Item 09 - Letter from Lady Grace Campbell to John Campbell of Stonefield, Cowgate, Edinburgh, concerning domestic news

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