95 Bath Street,
Glasgow
20th March 1901
Dear Lady Stewart,
The Communion Table was not made. It was my intention, had you not approved of the designs of any of the work sent to you, to have taken all the care and trouble necessary to make the material already provided suitable and serviceable. The material for the table is in hands (Leeds?) and was at the carvers, but I immediately called on the carvers when I got your first note, and got all work stopped. I have very little doubt that I shall be able to have a design prepared which will not entail anything but the most trifling loss, if any. I shall be pleased if your Ladyship will give me some suggestion regarding the table, and I shall try to work it into a design. There will be a top, and a cornice, and a base, and posts at the corners, with some divisions across the front I hope.
I would like to have a [drawing]
little open tracing at the top of the 3 panels.
I do not think anything, to be suitable for the church, could be simpler. The sketch above shows the three panels open. I would like the middle panel filled in but I am no more inclined to press this upon your Ladyship, as essential, than you know I am to press for the retention of the four figures. I have designed a good many tables now and have never used the same design twice over. I am anxious to try another design using all the material provided, if possible.
It is sometimes thought well to place a little matting at chairs where the floor is of stone or tiles but I daresay hassocks will serve the purpose. I will not order any curtains for the windows. Perhaps the two pews not required in nave could be placed in the "organ" transept and could be used by the choir. That would perhaps be better than placing one of the pews in the other transept beside the chairs.
I am sorry you do not think the levels of the ground will work well and I shall be glad if it is in my power to help at all. It will be found that at the back the flooring joists are close down to the level of the ground at which point the damp course is laid in the wall. I received a note of the levels and my working drawings were all made out to these. But it occurs to me that if the slope of the carriage way is turning out a little too great that a step could perhaps be added at the foot of the short flight. I am hopeful that when the grounds are finished the building will look well placed.
I am
Yours faithfully
P. MacGregor Chalmers