Mrs Gibson tells of high rates of, and deaths from, influenza in Stornoway, whilst the health of Barrie the cat has worsened. Mr Gibson is still addressing shortages of teaching staff, but at least there has been some fine weather. The next in our series of letters from the W.J. Gibson collection held by Museum nan Eilean. Please get in touch if you have any comments: archives@cne-siar.gov.uk
Dear Jean,
We had your letter yesterday and note what a busy time you are having. Don’t overdo it and get mumps (or their equivalent) to spoil things at the end of the term. One day last week Papa had six teachers off sick. Flu is bad in Sy. again and there have been several deaths. Poor little Jack Ross is very ill indeed, and he has such a narrow margin of strength.
Papa would have told you about Barry losing the power of his fore-paw. That has returned some what but the hind leg is now quite paralysed since yesterday and he is very ill indeed. Today he has taken nothing but a few licks of water. It is very pitiful to see him suffering so and we can only wish that the poor dear could slip quietly away. It makes Papa and me very sad not to be able to help him at all.
I met Mr. Clark down the street on Tuesday, and was asking him about Bessie. She was better but still coughing a bit but he gave me no other news of her. Did you know that those Jew girls from S. Africa are coaching B.? Ellis said one evening here that they expected her to work fearfully hard. Neither Mr. or Mrs. C. spoke of it at all, so of course we are not supposed to know.
Any way I hope Bessie will get through. Mr. C. told me that Mrs. C. had been in bed two days with a bad cold.
We had a long letter the other day from Mr. Anderson and were glad to hear again after a rather long interval. Mr. Macrae has wired from France that he wishes to be considered a candidate for Colin’s place. So far Mr. Peddie only of the teachers has resumed duty. Poor lad! he pays £2.5 per week for his lodging so there won’t be much for the poor wife in Bedford. I think Mr. P. vastly improved.
My cold thank you is better. It took the form of ‘persistent’ cough but is now loosened off. We have had beautiful days but today has been a drencher – double session in Elem. Sch.!
Love from us both to Sheann.
Your loving Ma
[Italics written in left margin]
Ref: 1992.50.64iii/L31
Transcribed by Dawn MacDonald, Archives Collection Assistant
