From Thomas Walker to William Kemp   14 September 1843

My Dear Sir

I write merely to acknowledge the receipt of your kind letter and again to entreat you to come over. You will be able I hope to get through your work before the short days set it and give us a week of among the hills. I am very fond of a little geology now and would be a world the better for a few days with you to learn a part of the alphabet in Nature’s own book. I have something like yourself, been always laden with a heavy cargo of hindrances when I thought of Galashiels, and to all appearances it be some few weeks yet before I can get away— I would take it as a great favour if some idle hour you would label a few pieces of common kinds of rock for the purpose of enabling us to distinguish the varieties most general in this quarter, and send them to Edinburgh by what you consider a suitable conveyance, addressed to

Croalls Coach Office Edinburgh—

Mr Alex^r. Birrel

W^m. Mitchell Esq^r.

Writer

Cupar Fife

Probably you may find leisure for this some day soon but put yourself to no trouble about it. Just at your leisure when all is going so smoothly and to your kind.

I am glad to hear that you have been disturbed with getting another storey on your house— You will be all the better of it. We are all pretty well at present for which we may be thankful. Hope you and your family are all enjoying good health with best respects to Minny I remain | Dear Sir | Yours Sincerely | Thomas Walker

Do Come Over | You are wanted—