"My Dear Niece--I am real glad to find my _nevy_ has made so good a choice as to have secured you for his wife; and I am sure this step will add much to his comfort, and we _behove_ to rejoice at it. He will now look forward to his evening at home, and you will be happy when you find you never _want_ him. It will be a great pleasure when you hear him in the _trance_, and wipe his feet upon the _bass_. But Willy is not strong, and you must look well after him. I hope you do not let him _snuff_ so much as he did. He had a sister, poor thing, who died early. She was remarkably clever, and well read, and most intelligent, but was always uncommonly _silly_[70] In the autumn of '40 she had a _sair host_, and was aye _speaking through a cold_, and at dinner never did more than to _sup a few family broth_. I am afraid she did not _change her feet_ when she came in from the wet one evening. I never _let on_ that I observed anything to be wrong; but I remember asking her to come and _sit upon_ the fire. But she went out, and did not _take_ the door with her. She lingered till next spring, when she had a great _income_[71], and her parents were then too poor to take her south, and she died. I hope you will like the lassie Eppie we have sent you. She is a _discreet_ girl, and comes of a decent family. She has a sister _married upon_ a Seceding minister at Kirkcaldy. But I hear he expects to be _transported_ soon. She was brought up in one of the _hospitals_ here. Her father had been a _souter_ and a _pawky chiel_ enough, but was _doited_ for many years, and her mother was _sair dottled_. We have been greatly interested in the hospital where Eppie was _educate_, and intended getting up a bazaar for it, and would have asked you to help us, as we were most anxious to raise some additional funds, when one of the Bailies died and left it _feuing-stances_ to the amount of 5000 pounds, which was really a great _mortification_. I am not a good _hand of write_, and therefore shall stop. I am very tired, and have been _gantin_[72] for this half-hour, and even in correspondence gantin' may be _smittin'_[73]. The _kitchen_[74] is just coming in, and I _feel_ a _smell of tea_, so when I get my _four hours,_ that will refresh me and set me up again.--I am, your affectionate aunt, ISABEL DINGWALL."