in good spirits at times but says she misses you. My wife is in very poor health of late. I think it is the smokeness of the place and the heat and I am going to put up two rooms in front. Holt says he will find all the material and build them cottage fashion for £80 and at the same time if I find that the straw process will answer for the flax I will get a portable iron shed up to dry and pack the flax in at the same time. It is know time now to let anything slip that will make money when there is no demand for sheep. I do not believe in alowing Skellicorn to wash anything but the locks as I see it does not pay. The locks of course pay to wash so you had better write Condie to that effect as I do not like to interfear. I hope you have had better accounts of dear little Douglas's health. I fear that the home winters are two cold for him. Hector Smith in writing to Duff mentions that Tollemache wrote him he would require a change. I believe the best change would be to bring him home to his native country in time beffore decise [disease] may take any further root. I mention this as I am very anxious about the dear boy. I would like to see you for a short time but I supose I need