Was called up at 3 a.m. to see a groom at Philiphaugh + did not go back to bed. Eily1 left this morning in a very unfriendly way. At breakfast she said she had never had such insolence as in this house + I felt impelled to say it was entirely her own fault which I am afraid did not help matters. She said goodbye to none of the girls + a very cold one to me. I regret the occurrence very much. It was a cold day with showers of sleety snow in the afternoon. I saw town cases walking in forenoon + then drove to Heatherly, Ettrickhaugh Road, Ettrick Bank, Yair, Caddonfoot, Sunderland Hall, Faldonside + Hospital. Got the sad news of the sudden death at 5 this morning of Tom Ainslie, Curling.2 Was very tired at night with being up since 3 a.m. but had to go out at 9.45 to see Miss Lethem3 at Mrs Emond’s, Market Place.4
1 Helen Turnbull ‘Eily’ Rodger (1844-1914), of Elmbank, Melrose, born 3 April 1844, Galashiels, died at Holylee House, Walkerburn, aged 71. She was the daughter of Peter Rodger, former town clerk of Selkirk, and Jane Rodger née Henderson, thus Dr Muir’s sister-in-law.
2 Thomas Ainslie (1827-1904), farmer, widower of Agnes Simpson (d.1897), died 11 January 1904 at Curling, Bowden, Roxburghshire, aged 76, of bronchitis and heart disease certified by John S Muir M.B. +c. Thomas was born at Ancrum, the son of James Ainslie, farmer, and Isabella Ainslie née Brown.
3 Miss Lethem is so far unidentified.
4 Mrs Joan Emond née Duncan (about 1850-) of 10½ Market Place, Selkirk, the wife of John Emond, weaver.
[Source: Scottish Borders Archives & Local History Service SBA/657/7, Dr J S Muir of Selkirk, medical practitioner, journal for 1904]
Rumbling Clint's Scottish Notes 