Dabton
Thornhill
Feb. 4th 1869
My dear Papa,
I have given directions for your plant to be packed up this afternoon, and sent off, and I hope it will reach you in safety – We continue to have the most wonderful & extraordinary weather that I ever remember to have seen at this time of the year. So mild, that every sort of spring flower is coming into blossom – What we are to have after this, I am at a loss to imagine! The Storms of wind & rain are very frequent but not so violent as in the South – & one or two short attempts at frost which we have had have been decided failures – There is still some excitement in this part of the world about these tiresome elections – a good many of the people are not satisfied to allow Sir S. Waterton to carry off such an easy victory & wish Major Walker to stand again – he on the other hand is not anxious to come forward unless there is a reasonable prospect of his winning the day – a second defeat would be very disagreable – & so much time has been lost altogether, that I do not know whether anything will be attempted ultimately or not – John to Dumfries <sic> yesterday to attend a meeting called by the farmers of this district on the subject – to settle whether there should be a requisition to Major Walker asking him to stand again or not – He has not returned yet, so I do not know the result – I wrote to Charles on his birthday, and I expect to hear from them soon – I have not had a letter since I wrote before that – & they did not say anything to me about moving – I am glad they are talking of it, as it looks as if they were all pretty flourishing, but I do not suppose they will really put it into execution for some time yet – I heard from the Gladstones a short time ago, that their Cousins the Miss Stewarts, complained of frost & snow at San Remo, where they are this winter, & that all the Orange trees were killed! So our people are better off –
Goodbye, dear Papa, with much love
Yr affecte daughter
Tilly