not better sell her for all that. this far was wrote before I received yrs Mr Dearest by this days post as you say nothing of yr motions after the 20th I am still doubtful tho I hope you’ll go North as it would not be worth coming over the water for so short a time & I should think my self more solitary afterwards than I do now I am used to it; I had a letter to day from Miss Betty she says they promise themselves a great deal of pleasure on yr arrival, She has some little commissions to go by you but I cant have them ready to send till next weeks Carriers so let me know if they’ll come soon enough to find you at Forfar, for I should not chuse to send them if I was not sure of you carrying them north: I had Miss Mackellar, Betty Kintire & the Eldest Glendaruel dining here to day. Lilly & the young Squire who is now in Town could neither of them come, but the last drank with me, Mr and Mrs Smollet [document damaged] were so good as to see me this afternoon, he is come to conduct her safe to Bonil [Bonhill] whether they go on thursday, the Sherif [sic] is to have the trying of Dick he tells me; all at Levenside were well when he came away & yr Father returnd home I have been amusing my self some times with Madame de Maintenons letters & have transcribed a piece from one of them for your perusal, let me know how you like it, I saw doctor Macfarling [sic] to day his youngest Boy is just gasping his last with [?] the doctor has been here in this neighbourhood twice to day seeing him & gives him quite over for lost. [Damage to document] came a letter to me from one Mr Stewart who wrote [document damage] that you had been applying to get him into the [document damage] you was away beg’d I would use my endeavour [document damage] a vacancy offer’d, to which I answered that I could do nothing as I did not know him, but that I would mention him to you when I wrote upon which he said he would write himself & I bid him send his letter to me which is here enclosed, by is I see you know nothing of his affair tho he pretended he had yr promise of using all your endeavours for him. I have no more to add but the old and true assurance that I am my dearest amiable Moitié yrs unalterably Grace Campbell
Tuesday

[No address]

My Dearest Life

I received yrs this morning & have enclosed the Sherifs [sic] letter in a frank & directed it for him; I would not indeed my Dearest have you break yr promise with Lord Banff since you could not stay here longer than the time you mention, so that I hope you’ll go there as you intended, and I dare say ’twill be a vast agreeable journey: the Children are all very well, the Nurse only went away yesterday, as Peggie was but then come home. Sandy has been very fretful these few days, one of the two teeth he has got lately is not thoroughly cut, which I fancy is the occasion of it; I saw Mr Dalrymple yesterday afternoon. & on Sunday Mr Hume Johnstone, & Mr Stewart were all so good as to call for me, but I happened to be gone to see Mrs Smollet who sets out next monday for Bonil [Bonhill]; the Sherif [sic] languishes so much for her that his time hangs heavy on him till her arrival. I believe I wrote you My Dearest in my last that Lady Dalkeith had given orders for a Buck [venison] for us, but I declined taking it till I heard from Levenside what was the best way of sending some there, as last yr Mrs Campbell I think said it might have got there fresh enough, when I was regreting [sic] she had not partook of some of it; however Miss Jenny writes me that it is not possible to transport it their length before it spoill [sic], so I had not send it; & as for the calf (which being a quay [heifer] one I thought would have been very acceptable there) she says it is not worth bringing up now so late in the year, so that my good intentions are all rejected with disdain, however, I shall certainly give the Calf to some Body who will value it for tis pity one of so good a kind should be sold; we have very windy weather here just now; I beg when you do cross, that you’ll be cautious in chusing yr time, a good road, & sober Hands, Lord Strichen tells me the Dundee ferry is very unsafe on account of the drunken boat Men. Lord Justice Clerk is one of the gayest & most pleased in his Choice that can be seen, My Lady they say would not consent to marry till he settled Miss Grisy in a fortune, he has settled 5000 £ on the Children of this marriage & a jounter of 140 £ to his widow; Mrs Macgill & Miss drank Tea here yesterday. I have now wrote you all my news. Archie is by & says Mama bid Papa from soon Home, He got a spoonful of Rhubarb for night night [sic] that I think has done him a great deal of good; his couler [sic] is better, and his spirits & appetite very good; Mr Makie takes greatly in this Parish; I have to send twice for the news papers every day before I can get them, I don’t know how they dispose of them, but I am often in danger of losing the post by it. May all thats good evermore attend you My Dearest Jewel. This is from yrs unalterably Grace Campbell
Sept:7th

To Mr John Campbell Advocate
at his House in the Cowgate
Edin[burgh].

July 23d

I received yours my dearest last night and with infinite pleasure read your order for the Horses, which I have been long wishing for with impatience; My expedition to the Halkhead Ive so often talk’d of & Miss Semple has delay’d her going there so long on that accounting that I cant now my Dearest easily put it off, But all the care imaginable shall be taken to prevent the least accident; Finlay drives very well and I shant forget yr caution as to not fording the water; I am only sorry my Dear Jewel to think you are under any apprehensions about my moving, & if I had been free of this appointment with Miss Semple I should not have gone, not withstanding I promise my self a great deal of pleasure in the jaunt , & don’t know when I shall have another opportunity to be at Halkhead; I think my dear the best way for us is to leave this so soon as to be there by Dinner time, Miss Jenny goes along, and we shall take your Horse too, so that Finlay may go strait from Halkhead to Edin[burgh], & the other horses Matthew will carry back to Levenside, he is grown of late a traveling Governor, having made an expedition to Tay mouth with Miss Betty, & since then has been jaunting about with Miss Semple this week past, so when he has conducted us to Halkhead he’ll have made the round of the Family; Miss Jenny Carrick if she can procure a Horse goes with us; I did not tell yr Mother what you said about training Miss Jenny’s Horse for the Chaise, because yr Sister would not like to have it put to that use, & values the exchange she has made with the Captain particularly as she thinks will secure it to her self, its not being proper for any other business. I hope my Dear Life you have remembered to fill the cellar with coals; if there be a cat in Lady Charles’s I wish she would allow it to hunt in our House, for we shall be quite overrun with Mice especially in the Pantry, which is a vast inconvenience; I’m extremely glad to hear Lady Banf [sic] recovers so well, and hope they propose being here this autumn; My best compts [compliments] to her, and all Lady Dirltons Family. Pray my dr [dear] is Mrs John Carmick in the way of being a mother or not, for they say here she is; the little folks are both very well, Dr [dear] little Archie has not been bath’d yet, but the tub Doctor Gordon bespoke for that use is arrived & so soon [document damaged] you come he shall be put into it, for as [document damaged] you before My Dearest I had not courage in your absence to [?] it; he is certainly as understanding a little fellow as ever was of his age, & really a Child to a wish: the leaders are not for him, but Jenny, who you cant offend more than to take her by her leading strings, but in the fields , theres a necessity for it, for when she trips, to catch [?] hold of her arm would be apt to pull it out of joint, the Captains Horse is apt to scar [sic] going first, so I beg my Dearest youll take care of him; may God send us a happy meeting, which is all from my most amiable moitié yours for ever
GC
[Postscript] I stay here tomorrow in hopes of another letter; I cant think how mine does not reach you regularly for they are always in the post office long before the post gets met.

To Mr John Campbell Advocate
at His House in the Cowgate
Edinburgh

Sunday July 7th [1754]

As a burnt child dreads the fire, you may depend upon it my Dearest I shall be very cautious in any expedition I make in your absence, especially as I have the pleasure to know tis a matter of some concern to you My Darling Life; but as I have made those two appointments with Miss Semple to go to Rosedue [sic], & Halkhead, I should not care without you had [?] it, to break them; but we are both timerous [sic] enough so shant take any step that is rash; Finlay drives a great deal better than any of our Drivers, so if the blind Horse be left at Home there is no Danger; it was not indeed any bodys fault but our own its being imploy [sic] to ride by the chaise that day we got the fright, but Miss Betties, & Captains Horse being both so little, we did not chuse to have them; I believe the Captain had not exchanged his Horse for Miss Jennys when you left us, that Bargain was only concluded the night before he went to Inverary [sic]; from whence to our vast astonishment he returned on thursday; what the matter has been, we cant find out, but conclude he has quarred [sic] with the Sheriff, tho’ he pretends he came away about some Law affair of his Brothers, & is to leave this for Edin[burgh] tomorrow; he has a packet to you from yr Father; poor Mrs Deniston Cowgrane was taken ill of a fever lately, and died yesterday; I hope Lady Banff has recovered her cold, for they are bad things to last; your Mama begs My Dearest that you’ll bring her out a silver Snuff-mill, about a guinea value; if you buy it from Kerr, I think he should send a good many franks along with it; that’s a strong kind of accident My Br[other] Mac: has met with, I wish there may be nothing dangerous in it, we still continue to have a good deal of rain so the Hay is still out; a’s [alas?] My Dear My poor Bird is no more, in remembrance of you My Dr sweet Jewel I had a pleasure in letting it out of its cage, which I did always after Breakfast, & it enjoy’d its Liberty till Dinner came, when I used to put it up again, this had made it so tame it eat [sic] out of all our hands, & sat constantly upon my head or Sholder [sic] singing like a little Nightingale; but unfortunately ’tother day I went in a hurry to Dinner, left both Molly & Peggie in the room to put it in its Cage, who instead of that, stupidly trod with a heavy foot upon it, & sent its little soul (according to Pathagoras [sic]) to animate some other Body, tho’ to lessen their fault they told me ’twas Missie trod up on it, be that as it will, my poor Bird survived it but a few hours, & then breath’d its last.
Our Dear little folks are both very well, as every Body here is; who do you think my Dearest was here for a [?] yesterday but yr Clerk Mr Stewart I declare I could scarce keep from bursting out a laughing when I saw him, remembering the conversation we had about him, & the large appointments he has by this title of yr Clerk; Miss Semple returns her compts [compliments] and enquires always very kindly about you, she is really a sensible good Girl; I have no more to add but the subject of my daily prayer, that God may bless you with his almighty favour both here and hereafter, & continue you in the world till it shall please him to remove me out of it; adieu my most beloved & Dearest Moitié GC