This letter has been transcribed using Google voice typing
(apologies for any inaccuracies or grammatical oddities).
I have inserted some extra
paragraph breaks for ease of reading (and the bracketed numbers refer to the
pages).
Scans of the original
letter are included below the text.Busby July 22/60
Dear Alex
I have to acknowledge the welcome receipt of your last (of date 12th April) + several newspapers. I am sorry that you have still such long hours but since you seem to be making a little money through it all, it may be as well to suffer. I was sorry to hear of that unfortunate transaction with the farmer. The sums there mentioned as being lost and regained are so far beyond my own experience in such matters that I can scarcely conceive what cares and toils are spent in the procuring of them, but I am sure it must have cost you some grievous annoyance. I was glad that you sold the rascal out, for your own sake and to serve him for a lesson.
I hope the “Havelock’’ is sustaining its reputation and that the dividends have kept up with your expectation - if so, you may soon recover lost ground. I am glad to hear that John and William are doing better. I wish them still brighter prospects.
p.2) Since I wrote last trade has been exceedingly dull in Busby. the engravers have scarcely had half time for two months however, things are looking better now, and we must just learn to prepare against such contingencies for the future. The field rifle corps is now in a flourishing state. We last week passed the Govt inspection with considerable credit. The band is getting rather more polished and may soon be quite passible. We have all got our rifles and swords uniforms &c and really look something like the right thing. The dress is a light grey with a few ornaments in black and red braid. The cap a smart model of the French style with glazed tip + “faced” in the same way as the tunic, with, in the hand, the addition a small “plume” of black silk. I had a tenor trombone at first, but after a week or two I got a leading cornet. What his reasons were for giving me a subordinate instrument and putting others at the
(+ A. Maitland bandmaster)
p.3) leading instruments who could not read a note for their life, I never could well understand. However I said nothing but did my work.
There are few noticeable changes taking place in the village except those wrought by the sickle of Death. Only last Tuesday died one of your old friends whom we have both mentioned in our correspondence, perhaps on my part with a somewhat hasty judgement. I refer to Katie White, Hugh’s wife. She died of inflamation in the womb after giving birth of a daughter a few days before. She was buried on Thurs in the Southern Necropolis. I attended her funeral along with about a hundred more. Poor Hugh looked really bereaved. Her father and some brothers were there. We met in Wilson’s Hall and after Prayer by Mr Dick were served with biscuits and wine. -
Puir (?) Will Campbell died about 2 months ago of cancer in the face. Sandy Barr shortly after of brain disease. They have a man now working the farm and Aggie does
p.4) The management of the home work.
We have got another Glasgow tour just over. I went in on Saturday and had a row up Clyde to Dalmarnock Bridge with my friend Chisholm whom I have mentioned before. Up there we had a bathe, then away to his house to dinner. Afterwards we went to our concert room until the late ’Bus sailed when I took passage home with it. On Monday again I went in for a walk thro’ the town, went m….(?) to a twopenny show + had a good laugh at the impoverished state of the respective Joe Millers illustrated with paint to suit the varied tastes of such an assembly and about as destitute of wit as you could possibly imagine. We had the white clown, the black clown, the red clown, the yellow clown and the half and half ditto who looked as if that bungler Dame Nature, in a fit of intoxication, had stuck a blue man’s belly on a pink men's back and so left the job in the form of the most abject, dispirited and pocketless clown ever sent to add his farthing’s worth to a twopenny budget of …(?)
p.5) After leaving the show I went to a teetotal concert in Grundyke Hall (of old the Queen's Theatre). The best talent in Glasgow was there, but the audience was not over forty I am certain + I believe that on other days of the week the attempt equally failed to draw.
Another trip home per bus finished my Fair holidays so that on the whole it was no fair to me, at least comparing it with what used to be considered indispensable to the festivities of the occasion.
As there were many strangers coming and going about Mr Rankin’s, I did not go down to see Mary at all, so that I have kept the best to the last and must go down soon since the bustle is all past. I had begun to lay past a little money towards the consumation of all our hopes, but the bad trade hindered that scheme for the time, however I am not afraid but the thing will be managed in good time. I know she will get as much from her father as would suffice in itself to do the whole business
p.6) but I have just enough of old-fashioned pride in me to make me determine that I shall do it all by my own exertions, without in the least undervaluing his intended kindness, but only showing the more that we both deserve it. That is the reason I am still amongst those who hesitate to be - to do - to suffer. (!!!)
I have not seen nor heard of your father since I wrote last. I am somewhat sorry at this, for I remember very well that I promised to see him often and let you know how he was in case he might not like to tell you all that came in his way. I intend the first time I go down to Leven to look for him and see how he is getting on. All your friends about Leven as just as usual I hear, I have no opportunity of seeing them but Mary has promised to apprise me of anything which may happen. -
We are all getting on well at home. Father has arrived all well, and gives us much useful
p.7) + amusing information about the Turks. He has brought home some curiosities in “stones precious”, shells, plants, works of art and pictures. He will not go back again, but intends to look for some situation at or about home.
We have dreadful news from Syria but I have heard no word from Rattray since disturbance is broke out. If he be safe he will think there is little use in sending word, if dead I think there will be little use of looking for any. still I am anxious to hear how the poor fellow is living.
I am getting on pretty well myself. The most of my time meanwhile is taken up with cornet practice. I devote also a little to the study of Handel, but am at present engaged with no composing efforts. I still keep up a practice for the band in the church, and the usual weekly meetings of the Mus. Association; so with these and lessons twice a week to Miss Gay on the piano my time is fully taken up.
p. 8) I have been spoken to by severals to give lessons in music at a moderate fee, but have too many objections to overcome before I can persuade myself to attempt it. I have tuned many of the pianos in the place and given various lessons too, but have always refused to charge so that I am free to go and come as I please and besides they feel to ask me to come again seeming that I force the obligation on them.
I think for the present this is the safest position for me here, so I choose to hold it good; by + bye when I have a house of my own I may take in pupils, if I think it advisable.
I have no political news to send; indeed I have been so unfitted, by other duties, for attending to such subjects for some time, that I am nearly quite ignorant of all that is passing; we had the Comet, the rifle competition, the ditto review, the Great Eastern, the Eclipse, Garribaldi and the Chinese war to come (+ by the bye - but to the U-l (?) with the paper duty) but all these may be had for a penny so to save room, I will dismiss them each and all with, (I presume) our united good wishes.
Dear Alex I have done for a time, I doubt if this be up to the mark, but with promises of better things in future, I hope you will accept my best wishes for all friends and yourself first.
I am ever yours,
Wm Moodie
Tell Jack that Davey McPherson was married to a Miss Rankin, at the Fair, but owing to internecine troubles none of the McP family attended to witness the degradation of a lost brother.
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, etc.):
p.4,1
p.2,3
p.8,5
p.6,7
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