Townfoot, 31 May 1882

A quick letter of thanks for a much-welcomed gift of money from America.  Marion Brown's religious resignation and Aunt's love of mail from abroad (and hope for a visit) are repeated here; but there's a bit of optimism, as the weather has been warm and the crops look good.  (But Marion Bryden and the boys didn't ever make that "trip across the sea.")

Townfoot
Sanquhar
31st May 1882

Dear Friends

I received your very kind letter on Saturday and received the money all right on Monday.  Dear friends I cannot express how thankful I am to you for it and may God give you a blessing for your kindness to me.  I have been a long time helpless and does not know how long I may be in the same state nor has no right to know. God's ways are not as our ways and we ought to be as content as we can with our lot in whatever state we may be placed.  

Aunt joins me in many thanks to Uncle John for his kindness to us and hopes he will always have plenty for it has given us great relief in the meantime. Aunt is wonderful in her health but her strength is failing her very much Aunt has her kind regards to you all and says if you could get Marion to set out both her and the boys might be the better of a trip across the sea. 

Robert McWhir sends his kind regards to uncle John and says he would like to have one day with him now.  Tam and his wife and two boys are all well.  I saw uncle William last night and his family are all well.  They tell me that crops of all kinds are looking well this year as yet the weather has been warm in this last two weeks.  Provision of all kinds is very dear. 

I must stop for I am tired excuse all the blunders and be sure and write soon you would not believe how Aunt talks on about letters from America with kind regards to you all I am your affectionate friend Marion Brown

Townfoot, 5 September 1881

It's been almost a year since the last surviving letter.  This letter is perhaps one of the most straightforward portraits of Marion's life as a disabled single woman:  she expresses religious resignation, she is dependent on her cousin and must face his wife's spite in silence, she sees a city doctor who offers her a medication, but she's worried it won't be easy to continue, because cousin Tam's employment is (as usual) minimal.  "My heart was sore when I felt my own helplessness" she confides, to her only possible audience for such private thoughts:  James Bryden and his family, far away in Pennsylvania. 

Townfoot

Sanquhar
5th Septr 1881

My Dear Friends

We are always very glad to see a letter from you, and I hope this will find you all still in the enjoyment of good health which is the best earthly blessing we can have.  It is all the same what we have if we have not health to enjoy it. I have had experience both ways now and sometimes I feel it very hard to be as I am but then again if it is Gods will that I should be as I am I hope I may have grace given me to make me content with my lot, its not the same with us now as when we were at the Bogg and Aunt poor body feels it as much as any one, and more so. 

now James if you was in my place how would you like if anyone was to say to you that you ought to be in the poorhouse one day when Tam's wife said that to me it made me I could never give her an answer but remember neither Tam nor Aunt heard her say it to me nor I sould not tell them for it would do nothing but vex them both and Tam would give the last halfpenny he had for either of us and they have both enough to think of without me telling them any thing she says to me when she gets their backs turned I don't want you to say a word about what I have told you but my heart was sore when I felt my own helplessness and what a burden some of my friends think I am if Aunt had it in her power it would have been different she would not have listened to so many tants[taunts?]. 

There was a doctor here from Edinburgh and our own Dr. brought him to see me several times and he did not give me much encouragement he told me I should have got my back burned with a red hot iron when I turned first ill and it might have been better for me now and he said in all his experience he never saw any one like me before and my case was a very interesting one he gave me some thing to take and I have to give it a fair trial and it may do me some good and my own Dr. will let him know how I am getting on he also told me that I have two distinct complaints and the one is just going against the other so here I have to lie and wait till I see what God in his goodness has in store for me but sometimes it is not so easy to get all a Doctor prescribes. 

Tam is still working with Slimmons horses but he is not very strong at times, things are very dull here the duke seems to have nothing to do for no body the one half of his men are paid off uncle William is still kept on yet and we are very glad for his is so much failed he would not be very able to go about seeking work.

Aunt has her kind regards to you and bids me say you are not to be long in writing she wearies more now as ever she did to hear from you and bids me say she is glad you are all well and the two boys thriving well some times she thinks she would like to see them but it is not likely she ever will now

I must stop for I am tired with kind love to you all every one and all friends in which Aunt joins I am your affectionate cousin Marion Brown

be sure and write soon

Castle Mains, 4 June 1879

This is not a letter by Marion Brown.  She is referred to as "May" in this letter, and has apparently "had a very bad turn."  So her cousin, Tam Scott, is writing instead.  Tam's handwriting is fairly legible for a man's hand, but his spelling, capitalization, grammar, and punctuation are less standard than Marion's, and quite a few words are hard to work out.  Nonetheless, it's a newsy partial letter that gives a glimpse of Tam's personality, and shows Marion Brown's situation from another perspective.

Tam is a new father, it seems, with young Samuel Glencross Scott already 9 weeks old.  We know from other letters that Robina moved into the Castle Mains residence as Tam's wife at the end of January; she must have been quite pregnant at the time, if their son was born in early April.  His mother (Aunt Agnes Scott) is "fair daft" about her first grandchild, but at the time of this letter's writing, she was away from the home, teaching cheesemaking at dairies near Auchengruick (not sure where that is on current maps).  That leaves Marion at home, too ill even to write; a newborn, Samuel; a new mother, Robina; and Tam, who is unable to work from having "smashed ribs."  And, apparently, chickens. Sounds stressful!

Tam says work is scarce, very scarce, especially since the "Duck" (the local landowner; Tam misspells "Duke," or does he?) isn't hiring at the moment.  But Tam is making some money with his prize poultry.  He's obviously proud of his Hamburgs, and travels to various shows to compete with other breeders.  But rats (or "rates") ate a bunch of his best chickens, which made a significant dent in his prospects for earning. 

There's also mention of Robert McWhir, who has turned up in at least two past letters.

Castle Mains
Sanquhar
June 4th 1879

Dear Uncle I take the pleasure of droping you a few lines to let you know how we are all getting on  hopping this will find you all well I may say that May is getting a little better But has had a very bad turn and my mother is well but Bothered with Rehumatism  She is at Auchengruick just now larning them to make the chease she has both the dairs to lairn  She is standing her age well i do not know much els of her but scarce so fast as in formar days I may say that the Wife is well and the Son he is 9 weeks old today and a fine Strong Healthy Boy but i dout he will get too much of his one [own?] will with them.  Mother is fair daft about him and May not much Better I will depart from this topic But first i will give you the Son's name I call him Samuel Glencross Scott 

I may say that Robert McWhir is cum hear for man [men?].  I am of work just now with Smashed Ribs which i got at my work but work hear is very scarce and will be scarcer before it is mor plentful.  the Duck is stoped puting on his repairs sing[?] to his son standing for Mid Lothian and it is a grate pity if he would get on for he is puting this place in a pitful state we are just finishing up old jobs that we had not done it is sed that it will be 3 years before it is any better as the Duck is deep in det their is nothing going on at nothing it dos not mater what it is their is 100 on the Road that cannot get work no place.

Every part is alick their is no use leaving one place and going to another for all is alick bad and markets high you sed I had shurly a good stock of Poultry I have the best Stock of Hamburgs I think in Scottland the have to cum from York and Leads Lincolnshire the best Breeders in England the do nothing else but attend Shows and make their living of them and a good one to I sold eggs of my Birds this year at 6 shillings and 6 pence a dozen their were 2 settings sent to Nottingham and i am going to have a Draw for 4 Pair of my Prize Birds I am getting them Printed at Dumfries i intend to make a little mony of it in this dull tumes I will not stick at nothing I had 44 chickins some 10 weeks old and on Monday night the Rates found them and thought they would make a good supper and killed 6 of them and the Best to I could have got 1 pound a peace for them It will tell hard against me this year for the Shows as you can Scarce get them to run[?], the Shows too years althoe I have an old cock this year has only been shown two times took 1 at Sanquhar and First and Special at New Cumnock show the judge told me he was the Best Cock that he had seen and he put it in the Papers to and I took 2 to at New Cumnock my next hshow will be Dumfries Union Show which is in August i mean to take First at it to if i am well 

I was to give you Robert McWhir's kind love you and Uncle John and you have to send word what sort of a country you are in I could fill the letter about my Birds with Prizes and Remarks at Shows but i will let them drop I hop trade is getting better with you Tom will be a man by this time His cousin Tam is 6 feet and Built from the ground he was home hear at the Saison [?] he always calls it his Home you know he never knew anything els you might tell him to write a letter to me as i fell as  [rest of letter is missing]