Tower Cottages, 24 January 1876

Long time since the last surviving letter, but in the interim, James Bryden and Marion Glencross have married (almost four years after he emigrated, apparently for that purpose). Marion jokes "long looked for come at last,"* and suggests that if they have twins, she'll come over to help--but she has obviously not attended their wedding, as hoped in previous letters. Nonetheless, she has an opinion about the bride's dress, as it was described to her. Marion Brown has been ill with infected ears and throat in the winter; Tam Scott has also been quite ill and unable to work, and Aunt is "failing." There's some dispute about whether Marion Brown was writing letters back in the recent months--James and Marion Bryden didn't receive them, and indeed they are not in the surviving set. But she says she wrote.

*Here's another 19c. letter between women that uses the same phrase. It also turns up in song lyrics, which makes sense for the sentiment. There's even a "Long Looked For, Come At Last" Vineyard, in Maryland.

Tower Cottages
January 26th 1876

Dear Cousin,

I received your very welcome letter last week and was glad to see from it that you and all other friends was well when you wrote and I hope this will still find you all enjoying the same precious blessing for which we cannot be to thankful for. I am very glad to be able to tell you that we are all better than we have been for some time back Tam has been very poorly he has had inflmation and a bad cold and he has not been able to do much since Martinmas I have had a sore throat and bealing ears and Aunt is the only one that kept pretty strong among us but poor body she is failing altho she has still the spirit. However I hope we will all keep better now when we have got the turn we are looking forward to better weather and surely that will recruit us.

I will claim the old saying over your marriage long looked for come at last so I wish you long life and much happiness and a big family and if you should have twins the first time as Mrs. Johnston had I will come over and help you nurse them. Well Marion I think your dresses would look very well and it is very fashionable to have a dress made in two shades now so I think the two browns would look very well and James I have a word for you to you have no excuse for not writting because you are married you must write oftener and surely when there is two of you as one we will get a letter oftener. you say you have wrote me two letters and got no answer but I have never got any but I have sent away an answer to them whither you got it or not.

Aunt sends her kind regards to you both and wishes much happiness in your married life and long spared to each other, and also to all other friends and she was wondering what was come over uncle John when you wrote last for you never mentioned his name and you are to give Tom Glencross Aunt's kind regards and say she would like to see him now and he is to write a letter himself now I think I have little more worth writting at this time so I will say goodbye with kind love to you all every one from your affectionate cousin, Marion Brown

Tower Cottages, 5 April 1875

In this letter, Marion Brown scolds Marion Glencross for not writing a letter--by writing a brief letter that's mostly about letterwriting. But she also talks about the hard winter--snow still on the hills in April--and Tam's health and work, and Aunt's health (which has been bad), and the Johnstones, and William Glencross and family. This is another instance of Marion Brown taking on the role of news conduit between Scottish and American kin--she also kept John Glencross and his son connected, and kept Marion Glencross's maternal grandmother apprised of her well-being (and vice versa). In a time and place where epistolary literacy could not be taken for granted, her ability and willingness to write letters gave her a chance to be helpful to a range of acquaintances.

Tower Cottages
April 5th 1875

My Dear Cousin

I received your very welcome letter last week and we was really beginning to think that you was not going to write any more, many a time Aunt said she could not understand what neither you nor your father was writting for, since we came here she thinks the time far longer and she takes it very hard to heart when you are long in writting Aunt had a very bad cold about the new year and she has never got the better of it she had rheumatism in her back and down her leg and some times she could scarce walk across the house she has been a little better since the severe storm went away but we have very cold weather yet the hills is white with snow today

I hope this will find you & your Father both well and all the rest of our friends in moderate health when it reaches you.

Cousin Tom is working to Mr. Hyslop just now at whatever he can get to do but he is never very strong when ever he gets the least cold it fixes in his chest and he just coughes on. I have very little new to write as I am not able to go out much and we have a very quite place here. You will likely have heard from James Bryden before you get this that I would like to get Sarah Johnstones address to her Grandmother I was at Sanquhar one day and saw her and she was quite greived that Sarah never wrote to her and she asked me to send to you or some of my friends for her address for she is going to write to her altho she never gets an answer

uncle William and his family are all well and uncle is still working in the woods. It has been a very hard winter here & a great dal of trouble & death around us

Aunt sends her kind regards to you & your Father and hopes you will not be so long in writting again. now I can think of nothing else worth writting at present so with kind love to you and all friends I remain your affectionate cousin

Marion Brown

PS please send Sarah Johnstones address soon and word how she is getting on M B