Dabton
Thornhill
Thursday Oct 13^th 1870

My dear Papa,

I might have written you a respectable letter today, but unfortunately instead of doing so, I have been sitting at the window staring at some men cutting down a large Sycamore tree near the house, for a longer period than I should like to confess, so I have only left myself half an hour before dressing time! We have been thinning a great deal about the house and shrubbery, and yet there is not much alteration to be noticed yet – for the fact is the place had become very much overgrown during the last few years – and especially during the fall of the leaf, it is not wholesome to have such a dense mass of vegetation. We are very sorry though about one tree that is gone, not through our agency, but through that of the severe gale of wind we had yesterday – one of the two large Ash trees in the middle of the kitchen garden has fallen – very fortunately without doing any damage except to a few gooseberry bushes – but it makes a great blank! it was quite rotten to the centre, & broke in two about twelve feet from the ground. – We had a very nice little visit from M^r & M^rs Mitchell, who left us quite as favourable an impression as we had formed in the winter, & we regretted they could not stay another day or two – They went away last Tuesday morning. Now we have Capt Frederick Ewart & his wife, who have come on to us from Carruchan, & tomorrow M^rs Clark Kennedy and her little girl are coming for a day or two – her visit is very sudden and unexpected – but I have been able, to my great satisfaction, to tuck them in nicely into this week – so as not to interfere with next week. M^rs Kennedy did not mean to come till next week, but I pressed her to come at once & got it managed – there was nothing to prevent her from taking us first & Carruchan afterwards, & we must have taken her either first or second – and I was determined to have no one next week if I possibly could, but I scarcely expected to be so fortunate as this is the “throng” time – for this part of the world, just the time that everybody finds it convenient to come to you – if they come at all. After October one could scarcely get any one if it was ever so desirable – This evening we are going to dine with old M^rs Ewart of Nith-Bank – who is anxious to have her cousins – M^rs Henry who was our neighbour at Bonchurch is staying with her. – It is wonderful how many people I have seen who were all at Ventnor last winter – the other day we met Col. & Lady Emma Talbot, who were at [Mirables?], and M^rs Cyril Graham who was at the Royal Hotel & all began to talk about it – I am so glad to think you have got over the bulk of your clerical annoyances, & that all will now be settled comfortably –

With love to Mama & all y^r most affec^te
Tilly