Faraday to William Buchanan   29 July 1840¹

Brighton | 29 July 1840

Very dear Brother

I found your letter on our return from Clifton or rather I think we had it there to which place you will have heard my wife & I went for 10 or 12 days²[.] In the mean time the case you speak of arrived; Anderson received your communication; & dispatched the business in a very regular & I have no doubt proper way though we have not heard of the arrival as yet of the parcel: I trust that you have. On reading your letter it occurs to me that you are perhaps in London for the purpose of seeing him: but however I shall continue my note as if it were sure to find you at Edinburgh. If in London then I trust you are at our house i.e if you find it useful in our absence: & in a day or two we shall see you for Mr Barnard³ (who is here with Mrs Barnard⁴, Jane⁵, Mrs Reid⁶ & her daughter Elizabeth⁷) and I return to London at the end of this week. Mr Paradise⁸ is also here; whether he will stop over next Sabbath day with the sisters whom we shall leave behind I do not know. He is moderately well but required a short change. The others are all as usual. Mrs Barnard & Jane who required the change most are profitting by it[.]

I find myself talking more about friends here than friends with you but I thought you would like to hear a few words of them and there is such mingling & ought to be such community of feeling & spirit as to make us one body so that I do not think I am far wrong;- but we have been very much grieved to hear of the illness & accidents with you. Your own accident has been most serious and was a sad finish to the journey to London. Such deep & tearing cuts often bring certain nerves near the surface where they seem to be extremely sensitive and be able upon very slight causes apparently to suffer much excitement & cause considerable tenderness & pain: & then the hand is such an indispensable member & the thumb so important a part of the hand. I hope the next accounts we hear of it will be very good, for it must I suppose interfere a good deal with your professional facilities[.]

We never think of Edinburgh without thoughts of our kind & affectionate friends, Mr & Mrs Davies⁹[.] It would have been a very great delight to have seen them & you all this summer in Edinburgh but to us who knew the influential circumstances there was very little probability of that. However we sent you a specimen in Margery [Reid] who I hear is enjoying herself wonderfully. Do not spoil her, for remember that we shall have a little of the work of reining her up again if such a case should or rather could happen[.]

Our dear friend Mary Straker¹⁰ is very ill & we cannot but fear that the nature of her illness is such as to indicate the breaking up of her constitution & the approach of that time which it will be well if we are all led to be waiting for. Her leg is in a sad condition, her arms &c become more & more inflamed and the medical men all agree generally in the nature of the ** & say there is no reason to expect that these things can be cured or much alleviated[.] But she is very patient & comforted by the scriptures in the great & glorious hope of relief not merely from these things but from all sorrow & sighing through Jesus Christ and rejoice in her friends company[.] She has been a very remarkable character & example in the church allways in an humble station and with no worldly knowledge or worldly means but yet full of a helping cheerful & what is more faithful affection to her brethren & a comfort & support in many troubles to those of her own family & acquaintance.

Geo Barnard has been ill but is rapidly improving & now knows the value of a wife¹¹. We were very sorry to hear of Mrs. Buchanans¹² illness to whom as to yourself my wife joins me in love.

Affectionately Yours | M. Faraday