Bogg, 10 January 1872

A short, damaged two-sided letter this time. Marion sends holiday wishes and reports on her own father's health (poor), a visit from Davie Williamson, apparently a local man who has emigrated and returned on a visit, and in the PS a note about the health of Uncle John's son John Glencross in Carmacoup.

The Bogg
January 10th, 1872

Dear Cousin

I wish you & your Father both a happy new year and I hope it will find you both well [I am?] glad to be able to tell you that this leaves us all in a moderate state of health for which we ought to be very thankful, uncle William and his family are all well you may tell your father [that?] my father is a little better [he?] had what is called watery [paper torn] in his arm and got [paper torn] now when the pain is away he is so weak he cannot walk across the floor. We had a call from Davie Williamson last week and had a long talk about our friends in America he will soon be going away I wish I had been going with him I dont know how it is but I have always the [paper torn] to be in America. There is not[hing?] new going on here just now the cows are all doing very well [paper torn] I will be writting to you before [long?] if well and I will can tell you how heavy the swine was we are going to kill next week. Davie Williamson is going to take a cousin of his with him to America her name is Isabella Johnstone [paper torn] am going a new years card to Uncle Joseph's little Agnes and one to little James and one to yourself give all that asks for me my kind love not forgetting your father and your own dear [self?]

I remain your loving cousin Marion Brown

PS Cousin John Glencross at Carmacoup was no better the [last?] word I got. M. B. Aunt Marion will know who these two cards are from

Bogg, 14 September 1871

Disease and harvest work are the main topics here: Aunt Agnes and cousin John Glencross have both been ill in recent times as Marion Brown writes this letter. Aunt, however, is so hard-working, "she will make cheese till she falls into the whey tub." The crops have also been diseased, both the potatoes and the turnips, but they hay was plentiful and Aunt made a lot of cheese in its season.

Dear Uncle

You will be thinking I am long in answering your most welcome letter and welcome it was for we was wearing very much to get a letter from yourself altho we was always hearing how you & Marion was getting on when uncle Joseph wrote that did not satisify us for many a time both Aunt & myself wondered what was come over you However we was very glad to see from your letter that you was well and I am happy to say this leaves us in moderate health but I think Aunt will do as you said in your letter she will make cheese till she falls into the whey tub she has not been so strong this summer she is often troubled with a pain in her back and when it comes in she can scarcly walk and it is a queer house when she can not go about in her useal way but I hope she will keep well if it is Gods will without his help we can do nothing and we ought to be very thankful as long as we are in a moderate state of health.

I must begin and tell you what is going on about the Bogg all the hay is in now and Tam tells me there is as much as was last year we have two as big stacks and the shed filled and those big ricks so I think what ever is wanting there will be no want of hay the potatoe crop is not so good in some parts they are mostly gone with disease our potatoes are diseased to but not so bad yet as some of our neighbours is they tell me the turnips is not very good either they are going with that finger and toe disease so I think the hay will be the most plentiful crop we have. the cows has been wonderful good this year Aunt thinks her cheese will be heavier this year as they were last year. and for pigs Aunt has not so many this year she will have three ready to kill about Martinmas and one breader she thinks will be a good one and another breeder she does not know what it will do yet there is a disease among swine here just now and a great many people is lossing there swine out and out

I have to tell you from uncle William that he has been at Brandleys in harvest they have all the corn cut but none in yet uncle Williams wife & family are all well at present my father and Brother and all the rest of our friends here are all in moderate health.

Cousin John Glencross at Carmacoup has been very bad he has had inflammation of the lung and liver he was very bad for six weeks but the last letter I got from him he was a little better and able to sit up an hour or two. You are to tell uncle Joseph that we got in all our hay in three days there was five hourse one day and four the other two and you are to say from Aunt that she was well served for forkers she had three young men and one married one John Laing Samuel Ballingtyne Robert Hannen these were the three young ones and Thomas McGeachan and you are to tell him from Tam that the day the five horse was on Robert Hannen and him was very hard kept for there was just three forkers at the stack for three at the field and by the time they were at the head of the stack Tam was begun to spell uncle William had to keep the stack for James Hunter was among sheep.

now I will stop as I am going to write a piece to Marion so I will say goodbye remaining your affectionate neice Marion

be sure and write before long you don't believe how Aunt wearies to hear from you M. B.