Letter
#46 to son Alex in Australia
Renton 15th April, 1860
My Dear Son,
I have just received yours of 15th.Feb'y. It opens with rather
unpleasant tidings. One hundred pounds to the dogs, as Robin Carrick used to
say, is no joke.
But the best laid schemes of mice and men gang aft a gley and leave us
nought but grief and pain for promised joy. More cautious for the future is the
lesson taught. It is pleasant to hear that Jack & William are better every
way. I hope they will yet flourish and their tent with a vengeance will undergo
some improvement.
I saw the letter you sent A. Russell. I wrote that Mr. Russell was
looking after a spirit shop and wishing me to join him, but the shops
advertised that we saw were catch pennys. £40 or £50 for furniture and goodwill
of places worth nothing, but dear enough if made something decent, I have not
heard what he has turned his hand too. Annie has left the looms and trying the
caps again.
Hugh McLechtie had a shop in Busby. Mr. Crum told him to give up the
shop or leave the work. Hugh left the work. They differed about Hugh giving the
mill workers credit and stopping the money off their pay. I saw big Jammi e
Pollock; he is working in Glasgow. He say the joiner trade is better now than
it has been since the Western bank failed. The master Jack & Jam mi e
wrought with in Govan has failed twice. Peter Colquhoun will be before the
Lords in a week or two. Marjory Maxwell's husband is in a hopeless state with
consumption. They have 3 children living. He had a good business in the cloth
line in Ayr.
Our papers say this has been the most severe winter this country has had
for 25 years. Snow has lain continuously in some parts of the Highlands for 23
weeks. "For long unyielding, persevering, severity the late season has
been without parallel in our land, instead of a whole autumn to 1859 we had the
half of it. Winter, winter itself was all winter and as far as spring has yet
gone it has been all winter". "We do not know when so great an amount
of deprivation, suffering and death has resulted, both to man and beast from
severe weather".
Some of our weather folks say that when there is a severe season in one
part of the Globe, there is a mild season in another part. If there is a
severe, winter in England, there is a mild winter in another country. It would
appear that, on the same principle, extra cold in the north gives extra heat in
the south. As I see you are suffering from heat as much as we are from cold.
I have no news from Busby. There were 15 printers working. The shawl
trade has been very poor for block printers this season. Kilmarnock printers
have not been in so poor a state for many years. I still move on at Cordale. I
am in no haste for the land of Gold, sunny skies and evergreen woods.
Our worthy newspaper editors will have us at war with France, right or
wrong. Better go to war at once than live continually in fear of it is the
morality of the press. The fear of it is all their own creation. They bring up
spirits and cry for conjurors to put them down. That Napoleon should ever be
mad enough to attack so strong a nation as Britain comes not within the sphere
of probability. Lord John Russell's speech on Napoleon in an
"Examiner" (I sent) is worth the reading. Lord John has no fear of
Nap, but some honourable members and the press seem bent on destroying the
amity that subsists between France & England.
Of our acquaintance I have nothing to say; nothing stirring amongst them.
I just wait in hope of better tidings from Australia. £100 to the pocket,
instead of to the dogs will be something cheering. I see you have continued
with Mr. S. Got assistance I presume. I expect a letter from William in an
improved hand with "Designed by Duncan Smith" in copperplate. Hoping that brotherly love will be shown at all
times,
I remain your affectionate Father,
Alex'r Dick.
Names
& Notes on Letter #46
Robin Carrick
A. Russell & Annie
Hugh McLechtie
Mr. Crum
Jammie Pollock
Peter Colquhoun
Marjory Maxwell
Napoleon
Lord John Russell
- transcription and
Names/Notes by Ian A Scales, c.1989
Scans
of the original letter (click on the thumbnail below for a larger image; note the order of the pages p.4-1,
then p.2-3):
page 4,1
page 2,3
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