| Description | Letter dated 20 November 1881 to Macdonald from George Reid, R.S.A., 38 North Castle Street, Edinburgh, sorry to hear that Macdonald is ill, returning Calderon's nice letter, Pettie is to be added to Macdonald's portrait collection, list of people (including Professor Blackie, Professor William Robertson Smith, Sir Theodore and Lady Martin, Sir Noel Paton, Walter C. Smith, Findlay of The Scotsman, Principal Tulloch, Sir Alex. Grant, Cameron Lees of St. Giles', and Cooper of The Scotsman) he has been meeting at dinners, as hard work as painting during the day, intending to send a photograph of a sketch of Dr. John Brown, drawing of St. Giles' and the High Street to be engraved on wood for the January frontispiece of 'Life and Work', to accompany an account of the church by Cameron Lees, progress with McLaren's portrait and Dr. Anderson's, problems with some portraits, 'all I can do is to make it as like him as possible when seen side on', visit from Balfour the Lord Advocate and others, hoping to go north for a rest in December, hoping to work in his own larger studio there. |