Who can say what I can say 'here is my Son--a hansome accomplished young man of three and twenty--he will not Marry that he may take care of his Mother--here is my Dr Margaret, hansome, Amiable and good and she would not leave her _Ant_ (I mean Aunt) for any Man on Earth.' Ah My Dear and valuable children, dear is your affection to my heart, but I will never make so base a use of it.

I entreat my Dr John that you will not give yourself one moment's uneasiness about me--I will at all events have L86 a year for life that your Father cannot deprive me of, and tho' I could not live very splendidly in a Town on this, yet with a neat little House and Garden in the country, it would afford all the means of life in fullness to Meggy myself and our servant.

You forget, my Dr how much a woman can do without in domestick affairs to save Money--a Woman that has any management at all can live with more comfort on L50 a year than a Man could do on two hundred.

There was a year of my life that I maintained myself and two children on twenty pound, the bread too was 1/2 the loave that year: we did not indeed live very sumptuously nor shall I say our strength improved much but I did not contract one farthing of debt and that to me supplyed the want of luxuries.

Now my Dr John let me never hear a fear expressed on my account; there is no fear of me; make yourself happy and all will be well, and for God sake my beloved Boy take care of your health, take a good drink of porter to dinner and supper and a little Wine now and then, and tell me particularly about yr new Lodgings," etc.
He returned home to Edinburgh on a visit and arranged a marriage with his cousin Margaret, if she would wait for him until he was safely established; and then he set to work at the responsibilities of creating a new business.