| Title: | J. Scott, England to Anne Scott, Co. Londonderry |
|---|---|
| ID | 2405 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | Scott, Jane/180 |
| Year | 1835 |
| Sender | Scott, Jane |
| Sender Gender | female |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Bristol, England |
| Destination | Derry, N.Ireland |
| Recipient | Scott, Anne |
| Recipient Gender | female |
| Relationship | sisters |
| Source | T2609/6: Copied by Permission of Mrs J.F. Hodges, Glenravel House, Glenravel |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland |
| Doc. No. | 9804835 |
| Date | 23/03/1835 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 30:04:98. |
| Word Count | 2607 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | To:Mrs [Anne?] Scott Willsborough L:Derry [Londonderry?] Ireland 1835 From: 4 Paragon Clifton Bristol My dearest Anne Your letter was long looked for & most welcome when it did arrive - I thought to myself I sh[oul?]d surely not follow your example in that respect but answer it soon - & when your kind note reached me last Tuesday I sh[oul?]d have sat down instantly to write could I have given a good account of our dear Mother but that I could not then do with truth - now however she is in the drawing room again & going on as usual - she was only two days confined to bed & the attack turned out a much slighter one than we at first anticipated - it is quite extraordinary how very easily she now gets over her little illnesses - her spirits continue [?], & her sweetness & uncommon kindness to all around her unchanged - she is very anxious about dear George's intention of returning to Ireland & longs much to hear of its being changed - Maria intends going to Torquay for a few weeks & returning the week after Easter to leave room for James - your accounts from Torquay have been as late as ours - I do hope from all we hear that George has considerably benefitted by his residence there & that the representations of so many of his friends may have weight & lead him to remain where he is or at least not to return to Ireland for another year - your account of your own health dear Sister I was most truly happy to hear - but others speak of your growing thin & I cannot help fearing little master Tho[ma?]s has more than his share of you - tell me of him too when you write, & if he still bears away the palm in regard to beauty - your account of the dear little girls was most interesting to me - my own little Hannah seems to give promise of more than common powers of mind - I pray that God may grant an abundant blessing on the means used for them all dear Sister & that you may have the comfort of seeing a plentiful return for the care & culture you are enabled to bestow upon them - Miss M I fear from what I hear is not a very able assistant - but for the time past I suppose she answered pretty well - - Hannah's taste for languages you will of course cultivate - I was quite surprised to hear of her commencement in German - I do think it is in that respect especially that mistakes are often made in education - not following the bent that nature points out when particular tastes are shown & endeavouring to force others which have not been give - like Caroline Frys goosberry [gooseberry?] & bramble bush - not that I think very marked predilections are shown in all characters - experience [?]s that such is not the case - & when there is not very strong bias of any kind in early youth, it seems to be our part to afford equal cultivation, if in our power to all the talents till the tastes become developed - but I rather think that in the latter class there would never be such eminence in any particular branches as when a decided bent is observed early - tho [though?]' the judgement & reasoning powers might be equal - as I suppose from what I hear you have decided on parting with Miss M:, I greatly wish you may get some one to fill her place - well able to enter into & caring on your plans - for if life is spared you know in perspective one still sees your numbers increasing, & it would surely be a good comfort to have an able assistant & one you could fully depend on as to principle - the latter part I mean as applying to the one in prospect, for that you had with Miss Mackay - George & Bessy continue pleased with Mademoiselle - but she seems to have almost a horror of Ireland - I was sorry to miss seeing Miss Styles when she brought me your letter - we were just going to dinner & I did not know who brought me your letter till she was gone - she is staying a few miles from this, but I hope will call when she is next in Clifton Mr & Miss Campbell called on me the same day, & told me they had concluded the engagement & that Miss S: was to join them in Scotland in June - You ask me about Charlottes lessons - all is now arranged in regard to her so much to my mind that I feel afraid of my corrupt & deceitful heart resting in human things, & bringing most deserved disappointment - "take away the rebuke I am afraid of" I feel the language of my heart for if I have learnt anything it is, that it is when the eye is fixed on God in Christ alone we can hope for a blessing - if we are earnest & perservering in continually offering up our all - our children into the Lords hands I feel assured He will bless them sooner or later - & I pray we may use all human helps as instruments which He alone can render of any use - but this is a long digression & too important a preface to the small matter succeeding it - My dear Child I had been feeling much for a good while past, was in want of some one more able to call out & to cultivate her mind than myself & I was turning over many plans in my mind feeling certain that in the natural course of events, the summer & autumn must suffer should the springtime be neglected - for tho [though?]' we may assuredly look to our God to bless the use of means, we cannot hope for miracles to be wrought to do away our omissions - I had heard much of a Miss Mar [Marmont?] who was many years at the head of her sisters school which is much thought of by the wordly [worldly?], but when she became sensible that there is another world to live for besides this one, they differed on such essential points that she found it needful to separate she was living in Dorsetshire when I heard of her & I had written part of a letter to see how far she would be in any way of use to me - but thought I wd [would?] keep it for a few days longer I heard she was most unexpectedly coming here - & step by step various things occurred to lead her to fix her in the [Paragon?] within a few doors, with the intention of taking morng [morning?] Pupils from 9 o'clock till 2 - she only began last Monday - & my child is as yet her only Pupil - but she is so thoroughly well qualified I do think when she becomes known many will be anxious to take advantage of her instruction - she kindly gives me leave to be present when I like, & her plan does appear to me excellent & her method of teaching admirable - she gives no lessons to be learnt by heart, but works the mind & sees that all is taken in thoroughly - the first hour is scripture & reading connected with it - the remaining hours are arranged for the week so as to give variety of occupation without irregularity - a regular course of anct [ancient?] & modern grammar, Geography, arithmetic & French - in short her plan is to carry on all that is needful in education with the assistance of masters - music excepted - I have still Mr Hastwell twice in the week for the use of the Globes, Latin, geometry &c &c but when Miss Marmonts pupils increase (if they do increase) she intends having him to attend at her school, when of course the necessity for my having him wd [would?] cease - you asked me to tell you of her lessons dearest Anne - & you see what a history I have given you - if it would be of any use in regard to your future plans I could easily write out for you the employment of the hours during the week in regular order, as she gave C: a card with the different hours marked - the Book you mention - Bickerstiths Domestic Portraiture, we read when it first came out - at least if it is the work I think it is - the life of Mrs John Bick [Bickerstith?] - she was a most valuable character - & we read it with great interest - her eldest daughter was for ten years with Mrs French, & tho [though?]' quite a young person, is now acting like a most judicious intelligent Mother by her Father's large family - I had heard much of Mrs B: from dear Mrs Mayor - the mayors lost some time ago their eldest son - but i shd [should?] not say lost - for it pleased God in His tender mercy to grant them abundant evidence that he had passed from death into life - he had shortly before been the strongest of the family & was very promising - but tho [though?] thro [through?] much & sharp natural sorrow they were from the first enabled to say "it is well" & to feel fervently thankful to our God for answering their prayers in regard to him - Mr Ed: Bickerstith now always brings forward in preaching the 2d [second?] & personal coming of our Lord, as an event that may be near at hand, as an incentive to preparation for his appearing - may we all watch & pray & prepare - Luke 21-34-30- - there are many separating from the established Church for the present day - in this little [?] the number seems increasing but I fear many are led by a desire for change & longing for some new thing rather than the motive they persuade themselves the [they?] are acting on - we live in times that call in a special manner for watchfulness against the evening & prayer that we may be kept in sobriety of mind - may our blessed Lord enable us to look unto Him continually - & to learn of Him to be meek & lowly in heart & then we shall assuredly find rest unto our souls - may we grow in grace & in the knowledge & love of our Lord & Saviour Jesus Xt [Christ?] - our minister Mr Hinsman gives very safe sermons - & sometimes very excellent ones - but it is a pity that with such an ample field as displayed in the S[acred?] Scriptures, he should keep so much on one spot, when we know that all is profitable while kept in the same proportion & place as found in the word of Truth - - however it is cause for thanksgiving having over so sound in doctrine - his curate Mr Hunt seems to be one steadily, & of late rapidly growing in devotedness to His Lord's service - - Monday March 23d I fully intended sending this on Saturday but was prevented, & this mornings post brought a letter from dear George - his mind seemed to have been much wavering about leaving Torquay, but hearing of Mr Hendersons leaving Balthagh will I fear decide his movements - what is the reason of his returning to his own house, - George does not mention his own health we must trust & pray he will be guided for the best in every way - our dear Mother went to the Church yesterday & did not suffer in the least by it, tho[ugh?]' we thought it would have been more prudent in her to have remained at home, after so late an attack - she is quite recovered - she had a little hestitation when she mentioned to you that my dear Father was coming to me for it is by no means fixed - he only said he was thinking of it - & kindly expresses a wish to spend his latter days with me - but there is not anything in the least fixed - if dearest Letitia accompanied him it might answer well - but in case she sh[oul?]d be tempted to settle where she is, much might make it at least questionable, whether it might not be better for me to join him in Canada - but I feel assured that in time - in good time, all will be made plain & as in other things I feel the only comfort is to place it in all its [learnings?] in the wisest, & best, & kindest hands - if it should appear in the way of duty for me to go, different things appear to make it at present plain that it could not be, for two years, or a year & half at least - & that it is a very long time to look forward to in this uncertain life - my reason for speaking of it is that from what our dear Mother said, I fear you think it is a settled thing - & if it came round in any shape to the ears of some of our relations they might think it odd they had not heard of it more directly - Maria has just been in & begs I will tell you with her affect[iona?]te love that she hopes very soon to write to you - & wishes to know if you wd [would?] like any active step to be taken in regard to governess & what salary you wd[would?] like to give - & also that you will mention any particulars you can think of in regard to her - I am afraid this writing is much too small & close for crossing and I meant to tell you of the family in this house with me in Drawing rooms - I generally try to avoid in every way getting acquainted with strangers in such close contact - but here it was quite unavoidable as Mr & Mrs Crossman each came to see me & a very pleasing Xtian [Christian?] family they are with only two daughters, the eldest of 19 laid up on the sofa with a spine complaint & other illnesses - the youngest of 15 is uncommonly talented & I feel it may be good for my child coming in contact with such superior powers of mind - Mr C: is a Clergyman - Mr C lively & clever & excellent - desiring to be subdued under the hand of our God I must finish or you will not be able to read this - Charlotte begs many loves to the dear little ones & yourself give them also Aunt Janes kind love - remember me most affect[ionate?]ly to dear Thomas - & tell me particularly of Willy C I do hope the improvement in his health will be lasting [?] sister I [?] our dear Mother begged her most affect [affectionate?] love to you both & that she hopes very soon to write to Tho [Thomas?] but as I am doing so now she will defer her answer to Thos's [Thomas?] kind letter |
