hy man
And always do the best you can.
This is my wish and expectation,
God granting you and me salvation.
We ance were young but now we're auld,
Oour blood from heat commences cauld,
A drop of whiskey warms the whole,
Renews the body, cheers the soul;
Observing still due moderation,
In order to prevent vexation,
Proceeding on with cautious care
Till Death with his grim face appear;
Then with a conscience, just and true
See Heaven's Glory, in your View.

My neighbour, Mr. Fraser, tells me that by my looks and speaking he
cannot think me so ill as imagined. You will think the same by my
writing the above. My distemper is owing to Gravelly Ulcers and it
is a great chance at my time of life to recover, so [we] should be
prepared for the worst.

It is a satisfaction to me to have been able to write this letter,
such as it is. My thoughts are every day and every night with my
sisters and [I] figure myself frequently at your fireside. Remember
I am not to write any more unless I get a great deal better. [I]
shall refer you to Christine to correspond and to tell you all you
would wish to know from this country. And now I have nothing but
Compts. and love to send to all my friends--to Robie Hepburn as my
oldest and nearest my heart--my blessings to his family, as to the
Kers and Congaltons. And once more to Anny you and Mary and Mrs.
Ker and my Polly and Tom. God bless you all. I am truly my dear
Madie with much affection,

Yours for aye,

JOHN NAIRNE.

Nairne was not mistaken in his view that the end was near. He writes
about this time to his physician at Quebec (there was no practitioner at
Murray Bay) describing his symptoms and ends: "Now, dear Doctor, I dare
say you think some apologies necessary for my troubling you so
particularly with the complaints of an old man of 71, as his inward
machinery is probably wore out and irreparable." In a last vain hope
they took him to Quebec for medical care. But the machinery was, indeed,
"wore out," and at Quebec, on July 14th, 1802, he closed his eyes on a
world which, though it brought him labour and sorrow, he thought to be
very good.

Among his own letters is preserved the printed invitation to his
funeral:

Quebec, _Wednesday, 14th July, 1802._

Sir,--

The