Springfield nr Edinburgh January 12th 1857 My dear Donald Yours of July 9th I received and a great comfort it has been to me to hear from you and of Alexander & John and also my beloved little nephew. How glad I am that he is doing so well. May God spare and bless him dear child, for I do love him with all my heart. 4th I am sure my dear Donald you can't say but I have given you quantity if not quality and strange though my production may appear to you, I hope it will at leste deserve an answer for, be assured that nothing gives your other sisters and myself more pleasure than to hear from our brothers and may God bless, keep & guide you in all yr undertakings is the sincere prayer of your ever attached sister Catherine McLean P.S. when you write address care Lady Boswell, Stobs Castle, Hawick, Roxburghshire. We are only here on a visit. Catherine My letter is writen with a steel pen & it looks so ill on the thin paper. Stobs Castle Hawick Roxburghshire I wonder very much that you did not send me his likeness when you sent Uncle's but I hope that you will do so yet. I expect to see the wee pet in May when the "good old man" comes up to Edinr for the General Assembly. I hope that you got my last letter intimating F A's marriage of the 29th April. Lady Boswell kindly allowed me to go to it and I was very much pleased with Mr Conway. He is a gentel nice looking man and I do believe a good man. Since then Annabella paid them a month's visit and she too seems pleased with our brother in law. His income is but small but Flora Anne is a capiatl manager and she will make the most of every thing and turn all to a good amount. A.B. was quite delighted with her mode of management. You seem anxious my dear brother about my marriage with Mr Turnbull but I was obliged to put it off for a year as I gave F A all that I could spare to provide for her wants and my own expences was considerable going so far. Our Uncle gave her ten pounds and I suppose it was your money and if be I am sure you will not grudge it. 2nd I did think and indeed feel some what disappointed that either John or you would have sent me a few pounds ere this as I wrote to you both on the subject. Five or ten pounds would be of great service to me and I feel sure that neither of you would miss it very much but if you can kindly spare it a few pounds it will not be too late yet and if you do send it "pray send it to myself" as what ever you sent formerly we got but little of it. Our dear late aunt's business was only settled a fortnight ago and all that was left over the £40 which you so kindly sent her was just £3.10. I heard from Stranraer today. Catherine heard of dearest Archy's safe arrival in Vallarasia, South America. Poor fellow the losing of his money by that good for nothing fellow in New York was a sore trial for him. He well deserves a better fate but I trust that all [h]is trials are sent for his good. I think Catherine intends going to New York in March to meet him. She is indeed a most amiable woman. Her father and mother are both getting very feeble. Her leaving will be a sore blow to them for she is so kind and gentle. I saw our cousin Capt McDonald at Portobello lately. He is looking wonderfully well. Quite a gent. of the "old school", so "prim'. He asked for you and yr son. I told him that you had sent his likeness to my uncle 3rd and that all who saw it thought him quite a McLean at which he seemed very much pleasd. Duncan McInnes has got a fine and lucrative parish in the North. I hope that he will gain the goodwill of the people. All the family have gone with him. I hope that Archy is getting on well. Give him my love. When I heard last Aunt Anne and bell were well. I was in Edinburgh yesterday. Saw Annabella. She desired me to remember her to you and she will write you herself next mail. She is indeed a sweet charming girl, so pretty, lady like and grateful. It is a great pity that nothing can be done for her. I am most anxious that she should live with me when I take up house but she does not seem inclined to do so. I shall send my wee darling nephew a McLean silk tartan frock by yr friend Dr - when he returns to New Zealand. Will you tell Alexander when you see him or write to him how glad I will be to hear from him and to let me know if he got any of my letters which I sent him to various addresses. It must be a great comfort to you, as well as to himself that he is in the same coloney though 300 miles seems a long way of. We are all looking with anxious eyes for dear John. Was he coming home with a ship or as a passenger. It is a pity that we do not know for certain how he is coming for it makes us so unhappy till we hear from him or of him, but I am writing him too by this mail to his address Melbourne in the hopes that if he has not left he will get it.