With the Misses Wallace
248 Sauchiehall St.
Glasgow. Aug. 23Honey dear :-
Have you any doubt as you look at the heading that we are in Scotland? You wouldn't have if here! It's the real article. We have porridge for breakfast, and we speak the language! It's one of the main streets, is Sauchiehall, just in the midst of shops, and there are things one might buy! Indeed I have bought a hand bag, for which praise be! I thought I should find none less than $10, which was too much. This is as good as its predecessor, I hope, for $5. It'll be somebody's present to me - Jessee's, Dr. Clapp's or Elizabeth McKee's[.] They each gave me that sum. I've bought a picture or two at varying prices, and I think I'll have to keep a French medal or two! They are so lovely, those things. But I may say they weight unconscionably for their size. The metal must be good!
Keswick didn't amount to shucks. It rained all the time except the very dull afternoon one which we arrived. The Sunday trip to Buttermere was some rainy, but I'm thankful we went, for Monday when we were crazy to climb Cat-bello or Causey Pike or Skiddow, it rained so we went only to the Market Place. Such is life.
Prof. Macdougall is a dear. We had the nice call Sunday night (he'd come Sat. too, when we were out rowing) and then he and Robert took us to a concert Mon. eve. 'Twas the sort of thing that we have at summer resorts - fair in spots, mediocre mostly, stale jokes for some of the time. It was interesting to see it in England, however.
We had a hope it might clear off so we could get a brisk little walk Tuesday morning before our 11:50 train, but it didn't. The Macdougalls came to the station to see us off, and we had an uneventful journey here, in a compartment with two American old maids who didn't look cheerful, so we didn't talk to them, as we are wont to do. There was some nice looking heather along the mountain slopes between Carlisle and here, and so many blue-bells! They make big clumps, our own hare-bell species, but so abundant and so blue. They are lovely. There were many in the Lake Region, but perhaps more farther north.
It seemed to clear off a bit on the journey, so I put away my rubbers. I'm saving of them, lest they fail before we get around! 'Twas a mistake, because Miss Wallace fairly ran us out of the house as soon as we arrived so we could get to the Amer. Exp. before closing time - and it rained a good deal!
But today has been really fine! The sunlight fairly dazzled us when we went out this morning. And owing to the necessity of getting and answering mail about rooms, we couldn't do a trip toay. But whereas Mabel Hedge had to give up going to Oban we have found a bed! We've given up Iona partly because the weather has been so prevailingly bad - it has rained almost steadily for six weeks they say - and partly because of expense. But we have a nice plan, I think. Tomorrow we go to a cheap little jaunt - up Long Long to Arrowchar, walk to Tarbet, down Lock Lomond. Then Fri. we go via Crinan Canal to Oban, spend the night there, go on Sat. am.m to Fort William, and have most of that day and Sunday there. If the Lord should provide a good Sunday we might even go up Ben Nevis!! Anyhow we have cheap lodgings over the Sabbath whhen there are no tours in Scotland! And we're in a region where there are things to see. Then we come down by train again to Glasgow, to pick up our stuff, for we shall take only our tramping things on this jaunt. Then we go next morning to Edinburgh, stopping at Stirling, I think. This leaves out the Trossachs, but for better things, I hope. I hate to give up Iona, but the weather is such a gamble, and ods are 6 to 1 at least in favor of rain. Also, it would keep us three nights at the expensive Oban instead of one, for we can't move on Sunday! They say Oban is so full that folks are sleeping in their motor-cars when they don't want to! We got a place by telegraph where Prof. Macdougall stayed - at really moderate expensive though more than our usual rate of 10-12 s per day.
Today we have used well. This morning after errands we went to the University and were shown around the labs by one of these remarkable laboratory assistants. Very interesting. There was also a museum given in part by one of the Hunters, Wm and with several things of interest in the Hunter connection, likewise a good Harvey portrait, and one of the best nat. hist. museums we have seen. Then we went to the Art Museum, one of the best outside of London, with the Whistler portrait of Carlyle and several very nice things. I bought a little book of reproductions for Janey Carpenter, for whom I'm getting cards here and there of pictures for Xmas - but I shall hate to part with it! The museum also is commercial and shipping, and I wished for time to see the models of famous ships, old and new, so beautifully displayed, and for time to study the industrial things, foods, fabrics, &c &c. It must be splendid for the young boys and girls - and the blending of industry, science (for there was nat. hist. & engineering stuff) and art under one roof was very stimulating.
Then we went to the Cathedral - small, but interesting, both architecturally and by association. I don't find Glasgow as hideous as some have done - I only wish we had a half day for the ship-yards. And the huge steel works we passed in the train made me eager to see them inside, for this is such a huge centre of all that side of things.
Your letters of Aug. 3 & 7 are here. I'm glad there are a few flowers in the garden. I think you may mean by the "new flowers" you like, the scabious. That we have found wild all over England, and often lovely and large, but always Lavender in color. I do hope the little seedlings of campanula Carpatica have lived, for they are so nice here. I presume they wouldn't blossom this year. But with the weeds as you describe they may have all been choked, for they were not large when I left. Mr. Kinney could not have sent a man to weed the beds as he said he would when we left. I didn't want you to have all that work to do.
Long pause - conversation is a strong point with all our landladies, but Miss Wallace is a winner! We have heard about Catholics and Glasgow politics - and it might be Holyoke! And about Woolworth's store - for Woolworths are as common here as in America, "3d & 6d" they are, and they are red bordered and showy! Also about the war, & the Jews & some more topics, all in grand and spicey Scotch! There's no doubt about the privilege of staying at small places. You get your money's worth of juicy conversation. We get far more, being only two, than we did as a larger group in 1906.
I'm putting in cards for Mrs. Brick, Julia & May. I thought first I'd send via Mrs. Cameron, but then wasn't sure whether her vacation might have shifted, so I'll ask you to deliver them if it's not too much trouble. There's a Blea Tarn for you, too. I thought in general you'd rather have prints of our pictures than postcards, for we have some nice pictures anyhow. So I've not sent you cards. Just now we're eager to see the pictures which have been sent to an unknown man in Bradford to finish. We hoped they'd be here, but they aren't.
Love to you, honey - it's bed time.
Aug. 23