Dunse,
6th. Feby. 185⟨2⟩
Mr. Wm. Kemp
My Dear Sir,
An unusually long time has elapsed without the interchange of letters between us I hope that you and yours co⟨n⟩tinue all to enjoy your usual good health.
My last letter to you was written more than two months ago when I was just on the eve of m⟨y⟩ marriage.— Since then I have had more anxiety than I ever be⟨fore⟩ had in a corresponding length of time.— A few days before my marriage, my late employer Mr. Wm. Purves met with a dreadful accident at the Linton Station on returning from Edinburgh. ⟨[one line missing]⟩
⟨Si⟩nce I have been almost exclu⟨s⟩ively engaged in arranging his ⟨b⟩usiness matters which were of ⟨a⟩ very extensive & complicated ⟨c⟩haracter.— A considerable time ⟨m⟩ust still elapse before matters ⟨a⟩re arranged so as to flow on ⟨s⟩moothly in their proper chan⟨n⟩els.— I am yet uncertain how ⟨m⟩y own personal interests may be affected by the change, but ⟨I⟩ hope for the best.— The lose ⟨of⟩ an old friend at the present ⟨j⟩uncture is (or at least appears ⟨to⟩ be) peculiarly unfortunate.— ⟨Ho⟩w short-sighted we are after ⟨a⟩ll.— Here have I from prudential ⟨co⟩nsiderations remained single ⟨f⟩or years in spite of my earnest ⟨in⟩clinations, and after carefully ⟨c⟩alculating the best time for ⟨[one line excised]⟩ exactly upon the most unfavoura⟨able⟩ I am glad to say however that I have as yet had no reaso⟨n⟩ to regret the step I have taken, but certainly I shoul⟨d⟩ have enjoyed myself immense⟨ly⟩ more with less harrassment ⟨of⟩ mind than I have had to encounter.—
My Lecture has been ready for some time, but I am rea⟨lly⟩ doubtful as to whether I sha⟨ll⟩ be able to get away from he⟨re⟩ in order to deliver it.— I hav⟨e⟩ so many appointments to ke⟨ep⟩ just now and others are awaiting me connected with the various public trusts for which Mr. Purves acted.— Such meetings of course I must if possible attend as on this m⟨ay [one line excised] v⟩ery likely depend.— If I cannot ⟨g⟩et to Galashiels I shall of ⟨c⟩ourse send timeous intimation. ⟨I⟩n the meantime I shall be ⟨v⟩ery happy to hear how you ⟨ar⟩e getting on.—
With kindest regards to Miss Kemp and all the other ⟨m⟩embers of your Family | I Remain | My Dear Sir | Yours Ever Sincerely | Wm. Stevenson
P.S. Are your lectures well ⟨a⟩ttended this Season?— Mr. Matheson intimates his intention ⟨o⟩f being present when I deliver mine.—
Please cite as “KEMP97,” in Ɛpsilon: The William Kemp Collection accessed on 30 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/epsilon-testbed/kemp/letters/KEMP97