7th so sanguine but depend upon it is well meant and I consider your property as my own and would do as much towards it as all I now require is bread for life and that I can labour for. I have got geese hatching two, one of them have young, one 6 nice birds and hens I caused to be layed on eggs and also duck eggs under hens. If God spairs me and us all you will find in one year this place a paridise to what it was. The idia of a sheepherd loitering all his idle time about a house and not as much as to have a hen house or any thing done for comfort was to bad. There was nothing done only when Alexander was about the place. Indeed I hope you will come here in the summer some time. I would be so pleased to see you. I am glade Dugald is getting on so well. I have great hopes of him. I never came across a youngster I thought so much of. I hope and trust in a few years you will be able to go home with him yourself to