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The Silver Glen

Chapter 25: LETTER III
By Bessie Dill
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About This Book

A narrator reconstructs a household drama from preserved letters and personal recollection, portraying life in a Scottish family caught up in a Jacobite rising. The narrative mixes intimate domestic scenes, social visits, and romantic entanglements with secret signals, daring errands, and schemes surrounding a contested silver mine. As political events escalate—including a royal landing and military movements—the household endures misunderstandings, arrests, legal wrangling, and painful reverses. The tale blends reproduced correspondence with plain narrative, tracking loyalties, practical consequences for families and retainers, and the ways private affections and public politics become entangled.

LETTER III

“My Dearest Life,

I received yours of the 20th and another of the 29th of Nov., which were both most acceptable, but they had both been long by the way, for it was the 5 of Dec. before I received the first. You are much mistaken in thinking I was displeas’d with you for leaveing this country. I doe assure you I thought it a lucky providence, and, tho I was in fear from not hearing from you, yett it was easy to bear in comparison of what terror I must have had if you had been in the danger some other of our freinds have been in. I suppose you know all our difficultys from better hands long ere now, and by that you may guess the torment and fear and terrible horror I must be in for you and many others. If I had known your adress I had writ to you three weeks ago and beg’d of you to stay where you was till you saw how things would be. I writ to your Brother in hopes he would learn itt from some att Edinr., but he told me he could not, and you was soon expected, and I was so far from wishing you soon back, I was afraid to hear of your return. I pray God send a happy end to all, for I am just where I was and my hops are still very faint, that person you mention in yours not being come yett. Your children are very well, and all your other friends. I doe not wish to hear you are returned, but when you doe, pray God you may be saffe, which is the earnest wish of her who is intirely

Yours.

Dec. 10.

I am better than could be expected, all things considered. If you can have any reasonable pretence to stay, doe not come by any means. Mr. Peck gives you his most humble service, so does Aunt B. and I.”