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[S. Gillon]

Bankhead Balerno Midlothian

Telephone Balerno 14

17. 2. 1936.

My dear John,

Your welcome letter found me in bed at Brooks's with gout in the instep of my right foot, helpless, useless for my purpose in London - an Appeal -, and as miserable as a man can be who has lost one case without being able to get a proper hearing (in Edin), & can't even get to hear another. If I hadn't had Heiden's "Hitler" (fresh from Zurich & "unedited"), to take my mind off the pain, the plight would have been worse. Then just as it was easing off, your letter arrived & the loneliness vanished! I would have written long ago but I felt that at the time of spate of letters an extra one is not an unmixed blessing & that I would wait for a personal occasion. And now you have put me to shame by writing so kindly of my effort in the Stair Society's first publicaiton. It took more labour than appears & had to undergo a good deal of compression. It was none the easier, because

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I started off with the feeling that for modern sociological & criminal-legal students Hume is the real beginning & that what lies behind is antiquarian. All the same I am going to go through the Books of Adjournal (which I can read fairly well) from the end of Pitcairn (1624) to the Restoration & see if I can find anything of interest for publication by the Society. Helen, followed by Nina, both have had measles, the latter badly. She will go to - Southport! - on Wednesday with the other twin and Margaret Broadhurst a cousin of ours who has been ordered there by the doctor. I am off to Abbey St Bathans to feel my feet after this calamity. Otherwise I am very well & so is Isabella & that's a' aboot hir. Nina is much better, but has to ca' canny.

How you set my imagination roaming! You will defeat those skis & will cover miles & miles in a very short time. As for Alastair, he will [be] competing in the jumping & long distance treks in no time. I daresay our Scotland is more like Ontario than usual. It has been a real hard winter & if I were a man of leisure the ice & snow would have tempted me. But being in all the best part of the day & never

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[postscript:] I shall probably write again soon because to you I can write not as expecting an answer but as a wee bit ootpoor o' the sperit. I hope you will soon have & restore Mr John to his wonted health. Pete Balfour looked in today from Addis Adaba. Doesn't like or admire the nigger boys. Per contra [continued in margin:] doesn't see how the organ grinders are going to conquer the land. Well! A thousand thanks & much love to your [tribe]

Yours ever

Stair

[main body:] 2.

being able to rely on the weather, well, one just doesn't. I am sure for your job the first rule is keep fit in the fresh air.

I had not taken in that there was a recent alteration in the functions of the Governor General. I'll look it up. I hope it means that on balance you are less harassed by local politics & signatures & sittings of assemblies & have more time, as you say, to get your teeth into the country by travel & free intercourse with citizens & live. The Faithful all feel that you will thrive on the life & that it will suit you & you it. But Oh! I do hope that these extremes of temperature (shades of Milton) do not disturb Susie. I don't remember her attitude to cold but no one can enjoy 27° below zero & a wind of say 30 m.p.h. I hear they had a day in London a week ago when an E. wind blew with storm speed & drove the hardiest indoors. Sir Humphrey

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Milford (tomorrow - accolade) I saw for half an hour in London - rather white everywhere & aged. He has just solved the problem of my German cousin. Johnson, the printer, has taken him on as a reader at Oxford. If he makes good & stays on, I'll venture to make him known to you once more. You did your best but it came to nothing. Poor Humphrey, he was wondering how he would manage about getting down & up again on the 18th (tomorrow). He had gout in both feet! I little dreamt that e'er I sought the sheets that same day I should be writhing. Hugh Macmillan is better. I was to have spent Sunday at Moon Hall but had to come home on Saturday. They are going to have a fortnight's cruise in a motor launch next August. Yes! You must feel sore about the late King's death. The appreciation or realisation came late & slow but came for good & always. George the Good! I am sure he was a good friend to you. I can't get up a heather blaze about E."VIII" - too late, if it ever was worth while 36 years ago.

You can imagine how we should love to come & stay with you & Susie & see your wonderful Dominion. It depends how things work out. I must look ahead & try & avoid the creation of obstacles

Last edit over 1 year ago by Stephen
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