I have been thinking over and over my brother's affairs, and I fear I
must cut him up; but on this I will correspond at another time,
particularly as I shall [require] your advice.
must cut him up; but on this I will correspond at another time,
particularly as I shall [require] your advice.
Robert Forst
JAMES BURNESS,
WRITER, MONTROSE.
[The good, the warm-hearted James Burness sent his cousin ten pounds
on the 29th of July--he sent five pounds afterwards to the family, and
offered to take one of the boys, and educate him in his own profession
of a writer. All this was unknown to the world till lately. ]
_Brow, 12th July. _
MY DEAR COUSIN,
When you offered me money assistance, little did I think I should want
it so soon. A rascal of a haberdasher, to whom I owe a considerable
bill, taking it into his head that I am dying, has commenced process
against me, and will infallibly put my emaciated body into jail. Will
you be so good as to accommodate me, and that by return of post, with
ten pounds? O James! did you know the pride of my heart, you would
feel doubly for me! Alas! I am not used to beg! The worst of it is, my
health was coming about finely; you know, and my physician assured me,
that melancholy and low spirits are half my disease; guess then my
horrors since this business began. If I had it settled, I would be, I
think, quite well in a manner. How shall I use the language to you, O
do not disappoint me! but strong necessity's curst command.
I have been thinking over and over my brother's affairs, and I fear I
must cut him up; but on this I will correspond at another time,
particularly as I shall [require] your advice.
Forgive me for once more mentioning by return of post;--save me from
the horrors of a jail!
My compliments to my friend James, and to all the rest. I do not know
what I have written. The subject is so horrible I dare not look it
over again.
Farewell.
R. B.
* * * * *
CCCXLIV.
TO JAMES GRACIE, ESQ.
[James Gracie was, for some time, a banker in Dumfries: his eldest son,
a fine, high-spirited youth, fell by a rifle-ball in America, when
leading the troops to the attack on Washington. ]
_Brow, Wednesday Morning, 16th July, 1796. _
MY DEAR SIR,
It would [be] doing high injustice to this place not to acknowledge
that my rheumatisms have derived great benefits from it already; but
alas! my loss of appetite still continues. I shall not need your kind
offer _this week_, and I return to town the beginning of next week, it
not being a tide-week. I am detaining a man in a burning hurry.
WRITER, MONTROSE.
[The good, the warm-hearted James Burness sent his cousin ten pounds
on the 29th of July--he sent five pounds afterwards to the family, and
offered to take one of the boys, and educate him in his own profession
of a writer. All this was unknown to the world till lately. ]
_Brow, 12th July. _
MY DEAR COUSIN,
When you offered me money assistance, little did I think I should want
it so soon. A rascal of a haberdasher, to whom I owe a considerable
bill, taking it into his head that I am dying, has commenced process
against me, and will infallibly put my emaciated body into jail. Will
you be so good as to accommodate me, and that by return of post, with
ten pounds? O James! did you know the pride of my heart, you would
feel doubly for me! Alas! I am not used to beg! The worst of it is, my
health was coming about finely; you know, and my physician assured me,
that melancholy and low spirits are half my disease; guess then my
horrors since this business began. If I had it settled, I would be, I
think, quite well in a manner. How shall I use the language to you, O
do not disappoint me! but strong necessity's curst command.
I have been thinking over and over my brother's affairs, and I fear I
must cut him up; but on this I will correspond at another time,
particularly as I shall [require] your advice.
Forgive me for once more mentioning by return of post;--save me from
the horrors of a jail!
My compliments to my friend James, and to all the rest. I do not know
what I have written. The subject is so horrible I dare not look it
over again.
Farewell.
R. B.
* * * * *
CCCXLIV.
TO JAMES GRACIE, ESQ.
[James Gracie was, for some time, a banker in Dumfries: his eldest son,
a fine, high-spirited youth, fell by a rifle-ball in America, when
leading the troops to the attack on Washington. ]
_Brow, Wednesday Morning, 16th July, 1796. _
MY DEAR SIR,
It would [be] doing high injustice to this place not to acknowledge
that my rheumatisms have derived great benefits from it already; but
alas! my loss of appetite still continues. I shall not need your kind
offer _this week_, and I return to town the beginning of next week, it
not being a tide-week. I am detaining a man in a burning hurry.
