Cacoethes scribendi

Like many Reids and Frasers before him, Dad was an inveterate writer of letters. He corresponded regularly with a number of friends and relatives, evidenced by his box of letters labelled caoethes scribendi (Greek for an insatiable desire to write.)

Dad's collection of 47 letters from his cousin Gordon Reid, written between 1984 and 1996. No doubt there were earlier ones, too.

Of the many letters Dad saved, most are from a cousin who was likely his favourite pen pal: (Peter) Gordon Reid. Gordon (1909-1997) was the eldest son of Annie Reid's brother Donald, and was ten years older than his cousin Murray. Gordon and his wife Jessie (née MacKinnon) married on July 11, 1942 and raised three children: Donald, Heather and Mary-Lynn, who figure prominently in letters sent to Murray Fraser. 

Gordon Reid
Source: Guelph Public Library Archives

A brief biography of Gordon is quoted here from a profile written by Joy Simpson and Joyce MacKenzie for the Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute Wall of Fame:

Peter Gordon Reid was born in Chesley, Ontario where he attended high school. After graduation he attended Stratford Teachers' College and taught elementary school. In 1938 he graduated from Queen's University with a BA in English and History. From 1942 to 1946 he served in the Canadian army. In 1968 he earned his MA in History from the University of Waterloo. In January 1948 Gordon Reid was appointed Head of Guidance and teacher of English at the GCVI. He was appointed Principal in April 1956 and served until June 1971. He served as Superintendent with the Wellington County Board of Education until his retirement in December 1971.  

As teacher and Principal at the GCVI he provided outstanding leadership. Under his direction the present resource centre was opened in the fall of 1969. In 1971, the school library was named the P.G. Reid Resource Centre in honour of his vision that "the greatest thing you can do for youngsters is to give them the opportunity to read." Mr. Reid would often drop in and visit the library after he retired. 

Family tree aside, Dad and his cousin had much in common beyond their cacoethes scribendi. Both were raised on farms, were excellent students, and served in World War II. Like Dad, Gordon was able to visit far-flung relatives in Scotland when the war ended. Post-war, the two pursued different career paths (Gordon into education, Dad into aerospace engineering), where they each excelled.

Gordon (at left) and Murray were always inviting each other to come for a visit. Dad took up the offer in 1990, and very much enjoyed a trip to Ontario, visiting many relatives on both sides of the family.

Gordon and Murray wrote to each other like dear old friends, and seem well matched in temperament, intellect, interests, and sense of humour. They were well read and wrote amusing, chatty, and informative letters. 

Both were proud of their Scottish roots, and were concerned that this knowledge would disappear with subsequent generations. They were delighted with Mary MacKay's history of the Reids, Far Spread the Sparks from Cantire, to which they both eagerly contributed. Perhaps it was Gordon's historical writings (including a history of Elderslie Township) and Mary MacKay's work that inspired Dad to pen his own volume of Fraser stories.

Murray and Gordon at the Reids' home in Guelph, Ontario.

In their letters, Gordon and Murray shared family news, told of trips and excursions, bragged about their kids, admired each other's ventures into senior sports (Gordon as a curler, Dad as line dancer, bicyclist and speed skater), consoled each other when old acquaintances and family members passed away, and compared the challenges of advancing age. The two seem never to have disagreed about politics or religion, which are briefly and rarely mentioned. Often Jessie would add a greeting of her own to Gordon's letters. 

Not surprisingly, Gordon appears to be the go-to person for others researching family histories, and always made great efforts to help those who consulted him, even when they were far-flung relatives he had never met. He stayed in touch with distant relatives in Kintyre, Scotland and would update Dad regularly.

Gordon and Jessie visited Dad at his home in Winnipeg.

Gordon and Murray were diligent about responding to all correspondence. It was a natural inclination; both had mothers who had kept diaries and were good correspondents themselves. Both Murray and Gordon kept a log of letters received and would comment on each other's news.

Dad would note on Gordon's envelopes the date he wrote back, and what his reply included.

Knowing the Christmas season would be busy, Gordon had a smart tradition of writing longer letters ahead of time, in November. Christmas cards would follow later, of course. Dad and Gordon would add photos or intriguing clippings to their letters from time to time. An invitation to the annual Reid Family Picnic was sure to be shared.

In a letter of August 7, 1990 Gordon complimented Dad on the profile of Annie Reid he wrote as the tenth and final chapter in Mary MacKay's history book. Her book prompted much research and sharing of family photos, among them one which Gordon references: "that large old photograph showing Uncle Peter Reid with Neil seated in the midst of that obviously very Highland gathering. Guessing from Neil's appearance and his known birthday (1898) the picture must have been taken in the middle of the first decade of this [20th] century. Uncle Peter was then a man in his prime and fresh-looking. I am glad to have it."

Gordon and Murray's uncle, Peter Reid (1866-1936), sits in the centre with son Neil (1898-1970) on his lap. Born on the Reid homestead, Peter was the third child of Peter Reid and Christena Taylor. He settled in North Dakota Territory in 1887.

A notation in Dad's hand on the back of the photo suggests it was taken in Langdon, North Dakota. Neil's profile in Far Spread the Sparks of Cantire notes that large gatherings of pipers and dancers would assemble to celebrate Robbie Burns Day, when "even the Norwegians had 'Mac' attached to their names." (pp. 109-110).

Seated, piper Louis McLeod does a better job at staying in focus. (To be fair, shutter speeds were long.) The dapper piper at right is identified only as "Piper Gordon." Copies of these photos are in the Western Canada Pictorial Index, housed at the University of Winnipeg. 

Neither writer embraced computers and email, although the Reid household at least acquired an early Tandy model. In his letter of July 13, 1993 Gordon confessed his inability to keep up with modern literature and technology. He lamented that many of his obsolete skills went unappreciated, like "Grandpa Reid who knew a lot about the blacksmithing trade which has been completely by-passed by modern technology. As for my ability to hitch a 3-horse team, even in the dark, or to plough a straight furrow - who cares?" Dad would have enjoyed the reference and shared the sentiment.

As an educator, Gordon, like Dad, likely kept a collection of "good stuff" - clippings of poems, interesting articles, and the like, and could recite many favourite passages, too. He replied in a July 29, 1988 letter that he recognized all of Dad's 10 favourite poems, and offered his own list:

The Eve of Waterloo (Byron)
"There was a sound of revelry by night
And Belgium's capital had gathered then
Her beauty and her chivalry ..."

Tam O'Shanter (Burns), especially the part where Tam remembers too late, his wife's advice which he had ignored:
"Ah, gentle dames! it gars me greet, 
To think how mony counsels sweet, 
How mony lengthen'd, sage advices, 
The husband frae the wife despises!"

Lord Ullin's Daughter (Thomas Campbell)
"A Chieftan to the Highlands bound, 
Cries, 'Boatman, do not tarry; 
And I'll give thee a silver pound 
To row us o'er the ferry.' "
(Gordon noted, "This is Ulva ferry, Isle of Mull and I thought of it when we drove past in 1976. Grandma Reid could recite long passages of it.")

Ulysses (Tennyson)
"It little profits, that an idle king..." etc. and especially when Ulysses decides to spend the remaining years again as a rover:
"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."

Gordon continued: 

Plus three songs my dad often sang:
Nut Brown Maiden (in Gaelic)

'Twas within a mile o' Edinboro' town 

The third, he didn't sing, when I think it over, but I think myself it is the finest love lyric ever written (Burns, of course):
"My love is like a red, red rose..."

Add to those the psalm, "Unto the hills..." and the old lament on the pipes, The Flowers of the Forest and you have a pretty good sample of my own anthology.

Yes, Dad and his cousin were well-matched pen pals, and they clearly enjoyed their correspondence over many years. Gordon acknowledged this in his very last letter to Dad, referring to their correspondence as a "chain of letters which keeps us united." 

I might add yet one more literary reference that I think the two would like. Oliver Wendell Holmes admitted to the same cacoethes scribendi:

Cacoethes Scribendi
By Oliver Wendell Holmes

If all the trees in all the woods were men;
And each and every blade of grass a pen;
If every leaf on every shrub and tree
Turned to a sheet of foolscap; every sea
Were changed to ink, and all earth's living tribes
Had nothing else to do but act as scribes,
And for ten thousand ages, day and night,
The human race should write, and write, and write,
Till all the pens and paper were used up,
And the huge inkstand was an empty cup,
Still would the scribblers clustered round its brink
Call for more pens, more paper, and more ink.

In parting, please enjoy a little Nut Brown Maiden (or, more correctly,  Ho Ro Mo Nighean Donn Bhoidheach) by the Rankin Family: