The letter
provides an insight into the social history of the time and in part reads like
an episode in a Jane Austen novel with references to the social circle of the
time. It also provides interesting observations on the development of children
as well as the style of life British wives were expected to follow when
accompanying their husbands in India.
Jean
MacKillop would have been 55 when this letter was written. She died in 1859.
Her son, John MacKillop, died at the massacre at Cawnpore (India) in 1857.
26 Grosvenor
Place
Bath
23rd
and 25th October 1855
My dearest
Ellie,
We all
rejoiced to receive your nice letter from Madras on the 1st of this
month, giving such good accounts of William’s health and endurance of heat –
they were early days certainly – but gave good promise, and I hope and trust it
may be God’s pleasure to bless you both with health even in the Indian climate.
Pray do not, from the fear of falling into indolent habits, run into the
opposite extreme and overtax your strength in any way; what would be slothful
indulgence at home – is only necessary rest in India, and I hope you will take
a sufficiency of it.
Now for the
bairns. According to my rule; they are all well and happy – I thank God – I
often wish you could both see them.
George is
greatly improved and is reasonable and obedient – he speaks more intelligibly,
and does not lose himself so often in a maze of words and thoughts – I hope
that when he can read he will learn to express himself well and clearly; he had
his first lesson this morning and was very attentive – but I have to begin with
BA again – humanly speaking there will be no more interruptions and I expect to
have to give you a good report of his progress in my next. Bessie tells me he
was most anxious to do everything “as Grandmama would like” during our 11 days
absence. He does not know the Lord’s Prayer quite perfect but almost so. I do
not think he is quick in learning by heart, at present – but his technical
memory will probably improve when he acquires the habit of giving his mind to
his occupation. He is to write to you next, if he is a good boy – this goes via
Marseilles and must therefore be brief and light.
Jeannie is
not so obedient as Georgie and has rather a fancy occasionally for doing what
she is told not to do – because it is forbidden – but she is an
affectionate little body and they are all three very good children.
Last, but
not least in any way, comes Baby – soon after I last wrote to you her cough
became very severe, attended with light fever and great dearrangement of the
stomach and bowels; the two upper eye teeth appeared, and she got slowly better
– but she still had a shake and is not so fat and firm as formerly. Looks black
under the eyes and still coughs a little, i.e; a night and day perhaps, she will
be quite free from the enemy – then she will cough twice or three times in the
24 hours – and I have no doubt this will last to all her teeth are through; the
worst (the upper eye teeth) is however over – I have told you quite the worst
of her case and now to cheer you up with the good; her flesh is mottled, though
a little soft for her – and we all think she is better for not being so (she
still makes nearly two of Jeannie) she eats and digest well, sleeps well, plays
and runs about, scrambles up on Jeanie’s bed whenever she can find the
opportunity and trys <tries> to say everything. “Down dere” is a
favourite expression – she insists on calling your father “Papa” – then asked
where Papa is she points to Wm’s picture. Mr Brace (he attended while Mr B was
away and Mr Ormond both say it is not an unusual way of cutting teeth and only
requires care in avoiding exposure to cold at such times; I give them dresses
up to the neck – Jeannie’s brown pelisse is made into a frock for baby – and
baby’s red one into a frock for Jeannie – Nurse has made a high body to Baby’s
pink frock and Jeannie has a new pink muslin-de-laine those are for their
evening dresses; when the cold weather sets in they will take to their merinos
but I do not mean to give them any but high dresses during the winter –
prevention is better than cure of coughs and colds.
George and
Jeannie were delighted with your letter to them, and George of his own accord,
prayed for the conversion of the heathen and still continues to do so in his
evening prayers.
When I last
wrote to you I had no expectation of making out our proposed visit to Paris; -
and when dear Baby became so unwell, though sorry for the cause, I felt very
thankful that we had been detained at home; and hoped; selfishly perhaps, that
it wd be given up altogether; however; when my poor Aunt became convalescent,
and she wished it, and Bessie volunteered to take my place here, and baby was
then well again (except looking hollow under the eyes), I gave in to your
father’s and Georgie’s desire to go to Paris – I’m not going into details of
all that we did and saw during the 11 days for Georgie will do it much better
than I can – I think the change and the rest from household affairs has as
usual done me good, and I always enjoy home comforts more after I have been
deprived of them for a time.
We saw and
dined with the Learmonths in Wimpole St the day we left home; they are both
looking well and Mrs L has grown stout – they were very friendly and pressing
for us to spend some days with them on our way back from Paris – but it is late
in the season and as my poor Aunt is extremely nervous I could not have
conscientiously have asked Bessie to have remained any longer – besides I am
glad to be home again. The Caltons were in treaty for a house in Reading –
Bessie is growing tall, but still delicate and under a doctor’s care. Mrs
Reilly’s boy has been ill and was still delicate. Tom Learmonth was expected in
a few days from Sebastapol – he has been travelling through Switzerland and
other parts of the Continent during the summer and arrived at Sebastapol a few
days after its fall.
24th
Papa and I went yesterday to pay a wedding visit to Mrs Frederick Inman and
left Georgie to keep guard outside, fortunately as it turned out, for we found
the bride supported by her mother, Mrs R Bridges and Emily Inman in a small
room, and we were scarcely seated when Mr and Mrs G Baker entered, soon followed
by Dr and Mrs Stone, so we took our leave after partaking of cake and wine. It
wd not be fair to form an opinion of Mrs Fred on such a short visit and in such
awkward circumstances. I did not like her mother’s manner, and I think R Bridges by far the best looking and most agreeable of the party at present. On
our way there we met Miss Nash, who had been paying her a visit – she’s looking
out of spirits and told me her mother was very poorly but not from the …
Papa desires
me to say – “He has recd William’s letter from Madras –
The net proceeds of the tea of 1854
– paid in July “56) will be about £50,000
Deduct all expenses 24,000
Leaves to be divided on a capital of
£180,000 £26,000
or nearly
14½ p. ct. He does not, however, expect the Div. Will divide over 10 p. ct. –
They will probably give a profit of upwards of £30,000, and most of that will
likely be divided in 1857. He doesn’t care whether you contribute or not to the
paying for the shares. – You will see from the above they will in a few years be
paid for entirely by the dividends …. his family, which is likely to be
increased in a few months hence. Mr Magee will have the Octagon to himself, I
believe, but this too is not quite settled.
I do not
know how we are to manage if Kensington is shut up. George goes now and then to
afternoon service and he behaved very well last time.
It is time I
concluded this letter – for you will be puzzled to make it out. I would have
entered more into details if I had been aware we cd exceed the ½ oz. Mrs
Learmonth strongly recommends The End by Dr Cumming – I intend to read
it when I get time. God bless you and with best love to Wm – I am ever
My
dearest Ellie
Yr
affectionate Mother
J
E MacKillop
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