Item 03 - Letter from Lady Anne Ruthven, Struthers, Fife, to Lady Grace Campbell, Cowgate, Edinburgh, concerning Lady Grace's pregnancy and family news.

To
The Right Honble [sic]
The Lady Grace Campbell
At her House in the
Cowgate oppiset [sic] to the fish
Market Close
Edr [Ednburgh]

My Dearest Sister
tho’ nothing has occurred worth your perusal, since I wrote last, yet cou’d withstand, so good an opportunity sending you a few lines, fraught wt my best wishes to you & yours; I am glad you agree wt moving about, since I am persuaded ’twill do you good, & make you less unwieldy, as you increase in bulk; so Mrs Campbells arrived, & how fares it wt her, honest woman, does she patrolle [sic] about the streets, by way of wholesome exercise; tis certainly as good as the Dean’s runing [sic] up and down stairs, of a rainy day; well I long to hear what Milton says of the Duke’s motions, if he chuses to be communicative; my Lord, & Jack, left this Sunday, to look after his harvest, but preposed [sic] being back this week, & if Dumbarneys ready in some measure, to receive me, I shall go up again wt him; & where have I been to day, think you, at Leven, to gather shells, I’m not fee you see, but a most fruitless expedition ’twas, never did I see such barren sands; extensive but bare of any beautiful productions, Conscience Jenny &c: is now at London, wt her shining greasy Spouse so we cou’d not see her; but to make amends for this days disappointment, shall beat up the shelly beds at St: Andrews soon, where I hope to be more successful; do you know my Dr Lady Mary’s marriage wt young Greeme, is confidently talk’d here, & one of these days, he’s expected in his Country, so probably will soon come out if true; all you heard about her conversation wt Lady [?] was fact, who knows not, what to think; I believe I wrote you, miss weer, was here really a fine smart like Girl; did the little wife call at you, wt: the diaper, since I saw you, has Dr little Jenny said Mama again, My Love attends them but shall write Dr Jane for so soon as I have a spare moment, & am vastly indebted to her, kind anxiety about me; in consequence of her last letter, am to see his Grace, before his departure, in any event; now my Dearest, if you’d oblidge me, write a nice card, to the Ladies of Tweedale, who excell so much in breeding canary’s at least, & beg the favour of them to give me a she Canary, which I’ll take, as a singular favour, & will send a purpose for it, if they consent, now forget not this, as you love me, & I persuade my self, they will not refuse, when you show’d them off at plays, & all that:
must now wind up all, wt kind Complements [sic] to our friends, from me & mine, & all here; & best wishes to you, whos most Affect’d is AR [Lady Anne Ruthven]

Struthers
tuesday night.