To John Campbell Esq
Sheriff Depute of Forfar
At Perth

April 28

As the boy is not returned from the post House, I cant my dearest answer yours if you have wrote, but I thought you might be anxious to hear of the Children, so I write without having almost any thing more to say but that they are all very well; archie is now blessd be God in a confirmed good way, & does not appear better & worse as he used to do, & such a Romp with such a flow of spirit I never saw. Ld [Lord] Strichen & Ld [?] were here tother day at tea but Jack and him were so noisy we were forced in an obliging manner to dismiss them to the Nursery. I have just now my Dearest received yrs & yr Sister one from Miss Betty she says Lady Banff recovers slowly & only sits up an hour in the day My D is quite well again but they have quite given over thoughts of the south she writes for this year poor young Mrs Campbell of Saddle [sic] is dead. I have been a great visitor since you saw you [sic] & to day am going to Lady Braedalbanes [sic] last Rout. Jamies Nurses Child is dead, she bears it very well considering she is a very affectionate Lady: Mr Colin has been in Town I saw him twice for a start but that was all tho I proposd him much to dine with us. Archie bids me to say he wants a better fiddle stick from Forfar; they are all vastly diverting at present being in great good health & I am my Dearest Moitié ever yrs
Grace Campbell
My Sister sends her best Compts [compliments] we have a vast fall of snow here I believe she longs much to be away but till the season changes greatly the children cannot move.

[Contains a note in very childish writing:]

Come home soon Papa & bring me another fiddle stick
Yr little son archie

To Mr John Campbell Advocate
At his House in the Cowgate, Edinburgh
Thursday July 4th [1754]

Last night I took my usual post day walk to the foot of the avenue, & was so fortunate there My Dear Sweet Life as to receive yrs of tuesday, which gave me the higher pleasure as I had entertain’d some secret apprehensions about your expedition to Cranston from what reason I don’t know, unless it was from the fear of your engaging with a rash driver or a viscious [sic] Horse, which two things were neither of them impossible, and to a timorous mind very probable; tho’ I know my Dearest Jewel you won’t thank me for taking such a Burden upon me; Im heartily glad to hear of Mrs Campbell Finab’s happy Dilivery [sic]; poor Black Betty has ended her days; while Whitestone was at London, she miscarried 3 or four months gone with Child, & in that condition catch’d cold, which immediately fell upon her Lungs, & has hurried her out of the world in a Gallopping [sic] consumption; the poor man is in great concern; her being with Child gave him vast pleasure, so blindly do short sighted mortals often wish for things that prove in the end their greatest misfortunes; from the experience of which, we should all of us learn to submit our own wills intirely [sic] to that of our unerring Maker, because we May generally observe (as Mr Young says) our very Wishes, give us not our Wish; so much my beloved Moitié for serious considerations; none I am sure has fewer wishes left them, than my self, such infinite reason have I with the utmost thankfulness to acknowledge the peculiar kindness of indulgent Heaven, in the favourable disposition of my Lot - Sir James & Lady Ellan were here last night after having replaced Master at School, Miss Semple, yr Sister Jenny, & I go to Rosedu the beginning of next week, & the week after (if it please God) to Halkhead where I hope My Dearest Life to meet you, the very first of the last week in Jully [sic]; you promised me at parting to return the third week of this month, which I have most impatiently long’d for, and kept an exact account of ev’ry day; if you please My Dearest to enclose to me one or two more of those bits of paper you gave me at parting, in case any unlook’d for expences [sic] may cast up when I’m upon My expeditions from Home. I had a long letter yesterday from my Sister Ruthven, who in the kindest manner bids me remember her to you; Rossie was often with my Br Mackenzie while at London & was to see my Br Bute, who he thinks not at all well, & his Spirits sadly Sunk; youll order Nanny Macgrigor here My Dr the minute you leave Town, for the Nurse wants of all things to be Home, indeed I cant blame her, as the Queen should not keep me so long from My Husband, & she seems to have a great tenderness for hers than is at all common among the country people; we all of us long to hear good [? Document damaged] of Lady Banff; Lady Balgony I fancy is near her reckoning [? Document damaged]. My compts & good wishes attend them both; our little folks are both in quite good health, Archie says papa very often & always looks in the mean time to me with a conscious little laugh, expecting approbation; when he is angry he thrashes all about him, & scolds like anything; The Bailie of Kintires Wife and Daughter are here just now, we have had a good deal of rain here, the Hay in the Avenue is mostly cut down but none in yet; in the clover Park hs been all in above a week, except a little that the rain keeps out yet; Miss Betty begs youll send her Stockings directly by the Carrier to Glasgow. She sets out next week for [?] I forwarded yr letter to the Sheriff the same day I receiv’d it; he leaves Inverary [sic] for Kilhamack tomorrow. Remember me my dr to Ld [?], Ld Banff and good Lady Charles’s Family. & believe My dearest most beloved Moitié you have in me a sincerely fond and faithful little Wify. GC.
Do my dear get me some franks from Mr Kerr.

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

To Mr John Campbell Advocate
At his House in the Cowgate
Edinburgh

My Dearest Life
As I had no letter from you by last nights post, I wish all has gone well in your expedition to Cranston; there’s a nasty Grey Hound that howels [sic] here continually of late, which serves to back my apprehensions whenever the failure of a letter happens, this you’ll think very odd my dearest, but inspite [sic] of all Mr Addison says about such weeknesses [sic] I cant overthrow it so far but that it leaves a damp upon My Spirits; by the time you receive this, I fancy my Brothers will be arrived in Town; we have very disagreeable weather here just now, a great deal of rain, and a sharp cold wind; Miss Semple is gone to Calder to be there a few days because I put off going to Halkhead till some time next week, in hopes youll soon be your own master after that time; yr sister Jenny is just now gone to dine at Hutchesons, so that yr mother, Tibby and I with the little folks are all that the Family at present consists of; dear little Mac has got out one of the two upper teeth that seem’d to be cutting when you left this, the other one is just breaking the skin, & will Appear we think ev’ry day; I hope he has not forgot his dear papa, for he often converses with your picture. May all thats good attend you My Dearest Aimable Moitié, and be assured this is the sincerest wish of her who intirely [sic] loves you, & will ever be
Yr faithful and obedient wife
GC
July 18th

To Mr John Campbell Esq
Advocate
at Levenside
Dumbartonshire [sic]

My Dearest Life, as I have had no letters today, I know nothing of yr motions, or whether you have met with my Brother, but as I fancy this will reach you, if I direct it to Levenside, I shall forward this accordingly; enclosed is a letter for you that came by this days post; Im just going to see Mrs Smollet & propose calling upon Lady Appin, who calld here t’other day, & the same afternoon I call’d at her House; Miss Susa Campbell Airds is here who I’m going to carry with me. Miss Campbell gives hints of leaving this very soon, I fancy she does not stay the [?]. I long vastly my dearest Jewel to hear from you, & how yr horse performs; no account yet of Lady Banff; it rain’d all yesterday as usual, so that I did not see a creature, but that I never mind; for when I have not you I ant [sic] much disposed for Company; all I wish is to make such use of my retirement as will give me some [?] pleasure when nothing else can; as for profitt [sic] from attending to worldly affairs, I cant have much of that (as I intirely [sic] despair of the approbation [sic] that might encourage me to [document damaged] farther than is just necessary to prevent confusion [document damaged]. are at Levenside remember me properly to all [document damaged] me my Dearest always yrs Grace Campbell.
Aug: 8th

To Mr Campbell

April 18th

My Dearest Moitié

I wrote in such a hurry last post that I could not say a word but that we were well, Archie is just as he was I cant say I see any change, but I believe him thiner [sic] if there is any [?]. when did you return to Forfar. Im glad Lady Mary & Sir Robert intends coming. I fancy Lady Dalkeith will certainly be here. I have wrote a note to Mr Harriot & am just going to send it with yrs to Mr Stewart. how are you passing your time, we have here much cooler weather than there was in winter, Snow & Sleat by turns, & the hills all white. pray my Dr do you think of being at Forglen before I see you, Lady Banff is better but tis but tother day that she got free of the fever I don’t know if she continues to recover for I havn’t heard today. what did my Br say about me, as he had seen me since you I should have thought he could not learn much from you. The children are all vastly well Sandy is always going about the room holding by the chairs & wall, which is his great delight, Jamie is as broad as he is long, but has a little Round head which makes him appear little tho he has great arms and legs; he is vastly [?] & very observant always laughing & crowing; Jack is now quite himself a most diverting little Rouge [rogue] & says Papa calls him a fine little fellow. I am My Dearest Life always Yours

James s Child is weand tho’ but 6 months old the poor woman is vastly ill with Rhumatick pains & other complaints which obliged her to wean the child. it is well.