To John Campbell Esq
Sheriff Depute of Angus Shire
at Perth
Free
M. McMillan

My Dearest Life
I received yrs by this days post which is the third I have had; the other two I answerd by the same post they came to me. We are tollerably [sic] well here, Archie however since Tuesday the day I wrote last has had these heats & colds as before with a foulness in his tongue but he is very [?] & eats well enough, I thought indeed as he had been a week free of any complaints & lookd so well that all his disorder was removed, he is now paler again as he used to be; the Doctor saw him yesterday & is to give him the second doze of the Rhu: [rhubarb] & Mercury, & thinks that, with the [?] of the [?] & goats milk, will restore him quite; the sops is left off for a little; poor little Jackie has been drooping these two or three days, he has one tooth yet not quite out, if ’tis that, or a slow fever, or measles I don't know, but there is something hangs about him, the other two are quite well & we think it only teeth ails Jack; I beg my dr youll send the order on the bank, both for Cash to me and payment of yr Sisters acct [account] to Mrs Seton, I see they think it odd yr doing otherwise. I have been making great inquiry about a Maid for the Nursery, but [document damaged] none with tollerable [sic] character so I wish if any [document damaged] Ladies in Angus could recommend one from [document damaged] that they would do it their vices here are almost [document damaged] I want one that could keep Jack & was fit to wean [document damaged] young child who could sow [sic] their cloths [sic] well, & wash [document damaged] iron; & perfectly good natured. the one who Mrs [document damaged] engaged at Levenside she writes was engaged tho I don't know what she can mean for the same letter that mentiond peggies being to go to Levenside desired the one Mrs Campbell had got for the children to be hired for us. Do write immediately if you hear of any for I would send for one to some other Country Place without loss of time. My Br Mackenzie I saw for a [?] yesterday, he goes North I believe on Monday. I find Lady Banff is much in the same way that I was but not in so much danger. Many are dying just now of Fevers; if ‘twas as easy to be prepared for next world as to be weand from this one, I should not if twas Gods will care much to be among the number. I hope you are quite well & I am My Dearest yrs - G Campbell.

To John Campbell Esq
Advocate at
Inverary [sic]
Argyllshire
Free
H. Mackenzie

My Dearest Moitié, by a mistake of an unusual kind I did not Write as intended by last post, but I wrote by the Saturdays post after you left this & on tuesday had the pleasure of yrs My Dearest Life; this day however I was disappointed, for theres no letter from you tho I had two from Levenside, one from each of yr Sisters. Miss Jenny seems to decline coming in such a manner, as makes me believe it would not be her inclination to be here, in which case I should be Sorry to ask her; she says that she hears you was begging of Mrs Campbell to come & therefore imagined She cant be of any use, besides she never has courage to Witness a crying out, but that in her Mamas absence she’ll take all care of the Children. this is what she says; I’m of the opinion [?] that Mrs Campbell would much rather Stay at Home as take this journey, so don’t my Dr on my account put any of them to trouble, for I may take my chance as to the care that I shall need, as both my Sisters have done before me; who have lain in without any particular female friends about them; poor Mrs Johnston has again [document damaged] at Duncrub & has been at the point of death tho’ but very little time gone. I pray god preserve you my dearest & send you safe home. Miss Peggie Campbell has been so good as to be some days with me: the Cook Maid has follow’d [?] Brice’s example & given me warning too, so that at this troublesome juncture I have servants of all sorts to get, not so much as Nurse have I heard of yet, or a nursery maid & one or tother I must have if Mr Gordon approved I would gladly take archies Nurse (in case of failling [sic] myself) nothwithstanding of Archies [?] & that her milk will be six months old. I am my dearest better half most faithfully, & most surely yrs.
Grace Campbell
Sept: 21st

To John Campbell Esq
Advocate at Levenside
Dumbartonshire [sic]

My Dearest Moitié as this is the twentieth of the month, I hd some distant hopes (as you said you’d be back by this time) to see you to day or Tomorrow, however the arrival of yrs My Dearest by this days post has disappointed me greatly, for I see by it you are only about leaving Inverary [sic] now: I think indeed My Dear since that is the case ‘tis better for you to stay at Levenside till the Circuits come on, as you r to attend them, than to make this journey; ’twill be a great deal more agreeable to yourself being there, and give pleasure to your Papa and Mama who has scarce seen you yet, as for me I thank God I am in grate [sic] good health & only omitted writting [sic] by the post you mention upon account of Company coming at the time I had allotted for doing it, but if youll remember my dearest I was far from insisting with you to write evry post, or oftener than you incline it, for I should be sorry if to gratify me you were to put yourself under any sort of restraint, & when I omit a post I always think it does not signify, because I know that so much fondness as makes one uneasy at a neglect of that sort, you would look upon as romantick, & therefore I take it for granted dont run any risk of that kind, which makes [sealing wax damage to document] more remiss than I should be otherwise, but far from [document damage] mindful of you My Beloved Orsames than during the period that you said days seem’d months to you while we were divided, I enclose two letters ie one from Ld Banff came to day, & as I thought it contained the news of Lady Banffs delivery I opend it. the other has been here some posts but because I thought you might see the Author of it at Inverary [sic] I quite neglected to enclose it all this time. remember me my dearest so ceptably to all at Levenside, & let me hear particularly about my poor little Folks. Jackie I have a notion is not so thriving as his Br so write honestly if tis so & believe Me My Dearest yours for ever Grace Campbell
Thursday 20th

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

My Dearest Half, I received yours & with pleasure read the accounts of Lady Banffs happy dilivery [sic]. I wish indeed it had been a son, tho’ if it pleases God to recover her she has plenty of time I hope to make all parties pleased; for my own share I love Girls so well, that if you did not dislike them I would wish the little companion I have now to be a daughter, one enjoys their company more & they are far less exposed (through custom) to the vices of a wicked world, which hurries many a precious soul into eternal ruin: poor Doctor Elliot I regret very much (you see my Dr Jewel how much young as well as old, should be prepairing [sic] themselves for another world, for none knows how soon they may be call’d to it; and god knows ’tis not a time to prepare ones self, when attack’d by a deadly distemper) I pitty [sic] his poor wife beyond expression, such a shock I pray God I may never be doom’d to feel; we came here yesterday before Dinner and found all very well, Archie grows more fond of his cousin ev’ry day, & her Love for him is as conspicuous as ever; I never saw so much between two of their age; o’ My Dearest Life I wish you may come out of Town as you intended at first for I hate this long tiresome separation; I shall forward yr letter as desired; my kind congratulatory compts [compliments] to Ld Banff, & remember me My D- to the poor old Captain; I enclose a letter here to Lady Mary, she mentions nothing of coming, so Im afraid they don’t think of it; She makes mention of you in the kindest manner & I’m sure is most sincere, as indeed she always is; & I hope My Dearest most beloved Moitié is sensible none is more so than I am in assuring you of my being intirely [sic] and for ever yours GC.
Levenside
July 15th
Dont forget my dearest to bring out some noisy play thing to Archie, & a little Baby for Jenny, the enclosed, to Mrs Robertson be so good to send immediately; she has a gown to send me which youll order James to put up in your Clock Bag without fail.

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

I received your letter my beloved moitié last night, and am sorry to think you had any uneasiness by my neglect of writing, which was quite owing to my being at Rosedoe and not reflecting that if I did not write by the Boy that went to bring the letters, the post day for answering them would be lost, however to prevent that a second time, I wrote when the fridays letters were sent, forgetting again that it would not go till Sunday when I wrote as usual, so that my Dearest you’d be surprised to receive two in one day, but the way it happened was as I tell you; as to yr Little Mirry letter my Dear Life I was vastly happy in receiving it, and thought myself fondly obliged to you for writing it, as I saw very well it had cost you some trouble, but ‘twould have been a great change indeed if a letter from you wrote in any shape had not been [?] wd come to your little wifie; as you don't mention Lady Banff I hope she is recovering well, & the young Stranger in good health, your Mother would gladly have you purchase back Miss Jennys horse from the Captain, but as she would not give above four or five pound for it, I fancy he’ll not part with it so easily; theres none now to draw the Chaise, I got one from one of the Tennants to lead us to Rosedoe that perform’d finaly; the Book you wanted the list out of, I hope I have hit upon, & shall write it here, just as ’tis set down there;
Jurisdiction Act £0.0.6
Vesting ---------- 0.0.6
Indemnity Act--- 0.0.6
Ward holding--- 0.0.3
Return of ye Rebells- 0.0.2
Highd Dress ------------- 0.0.2

The Monie I wanted I’ve got from Mr Colin, five Pounds in case of emmergencies [sic]; we live very sollitary [sic] here since the Sheriff went away, yr letter to him I shall forward next post for ’twas so late before I received it that the Inverary [sic] post was gone, I beg my dearest you’ll get a pair of scarlet leading strings from Mrs Seton, & bring out with you; I long to hear of my Brs [brother’s] arrival as I hope you wont have any thing to keep you after that [document damaged] our little folks are very well, as all the rest are, & return their compts [compliments] this is all from my most Dearest Life yours wholly GC
Levenside
July 18th