Wm Moodie Letter 20 - July 1859 – 12 pages
- excerpts (using ‘Google’ transcription). Scans of the original letter pages are below.
High St Dumbarton
The first several the
pages deal with Wm’s observations on the Austrian/ French war.
p.5) ….Trade has been
pretty busy for a month or two. I believe the manufacturing department
declining again in some quarters.
p. 6) I believe they
have had a good run of work in Busby and John tells me that it continues yet.
While writing of Busby I may say that John is quite well and likes his place
well and is liked by the church (?) in return. Old Baldie Galbraith is
dead. He died before the end of last month so that is another brick in the old
association of the place which has fallen to the ground. Made the evil he did
never rise against him.
About the Vale there
is nothing going on except the building of a police office in Bridge Street.
All your friends and my friends are quite well. My father is still in the mint
and talks of coming home soon, but until he hears of another situation will not
leave I think. I have no words from my Syrian friend indeed have had none since
I last wrote to you....
The building trade on
which I depend is at present very brisk all over the island, except in
Dumbarton. The town is nearly at a standstill and is daily getting worse as far
as we see. Unless something brings us good news I might expect to be paid off
in about 3 weeks. I don't intend to leave Dumbarton
p.7) until I see if I
cannot get up a sufficiently numerous singing class to make a profitable stay.
There is nothing of the friend (?) about the town but it is rather early in the
year yet as the majority of those who would send their children are at the
seaside.
I am a candidate just
now for Cardross church precentorship but I am not very sanguine of success as
it is wholly by singing qualifications that such places are won, and that is my
very weakest point as I have sung little for 7 or 8 years.
However my name
(?) will help a little to fill up that rent in my cloak of virtues. I am always
trying my hand a little at the writing. I am just now engaged with the Lord's
Prayer. It is the first of that style and perhaps a little too high for me, but
it was not thro’ presumption that I tried it but to try to bring out more truly
a spirit of reverence I feel peculiarly for that prayer. I have started too the
study of instrumentation that is the last study in connection with a course of
lessons. But I have much to do yet before I can ... master that extensive
branch of the science.
I am thinking to compile
an instruction book on my own plan of teaching for the use of my own pupils. It
cost so much for a good book That people would grudge to buy it & for a
cheap one, they are most incomplete as far as I have seen, having
p.8) neither
simplicity nor the taste to make it attractive (?) nor the judgement in
selection of the examples to make it profitable as a study.
I think I told you
before that I had sent an anthem to Glasgow to get it criticized... I have
never heard more of it.
...I have given up
the English Chapel to have my Sundays to myself. They were not using me
honourably so I resigned. The clergyman plays himself now and I suppose pockets
the reduced salary.
I have given up my
piano lessons for the summer months so I'm not making much penniwise (?), But
time is sometimes better than money so I turn it to account in lessons. I never
see John total these days now but I believe he is always moving about in Will
Denny Boat’rs (?). The last time I saw him - immediately after I wrote
last to you, he was asking for you and had not been at that time at the Vale to
see your father, but intended going soon.
I think there must
have arisen some coolings between your father and Alex Stevens, as I went to
Alex to see whether your father was still in Dalmonach or not and he could tell
nothing
p.9) about him, neither
where he was working nor where he lodged, so that I am sorry to have nothing to
say of him ….
I forgot, in writing
of Alexandria, to tell you off another instrumental demonstration which took
place in the public park in Bridge Street. There were clever bands
present and we had really some fine music, Also there was something different
too. To see such a gathering of musicians and such orderly and appreciative
behaviour in the audience, which was numbered by thousands, made one feel a
little proud of their natve place. I believe it is the only thing of the kind
which takes place in Scotland and certainly some of the finest bands in
Scotland were there. I could not take it up on me to pronounce a final
judgement as to their merit but I thought the ‘Glasgow Blind Asylum Band” the
best there that day.
...On the delicate
subject of my Affairs de Coeur ….
p.10) I am always living
on in hope of golden opportunities lying in my path at some (not distant) future
day, but as I am placed I am too cautious to commit myself to a state of things
I may find cause to rue before the last quarter of the “Honey Moon”. I
think it must tarnish the brightness of one’s happiness to find that even it -
the fruit- suppose it- of the finest love- must wait on the dross
of the Earth called “riches”.
Mary sends her best
regards along with me to you, we often speak of you and of the happy days and
nights I spent with you before the gold finding started in Australia…...
p.11) ….I hope Jack
and Willie are making something of their trade at that place you
mentioned in your last. They have been much knocked about. It is most
unfortunate that your mining is so hopelessly lost in those. … gravel pits…… I
hope W. Stevens is still managing to make both ends meet and something to
spare. Do you ever hear of McCullen (?) now and what his fate was. If you ever
see Cunn. Gray give him my compliments.
p.12) …. I don't know
if I told you before that Maggie was married a while ago to her “Thornie one”.
I hear no word of Bella Scobie …...
Scans of the original letter (note format of pages – p.4&1, then 2&3 etc.); click on
thumbnails for larger images:
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