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Show Lochee, 29th August 1884 Dear Uncle According to promise I should have written you long before this but I am sure you will excuse me when I tell you that the Doctor has scarcely been a day out of our house for the past 3 months. Our children were first attacked by scarlet fever and then measles. These two troubles have been very prevalent here for sometime back, but I am glad to say those affected are now rapidly decreasing. Our youngsters are all running about again, but my wife as you can easily suppose is very much knocked up with the fatigue and anxiety she has had to go through. Aunt Elizabeth at Cragie Loch has also been very poorly all summer. It has been on account of her illness that the settlement in connection with the property has been delayed. It was only last Saturday she was able to sign her disposition but as that is now done I expect that Mr. Boyd, solicitor, will be able to settle with you and all others interested in about a week or ten days at most. Aunt, although still very weak, is able to get up and move about. She is regretting very much that she will be unable to render any assistance in the harvest operations. When well, she enjoys harvest work. Thomas Wallace [Elizabeth's husband], although very frail, is in fairly good health. Janet and John are both well. Isabella and Margaret, who are married and have homes of their own, while enjoying fairly good health themselves, have had a good deal of distress in their families. I send you George Wallace's address. He will be able to give you David's address at his Cragie Loch friends are not sure about it. [David Wallace went to America about 1877] I mention to you in one of my letters that William Esplin had not been behaving well. Through his drinking habits he lost several good situations and latterly he could not get employment at all. This being the case he was advised to try America and this he has done. He has now been about a month in New York, but I am sorry to say that the last word I had from his wife, who lives at Bro. Ferry, is to the effect that he has not yet succeeded in getting anything to do. I sincerely hope he will have better success before long as his wife is far from being in good circumstances. She is an excellent and she is doing the best she can for her family, 4 in number. She has a good well furnished house and she is taking in gentlemen lodgers. Her mother stays with her and helps her. Should he be fortunate enough in getting settled in America I will send you his address. I had a letter from David Annand the other day. He says that things are rather backward with them at present but that on the whole they have nothing great to complain of and are all blessed with good health. I hope you and your family are keeping well. Give my kindest wishes to my aunt and all my cousins and with kind regards to yourself I am your affectionate nephew David Esplin |
