| Description | Letter to Macdonald from R.D. Blackmore, Teddington, thanking for his invitation but regretting that he has no time to visit Scotland because of pressure of work, 'now driven to my pen again, by the entire loss of my fruit-crop', blaming a frosty St. George's Day for the loss of pears, hopes that the Kepplestone strawberries have not been so affected, wishing he could see the Kepplestone garden, and enquiring about availability of Perthshire pebbles, as he has 'always been a stone-grinder. I wish I could see you here, & discourse of gardens, as you surely love to do. My chief delight dwells there, in spite of all rebuffs, & counterblasts', 'I am afraid you won't like my last book. It has been heartily abused', 10 June 1884 |