306 MEMOIR OF JOHN WILSON. 



objection to your informing me of the point, perhaps you would 

 have the goodness to give me your opinion of what might be the 

 annual rent of the house, garden, and outhouses of Elleray. "Who- 

 ever takes it must keep the place in order, and therefore must keep 

 on my gardener on his present wages. The land I could either keep 

 myself, or let it along with the house, the whole or in part. 



" Mr. would act for me, I know, but , like other idle 



people, is too free of his tongue about my intentions, of which he 

 knows nothing, and has been busy telling all people that I am never 

 again to return to Elleray, and that Elleray is to be sold. This 



rather displeases me. Mr. would oblige me in any thing, but 



is not very skilled in character, and might, I fear, be imposed upon 

 if he met with people wishing to impose. The idea of making Mr. 

 Fleming useful to me has something in it abhorrent to my nature. 

 Do, however, my dear sir, forgive my natural anxiety on this point, 

 for if I should let Elleray to a family that would injure it, it would 

 make me truly unhappy. I love it as I love life itself; and, in case 

 I leave Elleray unlet, in your hands I would feel that it was as safe 

 as in my own. I am, however, I repeat it, duly sensible of the deli- 

 cacy of making such a request to such a friend ; and one word will 

 be sufficient. My intention is to keep the cottage in my own hands, 

 with the privilege to inhabit it myself if I choose for a month or 

 two, which will be the utmost in my power ; although that privi- 

 lege I will give up if necessary. 



" Mrs. Wilson is much better in her general health than she has 

 been since her first unhappy illness ; but is still far from being well, 

 and my anxieties are still great. I am, however, relieved from the 

 most dreadful of all fears, and I trust in God that the fits will not 

 again return. Her constitution would seem to have outlived them, 

 but they have been of a most heart-breaking kind, and I look on all 

 life as under the darkness of a shadow. John, my eldest boy, is 

 five feet ten inches tall, and goes to College next winter. My 

 daughters you will, I hope, see soon, and yours must come up to 

 Elleray and stay a day or two with them, while they will be but 

 too happy to be again at sweet Ravrig. I hear of a house having 

 been built below Elleray by Mr. Gardiner. I hope it is not an eye- 

 sore. If it be, my eyes, I am sorry to state, will not be often 

 offended by it for some years to come. A curious enough book on 

 transplanting trees has been published here lately, which I will 



