Dunlop begins by discussing the snow storm which had prevented Burns from coming to see her, before imploring him not to edit ‘the New Year’s Day piece’ that he had written for her because addresses to friends should be spontaneous and uncorrected. She adds that her time will be occupied by sewing shirts for her son, so she will not write to him for a while, before stating that she had hoped to get Burns a copy of Voltaire’s La Pucelle d’Orleans but had heard such terrible reports of its character that she feared it should neither pass through her own or his hands. She concludes by noting that she met his favourit, James Adair.