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great, but this defect he surmounted by the most unwearied industry. When he came to me he was ignorant of the English alphabet, but, before he went to Jamaica, he talked English with the utmost fluency, could write a beautiful hand, and read English and Gaelic, and figured not contemptibly. His continual conversation with me astonishingly improved his mind, and made him learn ten times better than he could have done with any other master. In that state of improvement and preparation I sent him away. His uncle assures me, from what he has seen of him, that he would be an ornament to society, had it pleased God to spare him, but to the adorable decrees of Heaven we must submit! This is the sixth arrow shot at our house from the bow of the fatal angel since six years, but God gave and God hath taken ; adored be His ever blessed name! With friendly compliments to you and the poor disconsolate mother, believe me, dear Donald, yours very sincerely,

"Aberdeen, Jan. 24th, 1819."

"EWEN MACLACHLAN.

This letter is so wonderfully beautiful and pathetic, both as an expression of Ewen's own great grief at the loss of his favourite nephew, and as an attempt to administer some consolation to the "disconsolate" mother and other sorrowing relatives of the deceased, that, it seems to me, any enlarged commentary on it would here be entirely out of place. I regard it simply as a gem that would form a very respectable addition to any collection of consolatory letters, ancient or modern.

When the intelligence of William's death arrived, great was the consternation and sorrow which it produced at Culblair and Ardnagrask. Donald was very much affected, and it is said that, when his wife heard the fatal tidings she sworned away. John, then a boy of twelve, wept bitterly, and there is reason to believe that he had a vivid recollection of that fireside scene until the day of his death. As to "Uncle John" at Ardnagrask, it has already been stated that, when he received the sad news, his hair turned grey in one night, so great was his grief.

After the lapse of some time, the folks of Culblair and Ardnɛgrask, naturally astonished that they were not hearing a word of intelligence from Jamaica regarding the disposal of William's estate willed to him by his father, resolved to write Ewen on the subject. Accordingly, Donald, on the 25th of August, wrote him to the effect that, whatever property was left by William Maclachlan in the West Indies should now be given to his friends, more especially his mother; and that, at all events, Culblair and

This

Ardnagrask had a strong claim on his effects in compensation of what had been laid out in his late stepson's upbringing. letter elicited the following reply from Ewen :

LETTER V.

"Old Aberdeen, Monday, Oct. 18th, 1819. "Dear Donald, I have before me your letter of the 25th August, and would have duly answered it, but I was at that time in Dundonald, near Kilmarnock, in Airshire, for the recovery of my health, having been so poorly since February that I sometimes apprehended death, and was for six months that I had not any sound sleep, not for an hour. My disease was a nervous complaint contracted by too much labour and confinement; but now, thank God, by help of a proper course of medicines, exercise, diet, and amusement, I feel as active and healthy as ever I was in my life, only I cannot as yet venture on hard study.

"To my utter astonishment, I have not heard a word from Jamaica since I wrote you. I rather believe my brother and nephew have gone someway wrong in their health or circumstances, if they have not taken offence at some of the letters I have written. My nephews, I assure you, have been dear relations to me, in more senses than one. They owe me in all £350 sterling; but for this expense I have not received so much as thanks. reality they pay my letters no kind of attention.

In

"In the way of money, you are well aware that I have no business whatever with any one of William's friends; even if I should inherit his whole property. For what I laid out on him I have not received a farthing, so that after this no niece or nephew shall ever have it in their power to gull me out of my property again. At the same time, if you think proper, you may write Alexander, his brother, and state to him what you have stated to me; but remember that, in every transaction of the kind, my name must be left out for ever. With compliments to Mrs Mackenzie, I remain, dear Donald, yours truly,

"EWEN MACLACHLAN."

In this letter we have indications that poor Ewen's system was breaking down under the strain of hard work and perpetual worry and monetary embarrassment. Doubtless, while residing in the land of Burns, one source of pleasure would have been to hold converse with the companions and memorials of the great departed national poet of Scotland.

Ewen writes with severity regarding the conduct of his brother and nephew in Jamaica, as to the dealings of the latter

towards both the Culblair people and himself in the matter of mewm and tuum. He had spent his "last shilling" in rigging out poor William, and now he could not get a "single sixpence" from those West Indies people, although they owed him £350 sterling. Evidently his nephew Donald had also died, because we find now only the names of his brother Hugh and nephew Alexander.

Meanwhile dark and probably uncharitable surmises and suspicions were beginning to creep over the minds of the Culblair and Ardnagrask folks, as to the sudden death of William, based on the circumstance that his property was so promptly "grabbed" by the surviving relatives in Jamaica. They, however, did not give immediate expression to those feelings beyond the range of their own little circle. Donald wrote Ewen again on the 5th Dec., 1820, and this brings out Ewen's last letter in this series, written about 15 months or so before his death.

LETTER VI.

"Old Aberdeen, Dec. 11th, 1820. "Dear Donald,--Yours of the 5th instant is now before me. I do not wonder at your surprise in not hearing from Jamaica since I wrote you. For I have received only one letter from my only brother, and that, too, telling me he would, in three or four years from that time, be able to settle our account. Hugh barely tells me that Alexander, my nephew, is in good health, but he says nothing else about him.

"While Sandy was my pupil, he, as well as Donald and William, said that they would shed their blood for me, should occasion require it. I do not doubt but that may have been their idea. But while they were with me, they were the receivers, not the contributors, of favour. To me they owed almost their very

life. But once they got a cable's length from me, I could then find out their real sentiments. As the result of the whole, you will be astonished that I am out of pocket nearly 500 pounds sterling with these people of Jamaica, all in a mass; and God knows when the fancy may strike them to put me right. But of one thing I am certain, that not one of them, from first to last, ever sent in my way the value of a single sixpence (I do not except my very brother) though they all contrived, as much as in them lay, to make me their stepping stone. They could not, however, affect my character, and in that I rest perfectly satisfied.

"As Sandy has totally rejected me, it is no wonder if he should not write you, as with you he has no connection whatever, except being William's natural brother, he is nothing in your debt.

Ardnagrask had a strong claim on his effects in compensation of what had been laid out in his late stepson's upbringing. This letter elicited the following reply from Ewen :—

LETTER V.

"Old Aberdeen, Monday, Oct. 18th, 1819. "Dear Donald,—I have before me your letter of the 25th August, and would have duly answered it, but I was at that time in Dundonald, near Kilmarnock, in Airshire, for the recovery of my health, having been so poorly since February that I sometimes apprehended death, and was for six months that I had not any sound sleep, not for an hour. My disease was a nervous complaint contracted by too much labour and confinement; but now, thank God, by help of a proper course of medicines, exercise, diet, and amusement, I feel as active and healthy as ever I was in my life, only I cannot as yet venture on hard study.

"To my utter astonishment, I have not heard a word from Jamaica since I wrote you. I rather believe my brother and nephew have gone someway wrong in their health or circumstances, if they have not taken offence at some of the letters I have written. My nephews, I assure you, have been dear relations to me, in more senses than one. They owe me in all £350 sterling; but for this expense I have not received so much as thanks. reality they pay my letters no kind of attention.

In

"In the way of money, you are well aware that I have no business whatever with any one of William's friends; even if I should inherit his whole property. For what I laid out on him I have not received a farthing, so that after this no niece or nephew shall ever have it in their power to gull me out of my property again. At the same time, if you think proper, you may write Alexander, his brother, and state to him what you have stated to me; but remember that, in every transaction of the kind, my name must be left out for ever. With compliments to Mrs Mackenzie, I remain, dear Donald, yours truly,

"EWEN MACLACHLAN.”

In this letter we have indications that poor Ewen's system was breaking down under the strain of hard work and perpetual worry and monetary embarrassment. Doubtless, while residing in the land of Burns, one source of pleasure would have been to hold converse with the companions and memorials of the great departed national poet of Scotland.

Ewen writes with severity regarding the conduct of his brother and nephew in Jamaica, as to the dealings of the latter

towards both the Culblair people and himself in the matter of meum and tuum. He had spent his "last shilling" in rigging out poor William, and now he could not get a "single sixpence" from those West Indies people, although they owed him £350 sterling. Evidently his nephew Donald had also died, because we find now only the names of his brother Hugh and nephew Alexander.

Meanwhile dark and probably uncharitable surmises and suspicions were beginning to creep over the minds of the Culblair and Ardnagrask folks, as to the sudden death of William, based on the circumstance that his property was so promptly "grabbed" by the surviving relatives in Jamaica. They, however, did not give immediate expression to those feelings beyond the range of their own little circle. Donald wrote Ewen again on the 5th Dec., 1820, and this brings out Ewen's last letter in this series, written about 15 months or so before his death.

LETTER VI.

“Old Aberdeen, Dec. 11th, 1820. "Dear Donald,--Yours of the 5th instant is now before me. I do not wonder at your surprise in not hearing from Jamaica since I wrote you. For I have received only one letter from my only brother, and that, too, telling me he would, in three or four years from that time, be able to settle our account. Hugh barely tells me that Alexander, my nephew, is in good health, but he says nothing else about him.

"While Sandy was my pupil, he, as well as Donald and William, said that they would shed their blood for me, should occasion require it. I do not doubt but that may have been their idea. But while they were with me, they were the receivers, not the contributors, of favour. To me they owed almost their very life. But once they got a cable's length from me, I could then find out their real sentiments. As the result of the whole, you will be astonished that I am out of pocket nearly 500 pounds sterling with these people of Jamaica, all in a mass; and God knows when the fancy may strike them to put me right. But of one thing I am certain, that not one of them, from first to last, ever sent in my way the value of a single sixpence (I do not except my very brother) though they all contrived, as much as in them lay, to make me their stepping stone. They could not, however, affect my character, and in that I rest perfectly satisfied.

"As Sandy has totally rejected me, it is no wonder if he should not write you, as with you he has no connection whatever, except being William's natural brother, he is nothing in your debt.

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