August 29th My dear Donald Notwithstanding my great wish to see you and my dear little nephew I think that I must not take advantage of your kind wish at this time. Trusting that I may have the happiness of seeing you and Douglas here before long and then if you still wish me to go up with you I will be very glad to do so. Catherine & I get on remarkably well and dearest Archy is as he allways was, full of affection and kindness to his "own" people. He is very busy just now with his garden. I do hope that the "trees" will do well for he is taking a great deal of trouble with them. I do hope that you will be able to come when the garden is in first bloom. I know that you will be pleased with it. We are getting a small flower garden made in front of the house for Catherine and myself to work in. I wish that you would allow Douglas to come here with Alex. The change will do him good & there is plenty of time for his education. We shall take every care of him. I shall miss dear Alex very much. I hope that he will not be long away. He is very kind to me and I am very fond of him. I have not heard from Annabella by the last 2 mails which I think very strange. I wish that you would be so good as send me her last letter to you if you can conveniently get at it. Good kind M Strang was so glad to see us. He was looking remarkably well. Still talking of coming up here but I fear it will end in "talk". He had just a girl of 14 in the house which I think very unwise in the event of anything being the matter with him. I hope that you will accept of the slippers which I braided for you and that they will be large enough. Alex will give you all the news. With my love to Douglas & yourself. I am ever your affectionate sister Catherine Maclean