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diff --git a/1310-h/1310-h.htm b/1310-h/1310-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..df4c44c --- /dev/null +++ b/1310-h/1310-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,6790 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html + PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII" /> +<title>Annals of the Parish, by John Galt</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + P { margin-top: .75em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + P.gutsumm { margin-left: 5%;} + P.poetry {margin-left: 3%; } + .GutSmall { font-size: 0.7em; } + H1, H2 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + } + H3, H4, H5 { + text-align: center; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-bottom: 1em; + } + BODY{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + table { border-collapse: collapse; } +table {margin-left:auto; margin-right:auto;} + td { vertical-align: top; border: 1px solid black;} + td p { margin: 0.2em; } + .blkquot {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */ + + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .pagenum {position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: small; + text-align: right; + font-weight: normal; + color: gray; + } + img { border: none; } + img.dc { float: left; width: 50px; height: 50px; } + p.gutindent { margin-left: 2em; } + div.gapspace { height: 0.8em; } + div.gapline { height: 0.8em; width: 100%; border-top: 1px solid;} + div.gapmediumline { height: 0.3em; width: 40%; margin-left:30%; + border-top: 1px solid; } + div.gapmediumdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 40%; margin-left:30%; + border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} + div.gapshortdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 20%; + margin-left: 40%; border-top: 1px solid; + border-bottom: 1px solid; } + div.gapdoubleline { height: 0.3em; width: 50%; + margin-left: 25%; border-top: 1px solid; + border-bottom: 1px solid;} + div.gapshortline { height: 0.3em; width: 20%; margin-left:40%; + border-top: 1px solid; } + .citation {vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: none;} + img.floatleft { float: left; + margin-right: 1em; + margin-top: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + img.floatright { float: right; + margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 0.5em; + margin-bottom: 0.5em; } + img.clearcenter {display: block; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0.5em; + margin-bottom: 0.5em} + --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg eBook, Annals of the Parish, by John Galt, +Illustrated by Henry W. Kerr + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most +other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions +whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of +the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at +www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have +to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. + + + + +Title: Annals of the Parish + + +Author: John Galt + + + +Release Date: May 13, 2015 [eBook #1310] +[This file was first posted in April 18, 1998] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANNALS OF THE PARISH*** +</pre> +<p>Transcribed from the 1910 T. N. Foulis edition by David Price, +email ccx074@pglaf.org</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/coverb.jpg"> +<img alt= +"Book cover" +title= +"Book cover" + src="images/covers.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/fpb.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Loupin’-on Stane" +title= +"The Loupin’-on Stane" + src="images/fps.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h1>ANNALS OF<br /> +THE PARISH</h1> +<p style="text-align: center">OR THE CHRONICLE OF DAL-<br /> +MAILING DURING THE MINISTRY<br /> +OF THE REV. MICAH BALWHID-<br /> +DER. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF<br /> +AND ARRANGED AND EDITED BY<br /> +<b>JOHN GALT</b><br /> +ILLUSTRATED IN COLOUR BY<br /> +HENRY W. KERR, R.S.A.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/tpb.jpg"> +<img alt= +"Decorative graphic" +title= +"Decorative graphic" + src="images/tps.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p style="text-align: center">T.N.FOULIS<br /> +London & Edinburgh<br /> +1 9 1 0</p> + +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center"><i>September</i> 1910</p> + +<div class="gapspace"> </div> +<p style="text-align: center"><i>Printed by Turnbull & +Spears</i>, <i>Edinburgh</i></p> +<h2><a name="page1"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +1</span>INTRODUCTION</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">In</span> the same year, and on the same +day of the same month, that his Sacred Majesty King George, the +third of the name, came to his crown and kingdom, I was placed +and settled as the minister of Dalmailing. <a +name="citation1"></a><a href="#footnote1" +class="citation">[1]</a> When about a week thereafter this +was known in the parish, it was thought a wonderful thing, and +everybody spoke of me and the new king as united in our trusts +and temporalities, marvelling how the same should come to pass, +and thinking the hand of Providence was in it, and that surely we +were preordained to fade and flourish in fellowship together; +which has really been the case: for in the same season that his +Most Excellent Majesty, as he was very properly styled in the +proclamations for the general fasts and thanksgivings, was set by +as a precious vessel which had received a crack or a flaw, and +could only be serviceable in the way of an ornament, I was +obliged, by reason of age and the growing infirmities of my +recollection, to consent to the earnest entreaties of the +Session, and to accept of Mr. Amos to be my helper. I was +long reluctant to do so; but the great respect that my people had +for me, and the love that I bore towards them, over and above the +sign that was given to me in the removal of the royal +candle-stick from its place, worked upon my heart and +understanding, and I could not stand out. So, on the last +Sabbath of the year 1810, I preached my last sermon, and it was a +moving discourse. There were few dry eyes in the kirk that +day; for I had been with the aged from the beginning—the +young considered me as their natural pastor—and my bidding +them all farewell was, as when of old among the heathen, an idol +was taken away by the hands of the enemy.</p> +<p>At the close of the worship, and before the blessing, I +addressed them in a fatherly manner; and, although the kirk was +fuller than ever I saw it before, the fall of a pin might have +been heard—at the conclusion there was a sobbing and much +sorrow. I said,</p> +<p>“My dear friends, I have now finished my work among you +for ever. I have often spoken to you from this place the +words of truth and holiness; and, had it been in poor frail human +nature to practise the advice and counselling that I have given +in this pulpit to you, there would not need to be any cause for +sorrow on this occasion—the close and latter end of my +ministry. But, nevertheless, I have no reason to complain; +and it will be my duty to testify, in that place where I hope we +are all one day to meet again, that I found you a docile and a +tractable flock, far more than at first I could have +expected. There are among you still a few, but with grey +heads and feeble hands now, that can remember the great +opposition that was made to my placing, and the stout part they +themselves took in the burly, because I was appointed by the +patron; but they have lived to see the error of their way, and to +know that preaching is the smallest portion of the duties of a +faithful minister. I may not, my dear friends, have applied +my talent in the pulpit so effectually as perhaps I might have +done, considering the gifts that it pleased God to give me in +that way, and the education that I had in the Orthodox University +of Glasgow, as it was in the time of my youth; nor can I say +that, in the works of peace-making and charity, I have done all +that I should have done. But I have done my best, studying +no interest but the good that was to rise according to the faith +in Christ Jesus.</p> +<p>“To my young friends I would, as a parting word, say, +look to the lives and conversation of your parents—they +were plain, honest, and devout Christians, fearing God and +honouring the King. They believed the Bible was the word of +God; and, when they practised its precepts, they found, by the +good that came from them, that it was truly so. They bore +in mind the tribulation and persecution of their forefathers for +righteousness’ sake, and were thankful for the quiet and +protection of the government in their day and generation. +Their land was tilled with industry, and they ate the bread of +carefulness with a contented spirit, and, verily, they had the +reward of well-doing even in this world; for they beheld on all +sides the blessing of God upon the nation, and the tree growing, +and the plough going where the banner of the oppressor was +planted of old, and the war-horse trampled in the blood of +martyrs. Reflect on this, my young friends, and know, that +the best part of a Christian’s duty in this world of much +evil, is to thole and suffer with resignation, as lang as it is +possible for human nature to do. I do not counsel passive +obedience: that is a doctrine that the Church of Scotland can +never abide; but the divine right of resistance, which, in the +days of her trouble, she so bravely asserted against popish and +prelatic usurpations, was never resorted to till the attempt was +made to remove the ark of the tabernacle from her. I +therefore counsel you, my young friends, not to lend your ears to +those that trumpet forth their hypothetical politics; but to +believe that the laws of the land are administered with a good +intent, till in your own homes and dwellings ye feel the presence +of the oppressor—then, and not till then, are ye free to +gird your loins for battle—and woe to him, and woe to the +land where that is come to, if the sword be sheathed till the +wrong be redressed.</p> +<p>“As for you, my old companions, many changes have we +seen in our day; but the change that we ourselves are soon to +undergo will be the greatest of all. We have seen our +bairns grow to manhood—we have seen the beauty of youth +pass away—we have felt our backs become unable for the +burthen, and our right hand forget its cunning.—Our eyes +have become dim, and our heads grey—we are now tottering +with short and feckless steps towards the grave; and some, that +should have been here this day, are bed-rid, lying, as it were, +at the gates of death, like Lazarus at the threshold of the rich +man’s door, full of ails and sores, and having no enjoyment +but in the hope that is in hereafter. What can I say to you +but farewell! Our work is done—we are weary and worn +out, and in need of rest—may the rest of the blessed be our +portion!—and in the sleep that all must sleep, beneath the +cold blanket of the kirkyard grass, and on that clay pillow where +we must shortly lay our heads, may we have pleasant dreams, till +we are awakened to partake of the everlasting banquet of the +saints in glory!”</p> +<p>When I had finished, there was for some time a great solemnity +throughout the kirk; and, before giving the blessing, I sat down +to compose myself, for my heart was big, and my spirit oppressed +with sadness.</p> +<p>As I left the pulpit, all the elders stood on the steps to +hand me down, and the tear was in every eye, and they helped me +into the session-house; but I could not speak to them, nor them +to me. Then Mr. Dalziel, who was always a composed and +sedate man, said a few words of prayer, and I was comforted +therewith, and rose to go home to the manse; but in the +churchyard all the congregation was assembled, young and old, and +they made a lane for me to the back-yett that opened into the +manse-garden—Some of them put out their hands and touched +me as I passed, followed by the elders, and some of them +wept. It was as if I was passing away, and to be no +more—verily, it was the reward of my ministry—a +faithful account of which, year by year, I now sit down, in the +evening of my days, to make up, to the end that I may bear +witness to the work of a beneficent Providence, even in the +narrow sphere of my parish, and the concerns of that flock of +which it was His most gracious pleasure to make me the unworthy +shepherd.</p> +<h2><a name="page7"></a><span class="pagenum">p. 7</span>CHAPTER +I<br /> +YEAR 1760</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> Anno Domini one thousand seven +hundred and sixty, was remarkable for three things in the parish +of Dalmailing.—First and foremost, there was my placing; +then the coming of Mrs. Malcolm with her five children to settle +among us; and next, my marriage upon my own cousin, Miss Betty +Lanshaw, by which the account of this year naturally divides +itself into three heads or portions.</p> +<p>First, of the placing.—It was a great affair; for I was +put in by the patron, and the people knew nothing whatsoever of +me, and their hearts were stirred into strife on the occasion, +and they did all that lay within the compass of their power to +keep me out, insomuch, that there was obliged to be a guard of +soldiers to protect the presbytery; and it was a thing that made +my heart grieve when I heard the drum beating and the fife +playing as we were going to the kirk. The people were +really mad and vicious, and flung dirt upon us as we passed, and +reviled us all, and held out the finger of scorn at me; but I +endured it with a resigned spirit, compassionating their +wilfulness and blindness. Poor old Mr. Kilfuddy of the +Braehill got such a clash of glar on the side of his face, that +his eye was almost extinguished.</p> +<p>When we got to the kirk door, it was found to be nailed up, so +as by no possibility to be opened. The sergeant of the +soldiers wanted to break it, but I was afraid that the heritors +would grudge and complain of the expense of a new door, and I +supplicated him to let it be as it was: we were, therefore, +obligated to go in by a window, and the crowd followed us in the +most unreverent manner, making the Lord’s house like an inn +on a fair day, with their grievous yellyhooing. During the +time of the psalm and the sermon, they behaved themselves better, +but when the induction came on, their clamour was dreadful; and +Thomas Thorl, the weaver, a pious zealot in that time, he got up +and protested, and said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, +he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth +up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” +And I thought I would have a hard and sore time of it with such +an outstrapolous people. Mr. Given, that was then the +minister of Lugton, was a jocose man, and would have his joke +even at a solemnity. When the laying of the hands upon me +was adoing, he could not get near enough to put on his, but he +stretched out his staff and touched my head, and said, to the +great diversion of the rest, “This will do well enough, +timber to timber;” but it was an unfriendly saying of Mr. +Given, considering the time and the place, and the temper of my +people.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p8b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Souter" +title= +"The Souter" + src="images/p8s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>After the ceremony, we then got out at the window, and it was +a heavy day to me; but we went to the manse, and there we had an +excellent dinner, which Mrs. Watts of the new inns of Irville <a +name="citation9"></a><a href="#footnote9" +class="citation">[9]</a> prepared at my request, and sent her +chaise-driver to serve, for he was likewise her waiter, she +having then but one chaise, and that no often called for.</p> +<p>But, although my people received me in this unruly manner, I +was resolved to cultivate civility among them, and therefore, the +very next morning I began a round of visitations; but, oh! it was +a steep brae that I had to climb, and it needed a stout +heart. For I found the doors in some places barred against +me; in others, the bairns, when they saw me coming, ran crying to +their mothers, “Here’s the feckless Mess-John!” +and then, when I went into the houses, their parents wouldna ask +me to sit down, but with a scornful way, said, “Honest man, +what’s your pleasure here?” Nevertheless, I +walked about from door to door like a dejected beggar, till I got +the almous deed of a civil reception—and who would have +thought it?—from no less a person than the same Thomas +Thorl that was so bitter against me in the kirk on the foregoing +day.</p> +<p>Thomas was standing at the door with his green duffle apron, +and his red Kilmarnock nightcap—I mind him as well as if it +was but yesterday—and he had seen me going from house to +house, and in what manner I was rejected, and his bowels were +moved, and he said to me in a kind manner, “Come in, sir, +and ease yoursel’: this will never do, the clergy are +God’s gorbies, and for their Master’s sake it behoves +us to respect them. There was no ane in the whole parish +mair against you than mysel’; but this early visitation is +a symptom of grace that I couldna have expectit from a bird out +the nest of patronage.” I thanked Thomas, and went in +with him, and we had some solid conversation together, and I told +him that it was not so much the pastor’s duty to feed the +flock, as to herd them well; and that, although there might be +some abler with the head than me, there wasna a he within the +bounds of Scotland more willing to watch the fold by night and by +day. And Thomas said he had not heard a mair sound observe +for some time, and that, if I held to that doctrine in the +poopit, it wouldna be lang till I would work a +change.—“I was mindit,” quoth he, “never +to set my foot within the kirk door while you were there; but to +testify, and no to condemn without a trial, I’ll be there +next Lord’s day, and egg my neighbours to be likewise, so +ye’ll no have to preach just to the bare walls and the +laird’s family.”</p> +<p>I have now to speak of the coming of Mrs. Malcolm.—She +was the widow of a Clyde shipmaster, that was lost at sea with +his vessel. She was a genty body, calm and +methodical. From morning to night she sat at her wheel, +spinning the finest lint, which suited well with her pale +hands. She never changed her widow’s weeds, and she +was aye as if she had just been ta’en out of a +bandbox. The tear was aften in her e’e when the +bairns were at the school; but when they came home, her spirit +was lighted up with gladness, although, poor woman, she had many +a time very little to give them. They were, however, +wonderful well-bred things, and took with thankfulness whatever +she set before them; for they knew that their father, the +breadwinner, was away, and that she had to work sore for their +bit and drap. I dare say, the only vexation that ever she +had from any of them, on their own account, was when Charlie, the +eldest laddie, had won fourpence at pitch-and-toss at the school, +which he brought home with a proud heart to his mother. I +happened to be daunrin’ by at the time, and just looked in +at the door to say gude-night: it was a sad sight. There +was she sitting with the silent tear on her cheek, and Charlie +greeting as if he had done a great fault, and the other four +looking on with sorrowful faces. Never, I am sure, did +Charlie Malcolm gamble after that night.</p> +<p>I often wondered what brought Mrs. Malcolm to our clachan, +instead of going to a populous town, where she might have taken +up a huxtry-shop, as she was but of a silly constitution, the +which would have been better for her than spinning from morning +to far in the night, as if she was in verity drawing the thread +of life. But it was, no doubt, from an honest pride to hide +her poverty; for when her daughter Effie was ill with the +measles—the poor lassie was very ill—nobody thought +she could come through, and when she did get the turn, she was +for many a day a heavy handful;—our session being rich, and +nobody on it but cripple Tammy Daidles, that was at that time +known through all the country side for begging on a horse, I +thought it my duty to call upon Mrs. Malcolm in a sympathising +way, and offer her some assistance, but she refused it.</p> +<p>“No, sir,” said she, “I canna take help from +the poor’s-box, although it’s very true that I am in +great need; for it might hereafter be cast up to my bairns, whom +it may please God to restore to better circumstances when I am no +to see’t; but I would fain borrow five pounds, and if, sir, +you will write to Mr. Maitland, that is now the Lord Provost of +Glasgow, and tell him that Marion Shaw would be obliged to him +for the lend of that soom, I think he will not fail to send +it.”</p> +<p>I wrote the letter that night to Provost Maitland, and, by the +retour of the post, I got an answer, with twenty pounds for Mrs. +Malcolm, saying, “That it was with sorrow he heard so small +a trifle could be serviceable.” When I took the +letter and the money, which was in a bank-bill, she said, +“This is just like himsel’.” She then +told me that Mr. Maitland had been a gentleman’s son of the +east country, but driven out of his father’s house, when a +laddie, by his stepmother; and that he had served as a servant +lad with her father, who was the Laird of Yillcogie, but ran +through his estate, and left her, his only daughter, in little +better than beggary with her auntie, the mother of Captain +Malcolm, her husband that was. Provost Maitland in his +servitude had ta’en a notion of her; and when he recovered +his patrimony, and had become a great Glasgow merchant, on +hearing how she was left by her father, he offered to marry her, +but she had promised herself to her cousin the captain, whose +widow she was. He then married a rich lady, and in time +grew, as he was, Lord Provost of the city; but his letter with +the twenty pounds to me, showed that he had not forgotten his +first love. It was a short, but a well-written letter, in a +fair hand of write, containing much of the true gentleman; and +Mrs. Malcolm said, “Who knows but out of the regard he once +had for their mother, he may do something for my five helpless +orphans.”</p> +<p>Thirdly, Upon the subject of taking my cousin, Miss Betty +Lanshaw, for my first wife, I have little to say.—It was +more out of a compassionate habitual affection, than the passion +of love. We were brought up by our grandmother in the same +house, and it was a thing spoken of from the beginning, that +Betty and me were to be married. So, when she heard that +the Laird of Breadland had given me the presentation of +Dalmailing, she began to prepare for the wedding; and as soon as +the placing was well over, and the manse in order, I gaed to Ayr, +where she was, and we were quietly married, and came home in a +chaise, bringing with us her little brother Andrew, that died in +the East Indies, and he lived and was brought up by us.</p> +<p>Now, this is all, I think, that +happened in that year worthy of being mentioned, except that at +the sacrament, when old Mr. Kilfuddy was preaching in the tent, +it came on such a thunder-plump, that there was not a single soul +stayed in the kirkyard to hear him; for the which he was greatly +mortified, and never after came to our preachings.</p> +<h2><a name="page15"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +15</span>CHAPTER II<br /> +YEAR 1761</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was in this year that the great +smuggling trade corrupted all the west coast, especially the +laigh lands about the Troon and the Loans. The tea was +going like the chaff, the brandy like well-water, and the wastrie +of all things was terrible. There was nothing minded but +the riding of cadgers by day, and excisemen by night—and +battles between the smugglers and the king’s men, both by +sea and land. There was a continual drunkenness and +debauchery; and our session, that was but on the lip of this +whirlpool of iniquity, had an awful time o’t. I did +all that was in the power of nature to keep my people from the +contagion: I preached sixteen times from the text, “Render +to Cæsar the things that are +Cæsar’s.” I visited, and I exhorted; I +warned, and I prophesied; I told them that, although the money +came in like sclate stones, it would go like the snow off the +dyke. But for all I could do, the evil got in among us, and +we had no less than three contested bastard bairns upon our hands +at one time, which was a thing never heard of in a parish of the +shire of Ayr since the Reformation. Two of the bairns, +after no small sifting and searching, we got fathered at last; +but the third, that was by Meg Glaiks, and given to one Rab +Rickerton, was utterly refused, though the fact was not denied; +but he was a termagant fellow, and snappit his fingers at the +elders. The next day he listed in the Scotch Greys, who +were then quartered at Ayr, and we never heard more of him, but +thought he had been slain in battle, till one of the parish, +about three years since, went up to London to lift a legacy from +a cousin that died among the Hindoos. When he was walking +about, seeing the curiosities, and among others Chelsea Hospital, +he happened to speak to some of the invalids, who found out from +his tongue that he was a Scotchman; and speaking to the invalids, +one of them, a very old man, with a grey head and a leg of +timber, inquired what part of Scotland he was come from; and when +he mentioned my parish, the invalid gave a great shout, and said +he was from the same place himself; and who should this old man +be, but the very identical Rab Rickerton, that was art and part +in Meg Glaiks’ disowned bairn. Then they had a long +converse together, and he had come through many hardships, but +had turned out a good soldier; and so, in his old days, was an +indoor pensioner, and very comfortable; and he said that he had, +to be sure, spent his youth in the devil’s service, and his +manhood in the king’s, but his old age was given to that of +his Maker, which I was blithe and thankful to hear; and he +enquired about many a one in the parish, the blooming and the +green of his time, but they were all dead and buried; and he had +a contrite and penitent spirit, and read his Bible every day, +delighting most in the Book of Joshua, the Chronicles, and the +Kings.</p> +<p>Before this year, the drinking of tea was little known in the +parish, saving among a few of the heritors’ houses on a +Sabbath evening; but now it became very rife: yet the commoner +sort did not like to let it be known that they were taking to the +new luxury, especially the elderly women, who, for that reason, +had their ploys in out-houses and by-places, just as the witches +lang syne had their sinful possets and galravitchings; and they +made their tea for common in the pint-stoup, and drank it out of +caps and luggies, for there were but few among them that had cups +and saucers. Well do I remember one night in harvest, in +this very year, as I was taking my twilight dauner aneath the +hedge along the back side of Thomas Thorl’s yard, +meditating on the goodness of Providence, and looking at the +sheaves of victual on the field, that I heard his wife, and two +three other carlins, with their Bohea in the inside of the hedge, +and no doubt but it had a lacing of the conek, <a +name="citation17"></a><a href="#footnote17" +class="citation">[17]</a> for they were all cracking like +pen-guns. But I gave them a sign, by a loud host, that +Providence sees all, and it skailed the bike; for I heard them, +like guilty creatures, whispering, and gathering up their +truck-pots and trenchers, and cowering away home.</p> +<p>It was in this year that Patrick Dilworth (he had been +schoolmaster of the parish from the time, as his wife said, of +Anna Regina, and before the Rexes came to the crown), was +disabled by a paralytic, and the heritors, grudging the cost of +another schoolmaster as long as he lived, would not allow the +session to get his place supplied, which was a wrong thing, I +must say, of them; for the children of the parishioners were +obliged, therefore, to go to the neighbouring towns for their +schooling, and the custom was to take a piece of bread and cheese +in their pockets for dinner, and to return in the evening always +voracious for more, the long walk helping the natural crave of +their young appetites. In this way Mrs. Malcolm’s two +eldest laddies, Charlie and Robert, were wont to go to Irville, +and it was soon seen that they kept themselves aloof from the +other callans in the clachan, and had a genteeler turn than the +grulshy bairns of the cottars. Her bit lassies, Kate and +Effie, were better off; for some years before, Nanse Banks had +taken up a teaching in a garret-room of a house, at the corner +where John Bayne has biggit the sclate-house for his +grocery-shop. Nanse learnt them reading and working +stockings, and how to sew the semplar, for twal-pennies +a-week. She was a patient creature, well cut out for her +calling, with blear een, a pale face, and a long neck, but meek +and contented withal, tholing the dule of this world with a +Christian submission of the spirit; and her garret-room was a +cordial of cleanliness, for she made the scholars set the house +in order, time and time about, every morning; and it was a common +remark for many a day, that the lassies, who had been at Nanse +Banks’s school, were always well spoken of, both for their +civility, and the trigness of their houses when they were +afterwards married. In short, I do not know, that in all +the long epoch of my ministry, any individual body did more to +improve the ways of the parishioners, in their domestic concerns, +than did that worthy and innocent creature, Nanse Banks, the +schoolmistress; and she was a great loss when she was removed, as +it is to be hoped, to a better world; but anent this I shall have +to speak more at large hereafter.</p> +<p>It was in this year that my patron, the Laird of Breadland, +departed this life, and I preached his funeral sermon; but he was +non-beloved in the parish; for my people never forgave him for +putting me upon them, although they began to be more on a +familiar footing with myself. This was partly owing to my +first wife, Betty Lanshaw, who was an active throughgoing woman, +and wonderfu’ useful to many of the cottars’ wives at +their lying-in; and when a death happened among them, her helping +hand, and any thing we had at the manse, was never wanting; and I +went about myself to the bedsides of the frail, leaving no stone +unturned to win the affections of my people, which, by the +blessing of the Lord, in process of time, was brought to a +bearing.</p> +<p>But a thing happened in this year, which deserves to be +recorded, as manifesting what effect the smuggling was beginning +to take in the morals of the country side. One Mr. +Macskipnish, of Highland parentage, who had been a +valet-de-chambre with a major in the campaigns, and taken a +prisoner with him by the French, he having come home in a cartel, +took up a dancing-school at Irville, the which art he had learnt +in the genteelest fashion, in the mode of Paris, at the French +court. Such a thing as a dancing-school had never, in the +memory of man, been known in our country side; and there was such +a sound about the steps and cottillions of Mr. Macskipnish, that +every lad and lass, that could spare time and siller, went to +him, to the great neglect of their work. The very bairns on +the loan, instead of their wonted play, gaed linking and louping +in the steps of Mr. Macskipnish, who was, to be sure, a great +curiosity, with long spindle legs, his breast shot out like a +duck’s, and his head powdered and frizzled up like a +tappit-hen. He was, indeed, the proudest peacock that could +be seen, and he had a ring on his finger, and when he came to +drink his tea at the Breadland, he brought no hat on his head, +but a droll cockit thing under his arm, which, he said, was after +the manner of the courtiers at the petty suppers of one Madam +Pompadour, who was at that time the concubine of the French +king.</p> +<p>I do not recollect any other remarkable thing that happened in +this year. The harvest was very abundant, and the meal so +cheap, that it caused a great defect in my stipend; so that I was +obligated to postpone the purchase of a mahogany scrutoire for my +study, as I had intended. But I had not the heart to +complain of this: on the contrary, I rejoiced thereat; for what +made me want my scrutoire till another year, had carried +blitheness into the hearth of the cottar, and made the +widow’s heart sing with joy; and I would have been an +unnatural creature, had I not joined in the universal gladness, +because plenty did abound.</p> +<h2><a name="page22"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +22</span>CHAPTER III<br /> +YEAR 1762</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> third year of my ministry was +long held in remembrance for several very memorable things. +William Byres of the Loanhead had a cow that calved two calves at +one calving; Mrs. Byres, the same year, had twins, male and +female; and there was such a crop on his fields, testifying that +the Lord never sends a mouth into the world without providing +meat for it. But what was thought a very daunting sign of +something, happened on the Sacrament Sabbath at the conclusion of +the action sermon, when I had made a very suitable +discourse. The day was tempestuous, and the wind blew with +such a pith and birr, that I thought it would have twirled the +trees in the kirkyard out by the roots, and, blowing in this +manner, it tirled the thack from the rigging of the manse stable; +and the same blast that did that, took down the lead that was on +the kirk-roof, which hurled off, as I was saying, at the +conclusion of the action sermon, with such a dreadful sound, as +the like was never heard, and all the congregation thought that +it betokened a mutation to me. However, nothing particular +happened to me; but the smallpox came in among the weans of the +parish, and the smashing that it made of the poor bits o’ +bairns was indeed woeful.</p> +<p>One Sabbath, when the pestilence was raging, I preached a +sermon about Rachel weeping for her children, which Thomas Thorl, +who was surely a great judge of good preaching, said, “was +a monument of divinity whilk searched the heart of many a parent +that day;” a thing I was well pleased to hear, for Thomas, +as I have related at length, was the most zealous champion +against my getting the parish; but, from this time, I set him +down in my mind for the next vacancy among the elders. +Worthy man! it was not permitted him to arrive at that +honour. In the fall of that year he took an income in his +legs, and couldna go about, and was laid up for the remainder of +his days, a perfect Lazarus, by the fire-side. But he was +well supported in his affliction. In due season, when it +pleased Him that alone can give and take, to pluck him from this +life, as the fruit ripened and ready for the gathering, his +death, to all that knew him, was a gentle dispensation, for truly +he had been in sore trouble.</p> +<p>It was in this year that Charlie Malcolm, Mrs. Malcolm’s +eldest son, was sent to be a cabin-boy in the Tobacco trader, a +three-masted ship, that sailed between Port-Glasgow and Virginia +in America. She was commanded by Captain Dickie, an Irville +man; for at that time the Clyde was supplied with the best +sailors from our coast, the coal-trade with Ireland being a +better trade for bringing up good mariners than the long voyages +in the open sea; which was the reason, as I often heard said, why +the Clyde shipping got so many of their men from our country +side. The going to sea of Charlie Malcolm was, on divers +accounts, a very remarkable thing to us all; for he was the first +that ever went from our parish, in the memory of man, to be a +sailor, and everybody was concerned at it, and some thought it +was a great venture of his mother to let him, his father having +been lost at sea. But what could the forlorn widow +do? She had five weans, and little to give them; and, as +she herself said, he was aye in the hand of his Maker, go where +he might; and the will of God would be done, in spite of all +earthly wiles and devices to the contrary.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p24b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"Preparing for the Kirk" +title= +"Preparing for the Kirk" + src="images/p24s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>On the Monday morning, when Charlie was to go away to meet the +Irville carrier on the road, we were all up, and I walked by +myself from the manse into the clachan to bid him farewell, and I +met him just coming from his mother’s door, as blithe as a +bee, in his sailor’s dress, with a stick, and a bundle tied +in a Barcelona silk handkerchief hanging o’er his shoulder, +and his two little brothers were with him, and his sisters, Kate +and Effie, looking out from the door all begreeten; but his +mother was in the house, praying to the Lord to protect her +orphan, as she afterwards told me. All the weans of the +clachan were gathered at the kirkyard yett to see him pass, and +they gave him three great shouts as he was going by; and +everybody was at their doors, and said something encouraging to +him; but there was a great laugh when auld Mizy Spaewell came +hirpling with her bauchle in her hand, and flung it after him for +good-luck. Mizy had a wonderful faith in freats, and was +just an oracle of sagacity at expounding dreams, and bodes of +every sort and description—besides, she was reckoned one of +the best howdies in her day; but by this time she was grown frail +and feckless, and she died the same year on Hallowe’en, +which made everybody wonder that it should have so fallen out for +her to die on Hallowe’en.</p> +<p>Shortly after the departure of Charlie Malcolm, the Lady of +Breadland, with her three daughters, removed to Edinburgh, where +the young laird, that had been my pupil, was learning to be an +advocate, and the Breadland-house was set to Major Gilchrist, a +nabob from India; but he was a narrow ailing man, and his +maiden-sister, Miss Girzie, was the scrimpetest creature that +could be; so that, in their hands, all the pretty policy of the +Breadlands, that had cost a power of money to the old laird that +was my patron, fell into decay and disorder; and the bonny +yew-trees that were cut into the shape of peacocks, soon grew out +of all shape, and are now doleful monuments of the major’s +tack, and that of Lady Skimmilk, as Miss Girzie Gilchrist, his +sister, was nick-named by every ane that kent her.</p> +<p>But it was not so much on account of the neglect of the +Breadland, that the incoming of Major Gilchrist was to be +deplored. The old men that had a light labour in keeping +the policy in order, were thrown out of bread, and could do +little; and the poor women that whiles got a bit and a drap from +the kitchen of the family, soon felt the change, so that by +little and little we were obligated to give help from the +session; insomuch that, before the end of the year, I was +necessitated to preach a discourse on almsgiving, specially for +the benefit of our own poor, a thing never before known in the +parish.</p> +<p>But one good thing came from the Gilchrists to Mrs. +Malcolm. Miss Girzie, whom they called Lady Skimmilk, had +been in a very penurious way as a seamstress, in the Gorbals of +Glasgow, while her brother was making the fortune in India, and +she was a clever needle-woman—none better, as it was said; +and she, having some things to make, took Kate Malcolm to help +her in the coarse work; and Kate, being a nimble and birky thing, +was so useful to the lady, and the complaining man the major, +that they invited her to stay with them at the Breadland for the +winter, where, although she was holden to her seam from morning +to night, her food lightened the hand of her mother, who, for the +first time since her coming into the parish, found the penny for +the day’s darg more than was needed for the meal-basin; and +the tea-drinking was beginning to spread more openly, insomuch +that, by the advice of the first Mrs. Balwhidder, Mrs. Malcolm +took in tea to sell, and in this way was enabled to eke something +to the small profits of her wheel. Thus the tide that had +been so long ebbing to her, began to turn; and here I am bound in +truth to say, that although I never could abide the smuggling, +both on its own account, and the evils that grew therefrom to the +country side, I lost some of my dislike to the tea after Mrs. +Malcolm began to traffic in it, and we then had it for our +breakfast in the morning at the manse, as well as in the +afternoon. But what I thought most of it for was, that it +did no harm to the head of the drinkers, which was not always the +case with the possets that were in fashion before. There is +no meeting now in the summer evenings, as I remember often +happened in my younger days, with decent ladies coming home with +red faces, tosy and cosh, from a posset-masking; so, both for its +temperance and on account of Mrs. Malcolm’s sale, I +refrained from the November in this year to preach against tea; +but I never lifted the weight of my displeasure from off the +smuggling trade, until it was utterly put down by the strong hand +of government.</p> +<p>There was no other thing of note in this year, saving only +that I planted in the garden the big pear-tree, which had the two +great branches that we call the Adam and Eve. I got the +plant, then a sapling, from Mr. Graft, that was Lord +Eaglesham’s head-gardener; and he said it was, as indeed +all the parish now knows well, a most juicy sweet pear, such as +was not known in Scotland till my lord brought down the father +plant from the king’s garden in London, in the forty-five +when he went up to testify his loyalty to the House of +Hanover.</p> +<h2><a name="page29"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +29</span>CHAPTER IV<br /> +YEAR 1763</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> An. Dom. 1763, was, in many a +respect, a memorable year, both in public and in private. +The King granted peace to the French, and Charlie Malcolm, that +went to sea in the Tobacco trader, came home to see his +mother. The ship, after being at America, had gone down to +Jamaica, an island in the West Indies, with a cargo of live +lumber, as Charlie told me himself, and had come home with more +than a hundred and fifty hoggits of sugar, and sixty-three +puncheons full of rum; for she was, by all accounts, a stately +galley, and almost two hundred tons in the burthen, being the +largest vessel then sailing from the creditable town of +Port-Glasgow. Charlie was not expected; and his coming was +a great thing to us all, so I will mention the whole +particulars.</p> +<p>One evening, towards the gloaming, as I was taking my walk of +meditation, I saw a brisk sailor laddie coming towards me. +He had a pretty green parrot sitting on a bundle, tied in a +Barcelona silk handkerchief, which he carried with a stick over +his shoulder, and in this bundle was a wonderful big nut, such as +no one in our parish had ever seen. It was called a +cocker-nut. This blithe callant was Charlie Malcolm, who +had come all the way that day his leeful lane, on his own legs +from Greenock, where the Tobacco trader was then ’livering +her cargo. I told him how his mother, and his brothers, and +his sisters were all in good health, and went to convoy him home; +and as we were going along, he told me many curious things, and +he gave me six beautiful yellow limes, that he had brought in his +pouch all the way across the seas, for me to make a bowl of punch +with, and I thought more of them than if they had been golden +guineas, it was so mindful of the laddie.</p> +<p>When we got to the door of his mother’s house, she was +sitting at the fireside, with her three other bairns at their +bread and milk, Kate being then with Lady Skimmilk, at the +Breadland, sewing. It was between the day and dark, when +the shuttle stands still till the lamp is lighted. But such +a shout of joy and thankfulness as rose from that hearth, when +Charlie went in! The very parrot, ye would have thought, +was a participator, for the beast gied a skraik that made my +whole head dirl; and the neighbours came flying and flocking to +see what was the matter, for it was the first parrot ever seen +within the bounds of the parish, and some thought it was but a +foreign hawk, with a yellow head and green feathers.</p> +<p>In the midst of all this, Effie Malcolm had run off to the +Breadland for her sister Kate, and the two lassies came flying +breathless, with Miss Girzie Gilchrist, the Lady Skimmilk, +pursuing them like desperation, or a griffin, down the avenue; +for Kate, in her hurry, had flung down her seam, a new printed +gown, that she was helping to make, and it had fallen into a +boyne of milk that was ready for the creaming, by which issued a +double misfortune to Miss Girzie, the gown being not only ruined, +but licking up the cream. For this, poor Kate was not +allowed ever to set her face in the Breadland again.</p> +<p>When Charlie Malcolm had stayed about a week with his mother, +he returned to his berth in the Tobacco trader, and shortly after +his brother Robert was likewise sent to serve his time to the +sea, with an owner that was master of his own bark, in the coal +trade at Irville. Kate, who was really a surprising lassie +for her years, was taken off her mother’s hands by the old +Lady Macadam, that lived in her jointure house, which is now the +Cross Keys Inn. Her ladyship was a woman of high breeding, +her husband having been a great general, and knighted by the king +for his exploits; but she was lame, and could not move about in +her dining-room without help; so hearing from the first Mrs. +Balwhidder how Kate had done such an unatonable deed to Miss +Girzie Gilchrist, she sent for Kate, and, finding her sharp and +apt, she took her to live with her as a companion. This was +a vast advantage, for the lady was versed in all manner of +accomplishments, and could read and speak French with more ease +than any professor at that time in the College of Glasgow; and +she had learnt to sew flowers on satin, either in a nunnery +abroad, or in a boarding-school in England, and took pleasure in +teaching Kate all she knew, and how to behave herself like a +lady.</p> +<p>In the summer of this year, old Mr. Patrick Dilworth, that had +so long been doited with the paralytics, died, and it was a great +relief to my people, for the heritors could no longer refuse to +get a proper schoolmaster; so we took on trial Mr. Lorimore, who +has ever since the year after, with so much credit to himself, +and usefulness to the parish, been schoolmaster, session clerk, +and precentor—a man of great mildness and extraordinary +particularity. He was then a very young man, and some +objection was made, on account of his youth, to his being +session-clerk, especially as the smuggling immorality still gave +us much trouble in the making up of irregular marriages; but his +discretion was greater than could have been hoped for from his +years; and, after a twelvemonth’s probation in the capacity +of schoolmaster, he was installed in all the offices that had +belonged to his predecessor, old Mr. Patrick Dilworth that +was.</p> +<p>But the most memorable thing that befell among my people this +year, was the burning of the lint-mill on the Lugton water, which +happened, of all the days of the year, on the very selfsame day +that Miss Girzie Gilchrist, better known as Lady Skimmilk, hired +the chaise from Mrs. Watts of the New Inns of Irville, to go with +her brother, the major, to consult the faculty in Edinburgh +concerning his complaints. For, as the chaise was coming by +the mill, William Huckle, the miller that was, came flying out of +the mill like a demented man, crying fire!—and it was the +driver that brought the melancholy tidings to the +clachan—and melancholy they were; for the mill was utterly +destroyed, and in it not a little of all that year’s crop +of lint in our parish. The first Mrs. Balwhidder lost +upwards of twelve stone, which we had raised on the glebe with no +small pains, watering it in the drouth, as it was intended for +sarking to ourselves, and sheets and napery. A great loss +indeed it was, and the vexation thereof had a visible effect on +Mrs. Balwhidder’s health, which from the spring had been in +a dwining way. But for it, I think she might have wrestled +through the winter: however, it was ordered otherwise, and she +was removed from mine to Abraham’s bosom on Christmas-day, +and buried on Hogmanay, for it was thought uncanny to have a dead +corpse in the house on the new-year’s day. She was a +worthy woman, studying with all her capacity to win the hearts of +my people towards me—in the which good work she prospered +greatly; so that, when she died, there was not a single soul in +the parish that was not contented with both my walk and +conversation. Nothing could be more peaceable than the way +we lived together. Her brother Andrew, a fine lad, I had +sent to the college at Glasgow, at my own cost; and when he came +out to the burial, he stayed with me a month, for the manse after +her decease was very dull, and it was during this visit that he +gave me an inkling of his wish to go out to India as a cadet, but +the transactions anent that fall within the scope of another +year—as well as what relates to her headstone, and the +epitaph in metre, which I indicated myself thereon; John Truel +the mason carving the same, as may be seen in the kirkyard, where +it wants a little reparation and setting upright, having settled +the wrong way when the second Mrs. Balwhidder was laid by her +side.—But I must not here enter upon an anticipation.</p> +<h2><a name="page35"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +35</span>CHAPTER V<br /> +YEAR 1764</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> year well deserved the name of +the monumental year in our parish; for the young laird of the +Breadland, that had been my pupil, being learning to be an +advocate among the faculty in Edinburgh, with his lady mother, +who had removed thither with the young ladies her daughters, for +the benefit of education, sent out to be put up in the kirk, +under the loft over the family vault, an elegant marble +headstone, with an epitaph engraven thereon, in fair Latin, +setting forth many excellent qualities which the old laird, my +patron that was, the inditer thereof said he possessed. I +say the inditer, because it couldna have been the young laird +himself, although he got the credit o’t on the stone, for +he was nae daub in my aught at the Latin or any other +language. However, he might improve himself at Edinburgh, +where a’ manner of genteel things were then to be got at an +easy rate, and doubtless the young laird got a probationer at the +College to write the epitaph; but I have often wondered +sin’ syne, how he came to make it in Latin, for assuredly +his dead parent, if he could have seen it, could not have read a +single word o’t, notwithstanding it was so vaunty about his +virtues, and other civil and hospitable qualifications.</p> +<p>The coming of the laird’s monumental stone had a great +effect on me, then in a state of deep despondency for the loss of +the first Mrs. Balwhidder; and I thought I could not do a better +thing, just by way of diversion in my heavy sorrow, than to get a +well-shapen headstone made for her—which, as I have hinted +at in the record of the last year, was done and set up. But +a headstone without an epitaph, is no better than a body without +the breath of life in’t; and so it behoved me to make a +poesy for the monument, the which I conned and pondered upon for +many days. I thought as Mrs. Balwhidder, worthy woman as +she was, did not understand the Latin tongue, it would not do to +put on what I had to say in that language, as the laird had +done—nor indeed would it have been easy, as I found upon +the experimenting, to tell what I had to tell in Latin, which is +naturally a crabbed language, and very difficult to write +properly. I therefore, after mentioning her age and the +dates of her birth and departure, composed in sedate poetry the +following epitaph, which may yet be seen on the tombstone.</p> +<blockquote><p style="text-align: center">EPITAPH</p> +<p>A lovely Christian, spouse, and friend,<br /> +Pleasant in life, and at her end.—<br /> +A pale consumption dealt the blow<br /> +That laid her here, with dust below.<br /> +Sore was the cough that shook her frame;<br /> +That cough her patience did proclaim—<br /> +And as she drew her latest breath,<br /> +She said, “The Lord is sweet in death.”<br /> +O pious reader! standing by,<br /> +Learn like this gentle one to die.<br /> +The grass doth grow and fade away,<br /> +And time runs out by night and day;<br /> +The King of Terrors has command<br /> +To strike us with his dart in hand.<br /> +Go where we will by flood or field,<br /> +He will pursue and make us yield.<br /> +But though to him we must resign<br /> +The vesture of our part divine,<br /> +There is a jewel in our trust,<br /> +That will not perish in the dust,<br /> +A pearl of price, a precious gem,<br /> +Ordained for Jesus’ diadem;<br /> +Therefore, be holy while you can,<br /> +And think upon the doom of man.<br /> +Repent in time and sin no more,<br /> +That when the strife of life is o’er,<br /> +On wings of love your soul may rise,<br /> +To dwell with angels in the skies,<br /> +Where psalms are sung eternally,<br /> +And martyrs ne’er again shall die;<br /> +But with the saints still bask in bliss,<br /> +And drink the cup of blessedness.</p> +</blockquote> +<p>This was greatly thought of at the time, and Mr. Lorimore, who +had a nerve for poesy himself in his younger years, was of +opinion that it was so much to the purpose, and suitable withal, +that he made his scholars write it out for their examination +copies, at the reading whereof before the heritors, when the +examination of the school came round, the tear came into my eye, +and every one present sympathized with me in my great affliction +for the loss of the first Mrs. Balwhidder.</p> +<p>Andrew Langshaw, as I have recorded, having come from the +Glasgow College to the burial of his sister, my wife that was, +stayed with me a month to keep me company; and staying with me, +he was a great cordial, for the weather was wet and sleety, and +the nights were stormy, so that I could go little out, and few of +the elders came in, they being at that time old men in a feckless +condition, not at all qualified to warsle with the blasts of +winter. But when Andrew left me to go back to his classes, +I was eerie and lonesome; and but for the getting of the monument +ready, which was a blessed entertainment to me in those dreary +nights, with consulting anent the shape of it with John Truel, +and meditating on the verse for the epitaph, I might have gone +altogether demented. However, it pleased Him, who is the +surety of the sinner, to help me through the Slough of Despond, +and to set my feet on firm land, establishing my way thereon.</p> +<p>But the work of the monument, and the epitaph, could not +endure for a constancy, and after it was done, I was again in +great danger of sinking into the hypochonderies a second +time. However, I was enabled to fight with my affliction, +and by-and-by, as the spring began to open her green lattice, and +to set out her flower-pots to the sunshine, and the time of the +singing of birds was come, I became more composed, and like +myself, so I often walked in the fields, and held communion with +nature, and wondered at the mysteries thereof.</p> +<p>On one of these occasions, as I was sauntering along the edge +of Eaglesham-wood, looking at the industrious bee going from +flower to flower, and the idle butterfly, that layeth up no +store, but perisheth ere it is winter, I felt as it were a spirit +from on high descending upon me, a throb at my heart, and a +thrill in my brain, and I was transported out of myself, and +seized with the notion of writing a book—but what it should +be about, I could not settle to my satisfaction. Sometimes +I thought of an orthodox poem, like <i>Paradise Lost</i>, by John +Milton, wherein I proposed to treat more at large of Original +Sin, and the great mystery of Redemption; at others, I fancied +that a connect treatise on the efficacy of Free Grace would be +more taking; but although I made divers beginnings in both +subjects, some new thought ever came into my head, and the whole +summer passed away and nothing was done. I therefore +postponed my design of writing a book till the winter, when I +would have the benefit of the long nights. Before that, +however, I had other things of more importance to think +about. My servant lasses, having no eye of a mistress over +them, wastered every thing at such a rate, and made such a +galravitching in the house, that, long before the end of the +year, the year’s stipend was all spent, and I did not know +what to do. At lang and length I mustered courage to send +for Mr. Auld, who was then living, and an elder. He was a +douce and discreet man, fair and well-doing in the world, and had +a better handful of strong common sense than many even of the +heritors. So I told him how I was situated, and conferred +with him; and he advised me, for my own sake, to look out for +another wife as soon as decency would allow, which he thought +might very properly be after the turn of the year, by which time +the first Mrs. Balwhidder would be dead more than twelve months; +and when I mentioned my design to write a book, he said, (and he +was a man of good discretion), that the doing of the book was a +thing that would keep, but masterful servants were a growing +evil; so, upon his counselling, I resolved not to meddle with the +book till I was married again, but employ the interim, between +then and the turn of the year, in looking out for a prudent woman +to be my second wife, strictly intending, as I did perform, not +to mint a word about my choice, if I made one, till the whole +twelve months and a day, from the date of the first Mrs. +Balwhidder’s interment, had run out.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p40b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"Sabbath Morning" +title= +"Sabbath Morning" + src="images/p40s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>In this the hand of Providence was very visible, and lucky for +me it was that I had sent for Mr. Auld when I did send, as the +very week following, a sound began to spread in the parish, that +one of my lassies had got herself with bairn, which was an awful +thing to think had happened in the house of her master, and that +master a minister of the gospel. Some there were, for +backbiting appertaineth to all conditions, that jealoused and +wondered if I had not a finger in the pie; which, when Mr. Auld +heard, he bestirred himself in such a manful and godly way in my +defence, as silenced the clash, telling that I was utterly +incapable of any such thing, being a man of a guileless heart, +and a spiritual simplicity, that would be ornamental in a +child. We then had the latheron summoned before the +session, and was not long of making her confess that the father +was Nichol Snipe, Lord Glencairn’s gamekeeper; and both her +and Nichol were obligated to stand in the kirk: but Nichol was a +graceless reprobate, for he came with two coats, one buttoned +behind him, and another buttoned before him, and two wigs of my +lord’s, lent him by the valet-de-chamer; the one over his +face, and the other in the right way; and he stood with his face +to the church-wall. When I saw him from the poopit, I said +to him—“Nichol, you must turn your face towards +me!” At the which, he turned round to be sure, but +there he presented the same show as his back. I was +confounded, and did not know what to say, but cried out with a +voice of anger—“Nichol, Nichol! if ye had been +a’ back, ye wouldna hae been there this day;” which +had such an effect on the whole congregation, that the poor +fellow suffered afterwards more derision, than if I had rebuked +him in the manner prescribed by the session.</p> +<p>This affair, with the previous advice of Mr. Auld, was, +however, a warning to me, that no pastor of his parish should be +long without a helpmate. Accordingly, as soon as the year +was out, I set myself earnestly about the search for one; but as +the particulars fall properly within the scope and chronicle of +the next year, I must reserve them for it; and I do not recollect +that any thing more particular befell in this, excepting that +William Mutchkins, the father of Mr. Mutchkins, the great +spirit-dealer in Glasgow, set up a change-house in the clachan, +which was the first in the parish, and which, if I could have +helped, would have been the last; for it was opening a howf to +all manner of wickedness, and was an immediate get and offspring +of the smuggling trade, against which I had so set my +countenance. But William Mutchkins himself was a +respectable man, and no house could be better ordered than his +change. At a stated hour he made family worship, for he +brought up his children in the fear of God and the Christian +religion; and although the house was full, he would go in to the +customers, and ask them if they would want anything for half an +hour, for that he was going to make exercise with his family; and +many a wayfaring traveller has joined in the prayer. There +is no such thing, I fear, nowadays, of publicans entertaining +travellers in this manner.</p> +<h2><a name="page44"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +44</span>CHAPTER VI<br /> +YEAR 1765</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">As</span> there was little in the last +year that concerned the parish, but only myself, so in this the +like fortune continued; and saving a rise in the price of barley, +occasioned, as was thought, by the establishment of a house for +brewing whisky in a neighbouring parish, it could not be said +that my people were exposed to the mutations and influences of +the stars, which ruled in the seasons of Ann. Dom. 1765. In +the winter there was a dearth of fuel, such as has not been +since; for when the spring loosened the bonds of the ice, three +new coal-heughs were shanked in the Douray moor, and ever since +there has been a great plenty of that necessary article. +Truly, it is very wonderful to see how things come round. +When the talk was about the shanking of their heughs, and a paper +to get folk to take shares in them, was carried through the +circumjacent parishes, it was thought a gowk’s errand; but +no sooner was the coal reached, but up sprung such a traffic, +that it was a godsend to the parish, and the opening of a trade +and commerce, that has, to use an old byword, brought gold in +gowpins amang us. From that time my stipend has been on the +regular increase, and therefore I think that the incoming of the +heritors must have been in like manner augmented.</p> +<p>Soon after this, the time was drawing near for my second +marriage. I had placed my affections, with due +consideration, on Miss Lizy Kibbock, the well brought-up daughter +of Mr. Joseph Kibbock of the Gorbyholm, who was the first that +made a speculation in the farming way in Ayrshire, and whose +cheese were of such an excellent quality, that they have, under +the name of Delap-cheese, spread far and wide over the civilized +world. Miss Lizy and me were married on the 29th day of +April, with some inconvenience to both sides, on account of the +dread that we had of being married in May; for it is +said—</p> +<blockquote><p>“Of the marriages in May,<br /> +The bairns die of a decay.”</p> +</blockquote> +<p>However, married we were, and we hired the Irville chaise, and +with Miss Jenny her sister, and Becky Cairns her niece, who sat +on a portmanty at our feet, we went on a pleasure jaunt to +Glasgow, where we bought a miracle of useful things for the +manse, that neither the first Mrs. Balwhidder nor me ever thought +of; but the second Mrs. Balwhidder that was, had a geni for +management, and it was extraordinary what she could go +through. Well may I speak of her with commendations; for +she was the bee that made my honey, although at first things did +not go so clear with us. For she found the manse rookit and +herrit, and there was such a supply of plenishing of all sort +wanted, that I thought myself ruined and undone by her care and +industry. There was such a buying of wool to make blankets, +with a booming of the meikle wheel to spin the same, and such +birring of the little wheel for sheets and napery, that the manse +was for many a day like an organ kist. Then we had milk +cows, and the calves to bring up, and a kirning of butter, and a +making of cheese; in short, I was almost by myself with the +jangle and din, which prevented me from writing a book as I had +proposed, and I for a time thought of the peaceful and kindly +nature of the first Mrs. Balwhidder with a sigh; but the +outcoming was soon manifest. The second Mrs. Balwhidder +sent her butter on the market-days to Irville, and her cheese +from time to time to Glasgow, to Mrs. Firlot, that kept the +huxtry in the Saltmarket; and they were both so well made, that +our dairy was just a coining of money, insomuch that, after the +first year, we had the whole tot of my stipend to put untouched +into the bank.</p> +<p>But I must say, that although we were thus making siller like +sclate stones, I was not satisfied in my own mind that I had got +the manse merely to be a factory of butter and cheese, and to +breed up veal calves for the slaughter; so I spoke to the second +Mrs. Balwhidder, and pointed out to her what I thought the error +of our way; but she had been so ingrained with the profitable +management of cows and grumphies in her father’s house, +that she could not desist, at the which I was greatly +grieved. By-and-by, however, I began to discern that there +was something as good in her example, as the giving of alms to +the poor folk; for all the wives of the parish were stirred up by +it into a wonderful thrift, and nothing was heard of in every +house, but of quiltings and wabs to weave; insomuch that, before +many years came round, there was not a better stocked parish, +with blankets and napery, than mine was, within the bounds of +Scotland.</p> +<p>It was about the Michaelmas of this year that Mrs. Malcolm +opened her shop, which she did chiefly on the advice of Mrs. +Balwhidder, who said it was far better to allow a little profit +on the different haberdasheries that might be wanted, than to +send to the neighbouring towns an end’s errand on purpose +for them, none of the lasses that were so sent ever thinking of +making less than a day’s play on every such occasion. +In a word, it is not to be told how the second Mrs. Balwhidder, +my wife, showed the value of flying time, even to the concerns of +this world, and was the mean of giving a life and energy to the +housewifery of the parish, that has made many a one beek his +shins in comfort, that would otherwise have had but a cold coal +to blow at. Indeed, Mr. Kibbock, her father, was a man +beyond the common, and had an insight of things, by which he was +enabled to draw profit and advantage, where others could only see +risk and detriment. He planted mounts of fir-trees on the +bleak and barren tops of the hills of his farm, the which +everybody, and I among the rest, considered as a thrashing of the +water and raising of bells. But as his rack ran his trees +grew, and the plantations supplied him with stabs to make +<i>stake and rice</i> between his fields, which soon gave them a +trig and orderly appearance, such as had never before been seen +in the west country; and his example has, in this matter, been so +followed, that I have heard travellers say, who have been in +foreign countries, that the shire of Ayr, for its bonny round +green plantings on the tops of the hills, is above comparison +either with Italy or Switzerland, where the hills are, as it +were, in a state of nature.</p> +<p>Upon the whole, this was a busy year in the parish, and the +seeds of many great improvements were laid. The +king’s road, the which then ran through the Vennel, was +mended; but it was not till some years after, as I shall record +by-and-by, that the trust-road, as it was called, was made, the +which had the effect of turning the town inside out.</p> +<p>Before I conclude, it is proper to mention that the kirk-bell, +which had to this time, from time immemorial, hung on an +ash-tree, was one stormy night cast down by the breaking of the +branch, which was the cause of the heritors agreeing to build the +steeple. The clock was a mortification to the parish from +the Lady Breadland, when she died some years after.</p> +<h2><a name="page50"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +50</span>CHAPTER VII<br /> +YEAR 1766</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was in this Ann. Dom. that the +great calamity happened, the which took place on a Sabbath +evening in the month of February. Mrs. Balwhidder had just +infused or masket the tea, and we were set round the fireside, to +spend the night in an orderly and religious manner, along with +Mr. and Mrs. Petticrew, who were on a friendly visitation to the +manse, the mistress being full cousin to Mrs. +Balwhidder.—Sitting, as I was saying, at our tea, one of +the servant lasses came into the room with a sort of a panic +laugh, and said, “What are ye all doing there when the +Breadland’s in a low?”—“The Breadland in +a low!” cried I.—“Oh, ay!” cried she; +“bleezing at the windows and the rigging, and out at the +lum, like a killogie.” Upon the which, we all went to +the door, and there, to be sure, we did see that the Breadland +was burning, the flames crackling high out o’er the trees, +and the sparks flying like a comet’s tail in the +firmament.</p> +<p>Seeing this sight, I said to Mr. Petticrew, that, in the +strength of the Lord, I would go and see what could be done, for +it was as plain as the sun in the heavens that the ancient place +of the Breadlands would be destroyed; whereupon he accorded to go +with me, and we walked at a lively course to the spot, and the +people from all quarters were pouring in, and it was an awsome +scene. But the burning of the house, and the droves of the +multitude, were nothing to what we saw when we got forenent the +place. There was the rafters crackling, the flames raging, +the servants running, some with bedding, some with +looking-glasses, and others with chamber utensils as little +likely to be fuel to the fire, but all testifications to the +confusion and alarm. Then there was a shout, +“Whar’s Miss Girzie? whar’s the +Major?” The Major, poor man, soon cast up, lying upon +a feather-bed, ill with his complaints, in the garden; but Lady +Skimmilk was nowhere to be found. At last, a figure was +seen in the upper flat, pursued by the flames, and that was Miss +Girzie. Oh! it was a terrible sight to look at her in that +jeopardy at the window, with her gold watch in the one hand and +the silver teapot in the other, skreighing like desperation for a +ladder and help. But, before a ladder or help could be +found, the floor sunk down, and the roof fell in, and poor Miss +Girzie, with her idols, perished in the burning. It was a +dreadful business! I think, to this hour, how I saw her at +the window, how the fire came in behind her, and claught her like +a fiery Belzebub, and bore her into perdition before our +eyes. The next morning the atomy of the body was found +among the rubbish, with a piece of metal in what had been each of +its hands, no doubt the gold watch and the silver teapot. +Such was the end of Miss Girzie; and the Breadland, which the +young laird, my pupil that was, by growing a resident at +Edinburgh, never rebuilt. It was burnt to the very ground; +nothing was spared but what the servants in the first flaught +gathered up in a hurry and ran with; but no one could tell how +the Major, who was then, as it was thought by the faculty, past +the power of nature to recover, got out of the house, and was +laid on the feather-bed in the garden. However, he never +got the better of that night, and before Whitsunday he was dead +too, and buried beside his sister’s bones at the south side +of the kirkyard dyke, where his cousin’s son, that was his +heir, erected the handsome monument, with the three urns and +weeping cherubims, bearing witness to the great valour of the +Major among the Hindoos, as well as other commendable virtues, +for which, as the epitaph says, he was universally esteemed and +beloved, by all who knew him, in his public and private +capacity.</p> +<p>But although the burning of the Breadland-House was justly +called the great calamity, on account of what happened to Miss +Girzie with her gold watch and silver teapot; yet, as Providence +never fails to bring good out of evil, it turned out a +catastrophe that proved advantageous to the parish; for the +laird, instead of thinking to build it up, was advised to let the +policy out as a farm, and the tack was taken by Mr. Coulter, than +whom there had been no such man in the agriculturing line among +us before, not even excepting Mr. Kibbock of the Gorbyholm, my +father-in-law that was. Of the stabling, Mr. Coulter made a +comfortable dwelling-house; and having rugget out the evergreens +and other unprofitable plants, saving the twa ancient yew-trees +which the near-begaun Major and his sister had left to go to ruin +about the mansion-house, he turned all to production, and it was +wonderful what an increase he made the land bring forth. He +was from far beyond Edinburgh, and had got his insight among the +Lothian farmers, so that he knew what crop should follow another, +and nothing could surpass the regularity of his rigs and +furrows.—Well do I remember the admiration that I had, +when, in a fine sunny morning of the first spring after he took +the Breadland, I saw his braird on what had been the cows’ +grass, as even and pretty as if it had been worked and stripped +in the loom with a shuttle. Truly, when I look back at the +example he set, and when I think on the method and dexterity of +his management, I must say, that his coming to the parish was a +great godsend, and tended to do far more for the benefit of my +people, than if the young laird had rebuilded the Breadland-House +in a fashionable style, as was at one time spoken of.</p> +<p>But the year of the great calamity was memorable for another +thing:—in the December foregoing, the wind blew, as I have +recorded in the chronicle of the last year, and broke down the +bough of the tree whereon the kirk-bell had hung from the time, +as was supposed, of the persecution, before the bringing over of +King William. Mr. Kibbock, my father-in-law then that was, +being a man of a discerning spirit, when he heard of the +unfortunate fall of the bell, advised me to get the heritors to +big a steeple; but which, when I thought of the expense, I was +afraid to do. He, however, having a great skill in the +heart of man, gave me no rest on the subject; but told me, that +if I allowed the time to go by till the heritors were used to +come to the kirk without a bell, I would get no steeple at +all. I often wondered what made Mr. Kibbock so fond of a +steeple, which is a thing that I never could see a good reason +for, saving that it is an ecclesiastical adjunct, like the gown +and bands. However, he set me on to get a steeple proposed, +and after no little argol-bargling with the heritors, it was +agreed to. This was chiefly owing to the instrumentality of +Lady Moneyplack, who, in that winter, was much subjected to the +rheumatics, she having, one cold and raw Sunday morning, there +being no bell to announce the time, come half an hour too soon to +the kirk, made her bestir herself to get an interest awakened +among the heritors in behalf of a steeple.</p> +<p>But when the steeple was built, a new contention arose. +It was thought that the bell, which had been used in the +ash-tree, would not do in a stone and lime fabric; so, after +great agitation among the heritors, it was resolved to sell the +old bell to a foundery in Glasgow, and buy a new bell suitable to +the steeple, which was a very comely fabric. The buying of +the new bell led to other considerations, and the old Lady +Breadland, being at the time in a decaying condition, and making +her will, she left a mortification to the parish, as I have +intimated, to get a clock; so that, by the time the steeple was +finished, and the bell put up, the Lady Breadland’s legacy +came to be implemented, according to the ordination of the +testatrix.</p> +<p>Of the casualities that happened in this year, I should not +forget to put down, as a thing for remembrance, that an aged +woman, one Nanse Birrel, a distillator of herbs, and well skilled +in the healing of sores, who had a great repute among the +quarriers and colliers—she having gone to the physic well +in the sandy hills to draw water, was found, with her feet +uppermost in the well, by some of the bairns of Mr. +Lorimore’s school; and there was a great debate whether +Nanse had fallen in by accident head foremost, or, in a +temptation, thrown herself in that position, with her feet +sticking up to the evil one; for Nanse was a curious discontented +blear-eyed woman, and it was only with great ado that I could get +the people keepit from calling her a witchwife.</p> +<p>I should likewise place on record, that the first ass that had +ever been seen in this part of the country, came in the course of +this year with a gang of tinklers, that made horn-spoons and +mended bellows. Where they came from never was well made +out; but being a blackaviced crew, they were generally thought to +be Egyptians. They tarried about a week among us, living in +tents, with their little ones squattling among the litter; and +one of the older men of them set and tempered to me two razors, +that were as good as nothing, but which he made better than when +they were new.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p56b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Old Ploughman" +title= +"The Old Ploughman" + src="images/p56s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>Shortly after, but I am not quite sure whether it was in the +end of this year, or the beginning of the next, although I have a +notion that it was in this, there came over from Ireland a troop +of wild Irish, seeking for work as they said; but they made free +quarters, for they herrit the roosts of the clachan, and cutted +the throat of a sow of ours, the carcass of which they no doubt +intended to steal; but something came over them, and it was found +lying at the back side of the manse, to the great vexation of +Mrs. Balwhidder; for she had set her mind on a clecking of pigs, +and only waited for the China boar, that had been brought down +from London by Lord Eaglesham, to mend the breed of pork—a +profitable commodity, that her father, Mr. Kibbock, cultivated +for the Glasgow market. The destruction of our sow, under +such circumstances, was therefore held to be a great crime and +cruelty, and it had the effect to raise up such a spirit in the +clachan, that the Irish were obligated to decamp; and they set +out for Glasgow, where one of them was afterwards hanged for a +fact, but the truth concerning how he did it, I either never +heard, or it has passed from my mind, like many other things I +should have carefully treasured.</p> +<h2><a name="page58"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +58</span>CHAPTER VIII<br /> +YEAR 1767</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">All</span> things in our parish were now +beginning to shoot up into a great prosperity. The spirit +of farming began to get the upper hand of the spirit of +smuggling, and the coal-heughs that had been opened in the +Douray, now brought a pour of money among us. In the manse, +the thrift and frugality of the second Mrs. Balwhidder throve +exceedingly, so that we could save the whole stipend for the +bank.</p> +<p>The king’s highway, as I have related in the foregoing, +ran through the Vennel, which was a narrow and a crooked street, +with many big stones here and there, and every now and then, both +in the spring and the fall, a gathering of middens for the +fields; insomuch that the coal-carts from the Douray moor were +often reested in the middle of the causey, and on more than one +occasion some of them laired altogether in the middens, and +others of them broke down. Great complaint was made by the +carters anent these difficulties, and there was, for many a day, +a talk and sound of an alteration and amendment; but nothing was +fulfilled in the matter till the month of March in this year, +when the Lord Eaglesham was coming from London to see the new +lands that he had bought in our parish. His lordship was a +man of a genteel spirit, and very fond of his horses, which were +the most beautiful creatures of their kind that had been seen in +all the country side. Coming, as I was noting, to see his +new lands, he was obliged to pass through the clachan one day, +when all the middens were gathered out, reeking and sappy, in the +middle of the causey. Just as his lordship was driving in +with his prancing steeds, like a Jehu, at one end of the vennel, +a long string of loaded coal-carts came in at the other, and +there was hardly room for my lord to pass them. What was to +be done? His lordship could not turn back, and the +coal-carts were in no less perplexity. Every body was out +of doors to see and to help; when, in trying to get his +lordship’s carriage over the top of a midden, the horses +gave a sudden loup, and couped the coach, and threw my lord, head +foremost, into the very scent-bottle of the whole commodity, +which made him go perfect mad, and he swore like a trooper that +he would get an act of parliament to put down the +nuisance—the which now ripened in the course of this year +into the undertaking of the trust-road.</p> +<p>His lordship, being in a woeful plight, left the carriage and +came to the manse, till his servant went to the castle for a +change for him; but he could not wait nor abide himself: so he +got the lend of my best suit of clothes, and was wonderful jocose +both with Mrs. Balwhidder and me, for he was a portly man, and I +but a thin body, and it was really a droll curiosity to see his +lordship clad in my garments.</p> +<p>Out of this accident grew a sort of a neighbourliness between +that Lord Eaglesham and me; so that when Andrew Lanshaw, the +brother that was of the first Mrs. Balwhidder, came to think of +going to India, I wrote to my lord for his behoof, and his +lordship got him sent out as a cadet, and was extraordinary +discreet to Andrew when he went up to London to take his passage, +speaking to him of me as if I had been a very saint, which the +Searcher of Hearts knows I am far from thinking myself.</p> +<p>But to return to the making of the trust-road, which, as I +have said, turned the town inside out. It was agreed among +the heritors, that it should run along the back side of the south +houses; and that there should be steadings fued off on each side, +according to a plan that was laid down; and this being gone into, +the town gradually, in the course of years, grew up into that +orderlyness which makes it now a pattern to the country +side—all which was mainly owing to the accident that befell +the Lord Eaglesham, which is a clear proof how improvements come +about, as it were, by the immediate instigation of Providence, +which should make the heart of man humble, and change his eyes of +pride and haughtiness into a lowly demeanour.</p> +<p>But although this making of the trust-road was surely a great +thing for the parish, and of an advantage to my people, we met, +in this year, with a loss not to be compensated—that was +the death of Nanse Banks, the schoolmistress. She had been +long in a weak and frail state; but being a methodical creature, +still kept on the school, laying the foundation for many a worthy +wife and mother. However, about the decline of the year her +complaints increased, and she sent for me to consult about her +giving up the school; and I went to see her on Saturday +afternoon, when the bit lassies, her scholars, had put the house +in order, and gone home till the Monday.</p> +<p>She was sitting in the window-nook, reading <span +class="GutSmall">THE WORD</span> to herself, when I entered; but +she closed the book, and put her spectacles in for a mark when +she saw me; and, as it was expected I would come, her easy-chair, +with a clean cover, had been set out for me by the scholars, by +which I discerned that there was something more than common to +happen, and so it appeared when I had taken my seat.</p> +<p>“Sir,” said she, “I hae sent for you on a +thing troubles me sairly. I have warsled with poortith in +this shed, which it has pleased the Lord to allow me to possess; +but my strength is worn out, and I fear I maun yield in the +strife;” and she wiped her eye with her apron. I told +her, however, to be of good cheer; and then she said, “That +she could no longer thole the din of the school, and that she was +weary, and ready to lay herself down to die whenever the Lord was +pleased to permit.” “But,” continued she, +“what can I do without the school; and, alas! I can +neither work nor want; and I am wae to go on the session, for I +am come of a decent family.” I comforted her, and +told her, that I thought she had done so much good in the parish, +that the session was deep in her debt, and that what they might +give her was but a just payment for her service. “I +would rather, however, sir,” said she, “try first +what some of my auld scholars will do, and it was for that I +wanted to speak with you. If some of them would but just, +from time to time, look in upon me, that I may not die alane; and +the little pick and drap that I require would not be hard upon +them—I am more sure that in this way their gratitude would +be no discredit, than I am of having any claim on the +session.”</p> +<p>As I had always a great respect for an honest pride, I assured +her that I would do what she wanted; and accordingly, the very +morning after, being Sabbath, I preached a sermon on the +helplessness of them that have no help of man, meaning aged +single women, living in garret-rooms, whose forlorn state, in the +gloaming of life, I made manifest to the hearts and +understandings of the congregation, in such a manner that many +shed tears, and went away sorrowful.</p> +<p>Having thus roused the feelings of my people, I went round the +houses on the Monday morning, and mentioned what I had to say +more particularly about poor old Nanse Banks, the schoolmistress, +and truly I was rejoiced at the condition of the hearts of my +people. There was a universal sympathy among them; and it +was soon ordered that, what with one and another, her decay +should be provided for. But it was not ordained that she +should be long heavy on their good-will. On the Monday the +school was given up, and there was nothing but wailing among the +bit lassies, the scholars, for getting the vacance, as the poor +things said, because the mistress was going to lie down to +dee. And, indeed, so it came to pass; for she took to her +bed the same afternoon, and, in the course of the week, dwindled +away, and slipped out of this howling wilderness into the kingdom +of heaven, on the Sabbath following, as quietly as a blessed +saint could do. And here I should mention, that the Lady +Macadam, when I told her of Nanse Banks’s case, enquired if +she was a snuffer, and, being answered by me that she was, her +ladyship sent her a pretty French enamel box full of macabaw, a +fine snuff that she had in a bottle; and, among the macabaw, was +found a guinea, at the bottom of the box, after Nanse Banks had +departed this life, which was a kind thing of Lady Macadam to +do.</p> +<p>About the close of this year there was a great sough of old +prophecies, foretelling mutations and adversities, chiefly on +account of the canal that was spoken of to join the rivers of the +Clyde and the Forth, it being thought an impossible thing to be +done; and the Adam and Eve pear-tree, in our garden, budded out +in an awful manner, and had divers flourishes on it at Yule, +which was thought an ominous thing, especially as the second Mrs. +Balwhidder was at the downlying with my eldest son Gilbert, that +is, the merchant in Glasgow; but nothing came o’t, and the +howdie said she had an easy time when the child came into the +world, which was on the very last day of the year, to the great +satisfaction of me, and of my people, who were wonderful lifted +up because their minister had a man-child born unto him.</p> +<h2><a name="page65"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +65</span>CHAPTER IX<br /> +YEAR 1768</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">It’s</span> a surprising thing how +time flieth away, carrying off our youth and strength, and +leaving us nothing but wrinkles and the ails of old age. +Gilbert, my son, that is now a corpulent man, and a Glasgow +merchant, when I take up my pen to record the memorables of this +Ann. Dom., seems to me yet but a suckling in swaddling clothes, +mewing and peevish in the arms of his mother, that has been long +laid in the cold kirkyard, beside her predecessor, in +Abraham’s bosom. It is not, however, my design to +speak much anent my own affairs, which would be a very improper +and uncomely thing, but only of what happened in the parish, this +book being for a witness and testimony of my ministry. +Therefore, setting out of view both me and mine, I will now +resuscitate the concerns of Mrs. Malcolm and her children; for, +as I think, never was there such a visible preordination seen in +the lives of any persons, as was seen in that of this worthy +decent woman, and her well-doing off-spring. Her morning +was raw, and a sore blight fell upon her fortunes; but the sun +looked out on her midday, and her evening closed loun and warm; +and the stars of the firmament, that are the eyes of heaven, +beamed as it were with gladness, when she lay down to sleep the +sleep of rest.</p> +<p>Her son Charles was by this time grown up into a stout buirdly +lad, and it was expected that, before the return of the Tobacco +trader, he would have been out of his time, and a man afore the +mast, which was a great step of preferment, as I heard say by +persons skilled in seafaring concerns. But this was not +ordered to happen; for, when the Tobacco trader was lying in the +harbour of Virginia in the North Americas, a pressgang, that was +in need of men for a man-of-war, came on board, and pressed poor +Charles, and sailed away with him on a cruise, nobody, for many a +day, could tell where, till I thought of the Lord +Eaglesham’s kindness. His lordship having something +to say with the king’s government, I wrote to him, telling +him who I was, and how jocose he had been when buttoned in my +clothes, that he might recollect me, thanking him, at the same +time, for his condescension and patronage to Andrew Lanshaw, in +his way to the East Indies. I then slipped in, at the end +of the letter, a bit nota-bene concerning the case of Charles +Malcolm, begging his lordship, on account of the poor lad’s +widow mother, to enquire at the government if they could tell us +any thing about Charles. In the due course of time, I got a +most civil reply from his lordship, stating all about the name of +the man-of-war, and where she was; and at the conclusion his +lordship said, that I was lucky in having the brother of a Lord +of the Admiralty on this occasion for my agent, as otherwise, +from the vagueness of my statement, the information might not +have been procured; which remark of his lordship was long a great +riddle to me; for I could not think what he meant about an agent, +till, in the course of the year, we heard that his own brother +was concerned in the admiralty; so that all his lordship meant +was only to crack a joke with me, and that he was ever ready and +free to do, as shall be related in the sequel, for he was an +excellent man.</p> +<p>There being a vacancy for a schoolmistress, it was proposed to +Mrs. Malcolm, that, under her superintendence, her daughter Kate, +that had been learning great artifices in needle-work so long +with Lady Macadam, should take up the school, and the session +undertook to make good to Kate the sum of five pounds sterling +per annum, over and above what the scholars were to pay. +But Mrs. Malcolm said she had not strength herself to warsle with +so many unruly brats, and that Kate, though a fine lassie, was a +tempestuous spirit, and might lame some of the bairns in her +passion; and that selfsame night, Lady Macadam wrote me a very +complaining letter, for trying to wile away her companion; but +her ladyship was a canary-headed woman, and given to flights and +tantrums, having in her youth been a great toast among the +quality. It would, however, have saved her from a sore +heart, had she never thought of keeping Kate Malcolm. For +this year her only son, who was learning the art of war at an +academy in France, came to pay her, his lady mother, a +visit. He was a brisk and light-hearted stripling, and Kate +Malcolm was budding into a very rose of beauty; so between them a +hankering began, which, for a season, was productive of great +heaviness of heart to the poor old cripple lady; indeed, she +assured me herself, that all her rheumatics were nothing to the +heart-ache which she suffered in the progress of this +business. But that will be more treated of hereafter; +suffice it to say for the present, that we have thus recorded how +the plan for making Kate Malcolm our schoolmistress came to +nought. It pleased, however, Him, from whom cometh every +good and perfect gift, to send at this time among us a Miss +Sabrina Hooky, the daughter of old Mr. Hooky, who had been +schoolmaster in a neighbouring parish. She had gone, after +his death, to live with an auntie in Glasgow, that kept a shop in +the Gallowgate. It was thought that the old woman would +have left her heir to all her gatherings, and so she said she +would, but alas! our life is but within our lip. Before her +testament was made, she was carried suddenly off by an +apoplectick, an awful monument of the uncertainty of time and the +nearness of eternity, in her own shop, as she was in the very act +of weighing out an ounce of snuff to a professor of the College, +as Miss Sabrina herself told me. Being thus destitute, it +happened that Miss Sabrina heard of the vacancy in our parish, as +it were, just by the cry of a passing bird, for she could not +tell how; although I judge myself that William Keckle the elder +had a hand in it, as he was at the time in Glasgow; and she wrote +me a wonderful well-penned letter bespeaking the situation, which +letter came to hand on the morn following Lady Macadam’s +stramash to me about Kate Malcolm, and I laid it before the +session the same day; so that, by the time her auntie’s +concern was taken off her hands, she had a home and a howf among +us to come in, to the which she lived upwards of thirty years in +credit and respect, although some thought she had not the art of +her predecessor, and was more uppish in her carriage than +befitted the decorum of her vocation. Hers, however, was +but a harmless vanity; and, poor woman, she needed all manner of +graces to set her out; for she was made up of odds and ends, and +had but one good eye, the other being blind, and just like a blue +bead. At first she plainly set her cap for Mr. Lorimore, +but after oggling and goggling at him every Sunday in the kirk +for a whole half-year and more, Miss Sabrina desisted in +despair.</p> +<p>But the most remarkable thing about her coming into the +parish, was the change that took place in Christian names among +us. Old Mr. Hooky, her father, had, from the time he read +his Virgil, maintained a sort of intromission with the nine +muses, by which he was led to baptize her Sabrina, after a name +mentioned by John Milton in one of his works. Miss Sabrina +began by calling our Jennies Jessies, and our Nannies Nancies; +alas! I have lived to see even these likewise grow +old-fashioned. She had also a taste in the mantua-making +line, which she had learnt in Glasgow; and I could date from the +very Sabbath of her first appearance in the kirk, a change +growing in the garb of the younger lassies, who from that day +began to lay aside the silken plaidie over the head, the which +had been the pride and bravery of their grandmothers; and instead +of the snood, that was so snod and simple, they hided their heads +in round-eared bees-cap mutches, made of gauze and catgut, and +other curious contrivances of French millendery; all which +brought a deal of custom to Miss Sabrina, over and above the +incomings and Candlemas offerings of school; insomuch that she +saved money, and in the course of three years had ten pounds to +put in the bank.</p> +<p>At the time, these alterations and revolutions in the parish +were thought a great advantage; but now when I look back upon +them, as a traveller on the hill over the road he has passed, I +have my doubts. For with wealth come wants, like a troop of +clamorous beggars at the heels of a generous man; and it’s +hard to tell wherein the benefit of improvement in a country +parish consists, especially to those who live by the sweat of +their brow. But it is not for me to make reflections; my +task and duty is to note the changes of time and habitudes.</p> +<h2><a name="page72"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +72</span>CHAPTER X<br /> +YEAR 1769</h2> +<p>I <span class="smcap">have</span> my doubts whether it was in +the beginning of this year, or in the end of the last, that a +very extraordinary thing came to light in the parish; but, +howsoever that may be, there is nothing more certain than the +fact, which it is my duty to record. I have mentioned +already how it was that the toll, or trust-road, was set a-going, +on account of the Lord Eaglesham’s tumbling on the midden +in the Vennel. Well, it happened to one of the labouring +men, in breaking the stones to make metal for the new road, that +he broke a stone that was both large and remarkable, and in the +heart of it, which was boss, there was found a living creature, +that jumped out the moment it saw the light of heaven, to the +great terrification of the man, who could think it was nothing +but an evil spirit that had been imprisoned therein for a +time. The man came to me like a demented creature, and the +whole clachan gathered out, young and old, and I went at their +head to see what the miracle could be, for the man said it was a +fiery dragon, spewing smoke and flames. But when we came to +the spot, it was just a yird toad, and the laddie weans nevelled +it to death with stones, before I could persuade them to give +over. Since then, I have read of such things coming to +light in the <i>Scots Magazine</i>, a very valuable book.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p72b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Elder’s Wife" +title= +"The Elder’s Wife" + src="images/p72s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>Soon after the affair of “the wee deil in the +stane,” as it was called, a sough reached us that the +Americas were seized with the rebellious spirit of the ten +tribes, and were snapping their fingers in the face of the +king’s government. The news came on a Saturday night, +for we had no newspapers in those days, and was brought by Robin +Modiwort, that fetched the letters from the Irville post. +Thomas Fullarton (he has been dead many a day) kept the grocery +shop at Irville, and he had been in at Glasgow, as was his yearly +custom, to settle his accounts, and to buy a hogshead of tobacco, +with sugar and other spiceries; and being in Glasgow, Thomas was +told by the merchant of a great rise in tobacco, that had +happened by reason of the contumacity of the plantations, and it +was thought that blood would be spilt before things were ended, +for that the King and Parliament were in a great passion with +them. But as Charles Malcolm, in the king’s ship, was +the only one belonging to the parish that was likely to be art +and part in the business, we were in a manner little troubled at +the time with this first gasp of the monster of war, who, for our +sins, was ordained to swallow up and devour so many of our +fellow-subjects, before he was bound again in the chains of mercy +and peace.</p> +<p>I had, in the meantime, written a letter to the Lord +Eaglesham, to get Charles Malcolm out of the clutches of the +pressgang in the man-of-war; and about a month after, his +lordship sent me an answer, wherein was enclosed a letter from +the captain of the ship, saying, that Charles Malcolm was so good +a man that he was reluctant to part with him, and that Charles +himself was well contented to remain aboard. Anent which, +his lordship said to me, that he had written back to the captain +to make a midshipman of Charles, and that he would take him under +his own protection, which was great joy on two accounts to us +all, especially to his mother; first, to hear that Charles was a +good man, although in years still but a youth; and, secondly, +that my lord had, of his own free-will, taken him under the wing +of his patronage.</p> +<p>But the sweet of this world is never to be enjoyed without +some of the sour. The coal bark between Irville and +Belfast, in which Robert Malcolm, the second son of his mother, +was serving his time to be a sailor, got a charter, as it was +called, to go with to Norway for deals, which grieved Mrs. +Malcolm to the very heart; for there was then no short cut by the +canal, as now is, between the rivers of the Forth and Clyde, but +every ship was obligated to go far away round by the Orkneys, +which, although a voyage in the summer not overly dangerous, +there being long days and short nights then, yet in the winter it +was far otherwise, many vessels being frozen up in the Baltic +till the spring; and there was a story told at the time, of an +Irville bark coming home in the dead of the year, that lost her +way altogether, and was supposed to have sailed north into utter +darkness, for she was never more heard of: and many an awful +thing was said of what the auld mariners about the shore thought +concerning the crew of that misfortunate vessel. However, +Mrs. Malcolm was a woman of great faith, and having placed her +reliance on Him who is the orphan’s stay and widow’s +trust, she resigned her bairn into his hands, with a religious +submission to his pleasure, though the mother’s tear of +weak human nature was on her cheek and in her e’e. +And her faith was well rewarded, for the vessel brought him safe +home, and he had seen such a world of things, that it was just to +read a story-book to hear him tell of Elsineur and Gottenburg, +and other fine and great places that we had never heard of till +that time; and he brought me a bottle of Riga balsam, which for +healing cuts was just miraculous, besides a clear bottle of +Rososolus for his mother, a spirit which for cordiality could not +be told; for though since that time we have had many a sort of +Dantzic cordial, I have never tasted any to compare with Robin +Malcolm’s Rososolus. The Lady Macadam, who had a +knowledge of such things, declared it was the best of the best +sort; for Mrs. Malcolm sent her ladyship some of it in a +doctor’s bottle, as well as to Mrs. Balwhidder, who was +then at the downlying with our daughter Janet—a woman now +in the married state, that makes a most excellent wife, having +been brought up with great pains, and well educated, as I shall +have to record by-and-by.</p> +<p>About the Christmas of this year, Lady Macadam’s son +having been perfected in the art of war at a school in France, +had, with the help of his mother’s friends, and his +father’s fame, got a stand of colours in the Royal Scots +regiment; he came to show himself in his regimentals to his lady +mother, like a dutiful son, as he certainly was. It +happened that he was in the kirk in his scarlets and gold, on the +same Sunday that Robert Malcolm came home from the long voyage to +Norway for deals; and I thought when I saw the soldier and the +sailor from the pulpit, that it was an omen of war, among our +harmless country folks, like swords and cannon amidst ploughs and +sickles, coming upon us; and I became laden in spirit, and had a +most weighty prayer upon the occasion, which was long after +remembered, many thinking, when the American war broke out, that +I had been gifted with a glimmering of prophecy on that day.</p> +<p>It was during this visit to his lady mother, that young Laird +Macadam settled the correspondence with Kate Malcolm, which, in +the process of time, caused us all so much trouble; for it was a +clandestine concern: but the time is not yet ripe for me to speak +of it more at large. I should, however, mention, before +concluding this annal, that Mrs. Malcolm herself was this winter +brought to death’s door by a terrible host that came on her +in the kirk, by taking a kittling in her throat. It was a +terrification to hear her sometimes; but she got the better of it +in the spring, and was more herself thereafter than she had been +for years before; and her daughter Effie or Euphemia, as she was +called by Miss Sabrina, the schoolmistress, was growing up to be +a gleg and clever quean; she was, indeed, such a spirit in her +way, that the folks called her Spunkie; while her son William, +that was the youngest of the five, was making a wonderful +proficiency with Mr. Lorimore. He was indeed a douce, +well-doing laddie, of a composed nature; insomuch that the master +said he was surely chosen for the ministry. In short, the +more I think on what befell this family, and of the great +meekness and Christian worth of the parent, I verily believe +there never could have been in any parish such a manifestation of +the truth, that they who put their trust in the Lord, are sure of +having a friend that will never forsake them.</p> +<h2><a name="page78"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +78</span>CHAPTER XI<br /> +YEAR 1770</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> blessed Ann. Dom. was one of +the Sabbaths of my ministry. When I look back upon it, all +is quiet and good order: the darkest cloud of the smuggling had +passed over, at least from my people, and the rumours of +rebellion in America were but like the distant sound of the bars +of Ayr. We sat, as it were, in a lown and pleasant place, +beholding our prosperity, like the apple-tree adorned with her +garlands of flourishes, in the first fair mornings of the spring, +when the birds were returning thanks to their Maker for the +coming again of the seed-time, and the busy bee goeth forth from +her cell, to gather honey from the flowers of the field, and the +broom of the hill, and the blue-bells and gowans, which Nature, +with a gracious and a gentle hand, scatters in the valley, as she +walketh forth in her beauty, to testify to the goodness of the +Father of all mercies.</p> +<p>Both at the spring and the harvest sacraments, the weather was +as that which is in Paradise; there was a glad composure in all +hearts, and the minds of men were softened towards each +other. The number of communicants was greater than had been +known for many years, and the tables were filled by the pious +from many a neighbouring parish: those of my hearers who had +opposed my placing, declared openly, for a testimony of +satisfaction and holy thankfulness, that the tent, so surrounded +as it was on both occasions, was a sight they never had expected +to see. I was, to be sure, assisted by some of the best +divines then in the land, but I had not been a sluggard myself in +the vineyard.</p> +<p>Often, when I think on this year, so fruitful in pleasant +intimacies, has the thought come into my mind, that as the Lord +blesses the earth from time to time with a harvest of more than +the usual increase, so, in like manner, he is sometimes for a +season pleased to pour into the breasts of mankind a larger +portion of good-will and charity, disposing them to love one +another, to be kindly to all creatures, and filled with the +delight of thankfulness to himself, which is the greatest of +blessings.</p> +<p>It was in this year that the Earl of Eaglesham ordered the +fair to be established in the village; and it was a day of +wonderful festivity to all the bairns, and lads and lassies, for +miles round. I think, indeed, that there has never been +such a fair as the first since; for although we have more +mountebanks and merry-andrews now, and richer cargoes of +groceries and packman’s stands, yet there has been a +falling off in the light-hearted daffing, while the hobleshows in +the change-houses have been awfully augmented. It was on +this occasion that Punch’s opera was first seen in our +country side, and surely never was there such a funny curiosity; +for although Mr. Punch himself was but a timber idol, he was as +droll as a true living thing, and napped with his head so +comical; but oh! he was a sorrowful contumacious captain, and it +was just a sport to see how he rampaged, and triumphed, and +sang. For months after, the laddie weans did nothing but +squeak and sing like Punch. In short, a blithe spirit was +among us throughout this year, and the briefness of the chronicle +bears witness to the innocency of the time.</p> +<h2><a name="page81"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +81</span>CHAPTER XII<br /> +YEAR 1771</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was in this year that my +troubles with Lady Macadam’s affair began. She was a +woman, as I have by hint here and there intimated, of a prelatic +disposition, seeking all things her own way, and not overly +scrupulous about the means, which I take to be the true humour of +prelacy. She was come of a high episcopal race in the east +country, where sound doctrine had been long but little heard, and +she considered the comely humility of a presbyter as the +wickedness of hypocrisy; so that, saving in the way of +neighbourly visitation, there was no sincere communion between +us. Nevertheless, with all her vagaries, she had the +element of a kindly spirit, that would sometimes kythe in actions +of charity, that showed symptoms of a true Christian grace, had +it been properly cultivated; but her morals had been greatly +neglected in her youth, and she would waste her precious time in +the long winter nights, playing at the cards with her visitors; +in the which thriftless and sinful pastime, she was at great +pains to instruct Kate Malcolm, which I was grieved to +understand. What, however, I most misliked in her ladyship, +was a lightness and juvenility of behaviour altogether unbecoming +her years; for she was far past three-score, having been long +married without children. Her son, the soldier officer, +came so late, that it was thought she would have been taken up as +an evidence in the Douglas cause. She was, to be sure, +crippled with the rheumatics, and no doubt the time hung heavy on +her hands; but the best friends of recreation and sport must +allow, that an old woman, sitting whole hours jingling with that +paralytic chattel a spinnet, was not a natural object! +What, then, could be said for her singing Italian songs, and +getting all the newest from Vauxhall in London, a boxful at a +time, with new novel-books, and trinkum-trankum flowers and +feathers, and sweetmeats, sent to her by a lady of the blood +royal of Paris? As for the music, she was at great pains to +instruct Kate, which, with the other things she taught, were +sufficient, as my lady said herself, to qualify poor Kate for a +duchess or a governess, in either of which capacities, her +ladyship assured Mrs. Malcolm, she would do honour to her +instructor, meaning her own self; but I must come to the point +anent the affair.</p> +<p>One evening, early in the month of January, as I was sitting +by myself in my closet studying the <i>Scots Magazine</i>, which +I well remember the new number had come but that very night, Mrs. +Balwhidder being at the time busy with the lasses in the kitchen, +and superintending, as her custom was, for she was a clever +woman, a great wool-spinning we then had, both little wheel and +meikle wheel, for stockings and blankets—sitting, as I was +saying, in the study, with the fire well gathered up, for a +night’s reflection, a prodigious knocking came to the door, +by which the book was almost startled out of my hand, and all the +wheels in the house were silenced at once. This was her +ladyship’s flunkey, to beg me to go to her, whom he +described as in a state of desperation. Christianity +required that I should obey the summons; so, with what haste I +could, thinking that perhaps, as she had been low-spirited for +some time about the young laird’s going to the Indies, she +might have got a cast of grace, and been wakened in despair to +the state of darkness in which she had so long lived, I made as +few steps of the road between the manse and her house as it was +in my ability to do.</p> +<p>On reaching the door, I found a great light in the +house—candles burning up stairs and down stairs, and a +sough of something extraordinar going on. I went into the +dining-room, where her ladyship was wont to sit; but she was not +there—only Kate Malcolm all alone, busily picking bits of +paper from the carpet. When she looked up, I saw that her +eyes were red with weeping, and I was alarmed, and said, +“Katy, my dear, I hope there is no danger?” +Upon which the poor lassie rose, and, flinging herself in a +chair, covered her face with her hands, and wept bitterly.</p> +<p>“What is the old fool doing with the wench?” cried +a sharp angry voice from the drawing-room—“why does +not he come to me?” It was the voice of Lady Macadam +herself, and she meant me. So I went to her; but, oh! she +was in a far different state from what I had hoped. The +pride of this world had got the upper hand of her, and was +playing dreadful antics with understanding. There was she, +painted like a Jezebel, with gum-flowers on her head, as was her +custom every afternoon, sitting on a settee, for she was lame, +and in her hand she held a letter. “Sir,” said +she, as I came into the room, “I want you to go instantly +to that young fellow, your clerk, (meaning Mr. Lorimore, the +schoolmaster, who was likewise session-clerk and precentor,) and +tell him I will give him a couple of hundred pounds to marry Miss +Malcolm without delay, and undertake to procure him a living from +some of my friends.”</p> +<p>“Softly, my lady, you must first tell me the meaning of +all this haste of kindness,” said I, in my calm methodical +manner. At the which she began to cry and sob, like a +petted bairn, and to bewail her ruin, and the dishonour of her +family. I was surprised, and beginning to be confounded; at +length out it came. The flunkey had that night brought two +London letters from the Irville post, and Kate Malcolm being out +of the way when he came home, he took them both in to her +ladyship on the silver server, as was his custom; and her +ladyship, not jealousing that Kate could have a correspondence +with London, thought both the letters were for herself, for they +were franked; so, as it happened, she opened the one that was for +Kate, and this, too, from the young laird, her own son. She +could not believe her eyes when she saw the first words in his +hand of write; and she read, and she better read, till she read +all the letter, by which she came to know that Kate and her +darling were trysted, and that this was not the first love-letter +which had passed between them. She, therefore, tore it in +pieces, and sent for me, and screamed for Kate; in short, went, +as it were, off at the head, and was neither to bind nor to hold +on account of this intrigue, as she, in her wrath, stigmatised +the innocent gallanting of poor Kate and the young laird.</p> +<p>I listened in patience to all she had to say anent the +discovery, and offered her the very best advice; but she derided +my judgment; and because I would not speak outright to Mr. +Lorimore, and get him to marry Kate off hand, she bade me +good-night with an air, and sent for him herself. He, +however, was on the brink of marriage with his present worthy +helpmate, and declined her ladyship’s proposals, which +angered her still more. But although there was surely a +great lack of discretion in all this, and her ladyship was +entirely overcome with her passion, she would not part with Kate, +nor allow her to quit the house with me, but made her sup with +her as usual that night, calling her sometimes a perfidious +baggage, and at other times, forgetting her delirium, speaking to +her as kindly as ever. At night, Kate as usual helped her +ladyship into her bed, (this she told me with tears in her eyes +next morning;) and when Lady Macadam, as was her wont, bent to +kiss her for good-night, she suddenly recollected “the +intrigue,” and gave Kate such a slap on the side of the +head, as quite dislocated for a time the intellects of the poor +young lassie. Next morning, Kate was solemnly advised never +to write again to the laird, while the lady wrote him a letter, +which, she said, would be as good as a birch to the breech of the +boy. Nothing, therefore, for some time, indeed, throughout +the year, came of the matter; but her ladyship, when Mrs. +Balwhidder soon after called on her, said that I was a +nose-of-wax, and that she never would speak to me again, which +surely was not a polite thing to say to Mrs. Balwhidder, my +second wife.</p> +<p>This stramash was the first time I had interposed in the +family concerns of my people; for it was against my nature to +make or meddle with private actions saving only such as in course +of nature came before the session; but I was not satisfied with +the principles of Lady Macadam, and I began to be weary about +Kate Malcolm’s situation with her ladyship, whose ways of +thinking I saw were not to be depended on, especially in those +things wherein her pride and vanity were concerned. But the +time ran on—the butterflies and the blossoms were succeeded +by the leaves and the fruit, and nothing of a particular nature +farther molested the general tranquillity of this year; about the +end of which, there came on a sudden frost, after a tack of wet +weather. The roads were just a sheet of ice, like a frozen +river; insomuch that the coal-carts could not work; and one of +our cows, (Mrs. Balwhidder said, after the accident, it was our +best; but it was not so much thought of before,) fell in coming +from the glebe to the byre, and broke its two hinder legs, which +obligated us to kill it, in order to put the beast out of +pain. As this happened after we had salted our mart, it +occasioned us to have a double crop of puddings, and such a show +of hams in the kitchen, as was a marvel to our visitors to +see.</p> +<h2><a name="page88"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +88</span>CHAPTER XIII<br /> +YEAR 1772</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">On</span> New-Year’s night, this +year, a thing happened, which, in its own nature, was a trifle; +but it turned out as a mustard-seed that grows into a great +tree. One of the elders, who has long been dead and gone, +came to the manse about a fact that was found out in the clachan, +and after we had discoursed on it some time, he rose to take his +departure. I went with him to the door with the candle in +my hand—it was a clear frosty night, with a sharp wind; and +the moment I opened the door, the blast blew out the candle, so +that I heedlessly, with the candlestick in my hand, walked with +him to the yett without my hat, by which I took a sore cold in my +head, that brought on a dreadful toothache; insomuch, that I was +obligated to go into Irville to get the tooth drawn, and this +caused my face to swell to such a fright, that, on the +Sabbath-day, I could not preach to my people. There was, +however, at that time, a young man, one Mr. Heckletext, tutor in +Sir Hugh Montgomerie’s family, and who had shortly before +been licensed. Finding that I would not be able to preach +myself, I sent to him, and begged he would officiate for me, +which he very pleasantly consented to do, being, like all the +young clergy, thirsting to show his light to the world. +’Twixt the fore and afternoon’s worship, he took his +check of dinner at the manse, and I could not but say that he +seemed both discreet and sincere. Judge, however, what was +brewing, when the same night Mr. Lorimore came and told me, that +Mr. Heckletext was the suspected person anent the fact that had +been instrumental, in the hand of a chastising Providence, to +afflict me with the toothache, in order, as it afterwards came to +pass, to bring the hidden hypocrisy of the ungodly preacher to +light. It seems that the donsie lassie who was in fault, +had gone to the kirk in the afternoon, and seeing who was in the +pulpit, where she expected to see me, was seized with the +hysterics, and taken with her crying on the spot, the which being +untimely, proved the death of both mother and bairn, before the +thing was properly laid to the father’s charge.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p88b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Precentor" +title= +"The Precentor" + src="images/p88s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>This caused a great uproar in the parish. I was sorely +blamed to let such a man as Mr. Heckletext go up into my pulpit, +although I was as ignorant of his offences as the innocent child +that perished; and, in an unguarded hour, to pacify some of the +elders, who were just distracted about the disgrace, I consented +to have him called before the session. He obeyed the call, +and in a manner that I will never forget; for he was a sorrow of +sin and audacity, and demanded to know why, and for what reason, +he was summoned. I told him the whole affair in my calm and +moderate way; but it was oil cast upon a burning coal. He +flamed up in a terrible passion; threepit at the elders that they +had no proof whatever of his having had any trafficking in the +business, which was the case; for it was only a notion, the poor +deceased lassie never having made a disclosure: called them +libellous conspirators against his character, which was his only +fortune, and concluded by threatening to punish them, though he +exempted me from the injury which their slanderous insinuations +had done to his prospects in life. We were all terrified, +and allowed him to go away without uttering a word; and sure +enough he did bring a plea in the courts of Edinburgh against Mr. +Lorimore and the elders for damages, laid at a great sum.</p> +<p>What might have been the consequence, no one can tell; but +soon after he married Sir Hugh’s house-keeper, and went +with her into Edinburgh, where he took up a school; and, before +the trial came on, that is to say, within three months of the day +that I myself married them, Mrs. Heckletext was delivered of a +thriving lad bairn, which would have been a witness for the +elders, had the worst come to the worst. This was, indeed, +we all thought, a joyous deliverance to the parish, and it was a +lesson to me never to allow any preacher to mount my pulpit, +unless I knew something of his moral character.</p> +<p>In other respects, this year passed very peaceably in the +parish: there was a visible increase of worldly circumstances, +and the hedges which had been planted along the toll-road, began +to put forth their branches, and to give new notions of +orderlyness and beauty to the farmers. Mrs. Malcolm heard +from time to time from her son Charles, on board the man-of-war +the <i>Avenger</i>, where he was midshipman; and he had found a +friend in the captain, that was just a father to him. Her +second son, Robert, being out of his time at Irville, went to the +Clyde to look for a berth, and was hired to go to Jamaica, in a +ship called the <i>Trooper</i>. He was a lad of greater +sobriety of nature than Charles; douce, honest, and faithful; and +when he came home, though he brought no limes to me to make +punch, like his brother, he brought a Muscovy duck to Lady +Macadam, who had, as I have related, in a manner educated his +sister Kate. That duck was the first of the kind we had +ever seen, and many thought it was of the goose species, only +with short bowly legs. It was, however, a tractable and +homely beast; and after some confabulation, as my lady herself +told Mrs. Balwhidder, it was received into fellowship by her +other ducks and poultry. It is not, however, so much on +account of the rarity of the creature, that I have introduced it +here, as for the purpose of relating a wonderful operation that +was performed on it by Miss Sabrina, the schoolmistress.</p> +<p>There happened to be a sack of beans in our stable, and Lady +Macadam’s hens and fowls, which were not overly fed at home +through the inattention of her servants, being great stravaigers +for their meat, in passing the door went in to pick, and the +Muscovy, seeing a hole in the bean-sack, dabbled out a crapful +before she was disturbed. The beans swelled on the poor +bird’s stomach, and her crap bellied out like the kyte of a +Glasgow magistrate, until it was just a sight to be seen with its +head back on its shoulders. The bairns of the clachan +followed it up and down, crying, the lady’s muckle +jock’s aye growing bigger, till every heart was wae for the +creature. Some thought it was afflicted with a tympathy, +and others, that it was the natural way for such-like ducks to +cleck their young. In short, we were all concerned; and my +lady, having a great opinion of Miss Sabrina’s skill, had a +consultation with her on the case, at which Miss Sabrina advised, +that what she called the Cæsarean operation should be +tried, which she herself performed accordingly, by opening the +creature’s crap, and taking out as many beans as filled a +mutchkin stoup, after which she sewed it up, and the Muscovy went +its way to the water-side, and began to swim, and was as jocund +as ever; insomuch, that in three days after it was quite cured of +all the consequences of its surfeit.</p> +<p>I had at one time a notion to send an account of this to the +<i>Scots Magazine</i>, but something always came in the way to +prevent me; so that it has been reserved for a place in this +chronicle, being, after Mr. Heckletext’s affair, the most +memorable thing in our history of this year.</p> +<h2><a name="page94"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +94</span>CHAPTER XIV<br /> +YEAR 1773</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">In</span> this Ann. Dom. there was +something like a plea getting to a head, between the session and +some of the heritors, about a new school-house; the thatch having +been torn from the rigging of the old one by a blast of wind, on +the first Monday of February, by which a great snow storm got +admission, and the school was rendered utterly +uninhabitable. The smaller sort of lairds were very willing +to come into the plan with an extra contribution, because they +respected the master, and their bairns were at the school; but +the gentlemen, who had tutors in their own houses, were not so +manageable; and some of them even went so far as to say, that the +kirk, being only wanted on Sunday, would do very well for a +school all the rest of the week, which was a very profane way of +speaking; and I was resolved to set myself against any such +thing, and to labour, according to the power and efficacy of my +station, to get a new school built.</p> +<p>Many a meeting the session had on the subject; and the +heritors debated, and discussed, and revised their proceedings, +and still no money for the needful work was forthcoming. +Whereupon it happened one morning, as I was rummaging in my +scrutoire, that I laid my hand on the Lord Eaglesham’s +letter anent Charles Malcolm; and it was put into my head at that +moment, that if I was to write to his lordship, who was the +greatest heritor, and owned now the major part of the parish, +that by his help and influence I might be an instrument to the +building of a comfortable new school. Accordingly, I sat +down and wrote my lord all about the accident, and the state of +the school-house, and the divisions and seditions among the +heritors, and sent the letter to him at London by the post the +same day, without saying a word to any living soul on the +subject.</p> +<p>This in me was an advised thought; for, by the return of post, +his lordship with his own hand, in a most kind manner, authorized +me to say that he would build a new school at his own cost, and +bade me go over and consult about it with his steward at the +castle, to whom he had written by the same post the necessary +instructions. Nothing could exceed the gladness which the +news gave to the whole parish, and none said more in behalf of +his lordship’s bounty and liberality than the heritors; +especially those gentry who grudged the undertaking, when it was +thought that it would have to come out of their own +pock-nook.</p> +<p>In the course of the summer, just as the roof was closing in +of the school-house, my lord came to the castle with a great +company, and was not there a day till he sent for me to come +over, on the next Sunday, to dine with him; but I sent him word +that I could not do so, for it would be a transgression of the +Sabbath, which made him send his own gentleman, to make his +apology for having taken so great a liberty with me, and to beg +me to come on the Monday, which I accordingly did, and nothing +could be better than the discretion with which I was used. +There was a vast company of English ladies and gentlemen, and his +lordship, in a most jocose manner, told them all how he had +fallen on the midden, and how I had clad him in my clothes, and +there was a wonder of laughing and diversion; but the most +particular thing in the company, was a large, round-faced man, +with a wig, that was a dignitary in some great Episcopalian +church in London, who was extraordinary condescending towards me, +drinking wine with me at the table, and saying weighty sentences, +in a fine style of language, about the becoming grace of +simplicity and innocence of heart, in the clergy of all +denominations of Christians, which I was pleased to hear; for +really he had a proud red countenance, and I could not have +thought he was so mortified to humility within, had I not heard +with what sincerity he delivered himself, and seen how much +reverence and attention was paid to him by all present, +particularly by my lord’s chaplain, who was a pious and +pleasant young divine, though educated at Oxford for the +Episcopalian persuasion.</p> +<p>One day, soon after, as I was sitting in my closet conning a +sermon for the next Sunday, I was surprised by a visit from the +dean, as the dignitary was called. He had come, he said, to +wait on me as rector of the parish—for so, it seems, they +call a pastor in England—and to say, that, if it was +agreeable, he would take a family dinner with us before he left +the castle. I could make no objection to this kindness; but +said I hoped my lord would come with him, and that we would do +our best to entertain them with all suitable hospitality. +About an hour or so after he had returned to the castle, one of +the flunkeys brought a letter from his lordship, to say, that not +only he would come with the dean, but that they would bring his +other guests with them; and that, as they could only drink London +wine, the butler would send me a hamper in the morning, assured, +as he was pleased to say, that Mrs. Balwhidder would otherwise +provide good cheer.</p> +<p>This notification, however, was a great trouble to my wife, +who was only used to manufacture the produce of our glebe and +yard to a profitable purpose, and not used to the treatment of +deans and lords, and other persons of quality. However, she +was determined to stretch a point on this occasion; and we had, +as all present declared, a charming dinner; for fortunately one +of the sows had a litter of pigs a few days before, and in +addition to a goose, that is but a boss bird, we had a roasted +pig with an apple in its mouth, which was just a curiosity to +see; and my lord called it a tithe pig; but I told him it was one +of Mrs. Balwhidder’s own clecking, which saying of mine +made no little sport when expounded to the dean.</p> +<p>But, och how! this was the last happy summer that we had for +many a year in the parish; and an omen of the dule that ensued, +was in a sacrilegious theft that a daft woman, Jenny Gaffaw, and +her idiot daughter, did in the kirk, by tearing off and stealing +the green serge lining of my lord’s pew, to make, as they +said, a hap for their shoulders in the cold weather—saving, +however, the sin, we paid no attention at the time to the +mischief and tribulation that so unheard-of a trespass boded to +us all. It took place about Yule, when the weather was cold +and frosty, and poor Jenny was not very able to go about seeking +her meat as usual. The deed, however, was mainly done by +her daughter, who, when brought before me, said, “her poor +mother’s back had mair need of claes than the +kirk-boards;” which was so true a thing, that I could not +punish her, but wrote anent it to my lord, who not only +overlooked the offence, but sent orders to the servants at the +castle to be kind to the poor woman, and the natural, her +daughter.</p> +<h2><a name="page99"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +99</span>CHAPTER XV<br /> +YEAR 1774</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">When</span> I look back on this year, and +compare what happened therein with the things that had gone +before, I am grieved to the heart, and pressed down with an +afflicted spirit. We had, as may be read, trials and +tribulations in the days that were past; and in the rank and +boisterous times of the smuggling there was much sin and blemish +among us, but nothing so dark and awful as what fell out in the +course of this unhappy year. The evil omen of daft Jenny +Gaffaw and her daughter’s sacrilege, had soon a bloody +verification.</p> +<p>About the beginning of the month of March in this year, the +war in America was kindling so fast that the government was +obligated to send soldiers over the sea, in the hope to quell the +rebellious temper of the plantations; and a party of a regiment +that was quartered at Ayr was ordered to march to Greenock, to be +there shipped off. The men were wild and wicked +profligates, without the fear of the Lord before their eyes; and +some of them had drawn up with light women in Ayr, who followed +them on their march. This the soldiers did not like, not +wishing to be troubled with such gear in America; so the women, +when they got the length of Kilmarnock, were ordered to retreat +and go home, which they all did but one Jean Glaikit, who +persisted in her intent to follow her joe, Patrick O’Neil, +a Catholic Irish corporal. The man did, as he said, all in +his capacity to persuade her to return, but she was a +contumacious limmer, and would not listen to reason; so that, in +passing along our toll-road, from less to more, the miserable +wretches fell out, and fought, and the soldier put an end to her +with a hasty knock on the head with his firelock, and marched on +after his comrades.</p> +<p>The body of the woman was, about half an hour after, found by +the scholars of Mr. Lorimore’s school, who had got the play +to see the marching, and to hear the drums of the soldiers. +Dreadful was the shout and the cry throughout the parish at this +foul work. Some of the farmer lads followed the soldiers on +horseback, and others ran to Sir Hugh, who was a justice of the +peace, for his advice.—Such a day as that was!</p> +<p>However, the murderer was taken, and, with his arms tied +behind him with a cord, he was brought back to the parish, where +he confessed before Sir Hugh the deed, and how it happened. +He was then put in a cart, and, being well guarded by six of the +lads, was taken to Ayr jail.</p> +<p>It was not long after this that the murderer was brought to +trial, and, being found guilty on his own confession, he was +sentenced to be executed, and his body to be hung in chains near +the spot where the deed was done. I thought that all in the +parish would have run to desperation with horror when the news of +this came, and I wrote immediately to the Lord Eaglesham to get +this done away by the merciful power of the government, which he +did, to our great solace and relief.</p> +<p>In the autumn, the young Laird Macadam, being ordered with his +regiment for the Americas, got leave from the king to come and +see his lady mother, before his departure. But it was not +to see her only, as will presently appear.</p> +<p>Knowing how much her ladyship was averse to the notion he had +of Kate Malcolm, he did not write of his coming, lest she would +send Kate out of the way, but came in upon them at a late hour, +as they were wasting their precious time, as was the nightly wont +of my lady, with a pack of cards; and so far was she from being +pleased to see him, that no sooner did she behold his face, but, +like a tap of tow, she kindled upon both him and Kate, and +ordered them out of her sight and house. The young folk had +discretion: Kate went home to her mother, and the laird came to +the manse, and begged us to take him in. He then told me +what had happened; and that, having bought a captain’s +commission, he was resolved to marry Kate, and hoped I would +perform the ceremony, if her mother would consent. +“As for mine,” said he, “she will never agree; +but, when the thing is done, her pardon will not be difficult to +get; for, with all her whims and caprice, she is generous and +affectionate.” In short, he so wiled and beguiled me, +that I consented to marry them, if Mrs. Malcolm was +agreeable. “I will not disobey my mother,” said +he, “by asking her consent, which I know she will refuse; +and, therefore, the sooner it is done the better.” So +we then stepped over to Mrs. Malcolm’s house, where we +found that saintly woman, with Kate and Effie, and Willie, +sitting peacefully at their fireside, preparing to read their +Bibles for the night. When we went in, and when I saw Kate, +that was so ladylike there, with the decent humility of her +parent’s dwelling, I could not but think she was destined +for a better station; and when I looked at the captain, a +handsome youth, I thought surely their marriage is made in +heaven; and so I said to Mrs. Malcolm, who after a time +consented, and likewise agreed that her daughter should go with +the captain to America; for her faith and trust in the goodness +of Providence was great and boundless, striving, as it were, to +be even with its tender mercies. Accordingly, the +captain’s man was sent to bid the chaise wait that had +taken him to the lady’s, and the marriage was sanctified by +me before we left Mrs. Malcolm’s. No doubt, they +ought to have been proclaimed three several Sabbaths; but I +satisfied the session, at our first meeting, on account of the +necessity of the case. The young couple went in the chaise +travelling to Glasgow, authorising me to break the matter to Lady +Macadam, which was a sore task; but I was spared from the +performance. For her ladyship had come to herself, and +thinking on her own rashness in sending away Kate and the captain +in the way she had done, she was like one by herself. All +the servants were scattered out and abroad in quest of the +lovers; and some of them, seeing the chaise drive from Mrs. +Malcolm’s door with them in it, and me coming out, +jealoused what had been done, and told their mistress outright of +the marriage, which was to her like a clap of thunder; insomuch +that she flung herself back in her settee, and was beating and +drumming with her heels on the floor, like a madwoman in Bedlam, +when I entered the room. For some time she took no notice +of me, but continued her din; but, by-and-by, she began to turn +her eyes in fiery glances upon me, till I was terrified lest she +would fly at me with her claws in her fury. At last she +stopped all at once, and in a calm voice, said, “But it +cannot now be helped, where are the +vagabonds?”—“They are gone,” replied +I.—“Gone?” cried she, “gone +where?”—“To America, I suppose,” was my +answer; upon which she again threw herself back in the settee, +and began again to drum and beat with her feet as before. +But not to dwell on small particularities, let it suffice to say, +that she sent her coachman on one of her coach horses, which, +being old and stiff, did not overtake the fugitives till they +were in their bed at Kilmarnock, where they stopped that night; +but when they came back to the lady’s in the morning, she +was as cagey and meikle taken up with them, as if they had gotten +her full consent and privilege to marry from the first. +Thus was the first of Mrs. Malcolm’s children well and +creditably settled. I have only now to conclude with +observing, that my son Gilbert was seized with the smallpox about +the beginning of December, and was blinded by them for seventeen +days; for the inoculation was not in practice yet among us, +saving only in the genteel families that went into Edinburgh for +the education of their children, where it was performed by the +faculty there.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p104b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"Kate" +title= +"Kate" + src="images/p104s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h2><a name="page105"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +105</span>CHAPTER XVI<br /> +YEAR 1775</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> regular course of nature is +calm and orderly, and tempests and troubles are but lapses from +the accustomed sobriety with which Providence works out the +destined end of all things. From Yule till Pace-Monday +there had been a gradual subsidence of our personal and parochial +tribulations, and the spring, though late, set in bright and +beautiful, and was accompanied with the spirit of contentment; so +that, excepting the great concern that we all began to take in +the American rebellion, especially on account of Charles Malcolm +that was in the man-of-war, and of Captain Macadam that had +married Kate, we had throughout the better half of the year but +little molestation of any sort. I should, however, note the +upshot of the marriage.</p> +<p>By some cause that I do not recollect, if I ever had it +properly told, the regiment wherein the captain had bought his +commission was not sent to the plantations, but only over to +Ireland, by which the captain and his lady were allowed to +prolong their stay in the parish with his mother; and he, coming +of age while he was among us, in making a settlement on his wife, +bought the house at the Braehead, which was then just built by +Thomas Shivers the mason, and he gave that house, with a +judicious income, to Mrs. Malcolm, telling her that it was not +becoming, he having it in his power to do the contrary, that she +should any longer be dependent on her own industry. For +this the young man got a name like a sweet odour in all the +country side; but that whimsical and prelatic lady his mother, +just went out of all bounds, and played such pranks for an old +woman, as cannot be told. To her daughter-in-law, however, +she was wonderful kind; and, in fitting her out for going with +the captain to Dublin, it was extraordinary to hear what a +paraphernalia she provided her with. But who could have +thought that in this kindness a sore trial was brewing for +me!</p> +<p>It happened that Miss Betty Wudrife, the daughter of an +heritor, had been on a visit to some of her friends in Edinburgh; +and being in at Edinburgh, she came out with a fine mantle, +decked and adorned with many a ribbon-knot, such as had never +been seen in the parish. The Lady Macadam, hearing of this +grand mantle, sent to beg Miss Betty to lend it to her, to make a +copy for young Mrs. Macadam. But Miss Betty was so vogie +with her gay mantle, that she sent back word, it would be making +it o’er common; which so nettled the old courtly lady, that +she vowed revenge, and said the mantle would not be long seen on +Miss Betty. Nobody knew the meaning of her words; but she +sent privately for Miss Sabrina, the schoolmistress, who was aye +proud of being invited to my lady’s, where she went on the +Sabbath night to drink tea, and read Thomson’s +<i>Seasons</i> and Hervey’s <i>Meditations</i> for her +ladyship’s recreation. Between the two, a secret plot +was laid against Miss Betty and her Edinburgh mantle; and Miss +Sabrina, in a very treacherous manner, for the which I afterwards +chided her severely, went to Miss Betty, and got a sight of the +mantle, and how it was made, and all about it, until she was in a +capacity to make another like it; by which my lady and her, from +old silk and satin negligées which her ladyship had worn +at the French court, made up two mantles of the selfsame fashion +as Miss Betty’s, and, if possible, more sumptuously +garnished, but in a flagrant fool way. On the Sunday +morning after, her ladyship sent for Jenny Gaffaw, and her daft +daughter Meg, and showed them the mantles, and said she would +give then half-a-crown if they would go with them to the kirk, +and take their place in the bench beside the elders, and, after +worship, walk home before Miss Betty Wudrife. The two poor +natural things were just transported with the sight of such +bravery, and needed no other bribe; so, over their bits of ragged +duds, they put on the pageantry, and walked away to the kirk like +peacocks, and took their place on the bench, to the great +diversion of the whole congregation.</p> +<p>I had no suspicion of this, and had prepared an affecting +discourse about the horrors of war, in which I touched, with a +tender hand, on the troubles that threatened families and kindred +in America; but all the time I was preaching, doing my best, and +expatiating till the tears came into my eyes, I could not divine +what was the cause of the inattention of my people. But the +two vain haverels were on the bench under me, and I could not see +them; where they sat, spreading their feathers and picking their +wings, stroking down and setting right their finery; with such an +air as no living soul could see and withstand; while every eye in +the kirk was now on them, and now at Miss Betty Wudrife, who was +in a worse situation than if she had been on the stool of +repentance.</p> +<p>Greatly grieved with the little heed that was paid to my +discourse, I left the pulpit with a heavy heart; but when I came +out into the kirkyard, and saw the two antics linking like +ladies, and aye keeping in the way before Miss Betty, and looking +back and around in their pride and admiration, with high heads +and a wonderful pomp, I was really overcome, and could not keep +my gravity, but laughed loud out among the graves, and in the +face of all my people; who, seeing how I was vanquished in that +unguarded moment by my enemy, made a universal and most +unreverent breach of all decorum, at which Miss Betty, who had +been the cause of all, ran into the first open door, and almost +fainted away with mortification.</p> +<p>This affair was regarded by the elders as a sinful trespass on +the orderlyness that was needful in the Lord’s house; and +they called on me at the manse that night, and said it would be a +guilty connivance if I did not rebuke and admonish Lady Macadam +of the evil of her way; for they had questioned daft Jenny, and +had got at the bottom of the whole plot and mischief. But +I, who knew her ladyship’s light way, would fain have had +the elders to overlook it, rather than expose myself to her +tantrums; but they considered the thing as a great scandal, so I +was obligated to conform to their wishes. I might, however, +have as well stayed at home, for her ladyship was in one of her +jocose humours when I went to speak to her on the subject; and it +was so far from my power to make a proper impression on her of +the enormity that had been committed, that she made me laugh, in +spite of my reason, at the fantastical drollery of her malicious +prank on Miss Betty Wudrife.</p> +<p>It, however, did not end here; for the session, knowing that +it was profitless to speak to the daft mother and daughter, who +had been the instruments, gave orders to Willy Howking, the +betheral, not to let them again so far into the kirk; and Willy, +having scarcely more sense than them both, thought proper to keep +them out next Sunday altogether. The twa said nothing at +the time, but the adversary was busy with them; for, on the +Wednesday following, there being a meeting of the synod at Ayr, +to my utter amazement the mother and daughter made their +appearance there in all their finery, and raised a complaint +against me and the session, for debarring them from church +privileges. No stage play could have produced such an +effect. I was perfectly dumfoundered; and every member of +the synod might have been tied with a straw, they were so +overcome with this new device of that endless woman, when bent on +provocation—the Lady Macadam; in whom the saying was +verified, that old folk are twice bairns; for in such plays, +pranks, and projects, she was as playrife as a very lassie at her +sampler; and this is but a swatch to what lengths she would +go. The complaint was dismissed, by which the session and +me were assoilzied; but I’ll never forget till the day of +my death what I suffered on that occasion, to be so put to the +wall by two born idiots.</p> +<h2><a name="page111"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +111</span>CHAPTER XVII<br /> +YEAR 1776</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> belongs to the chroniclers of +the realm to describe the damage and detriment which fell on the +power and prosperity of the kingdom, by reason of the rebellion, +that was fired into open war, against the name and authority of +the king in the plantations of America; for my task is to +describe what happened within the narrow bound of the pasturage +of the Lord’s flock, of which, in his bounty and mercy, he +made me the humble, willing, but alas! the weak and ineffectual +shepherd.</p> +<p>About the month of February, a recruiting party came to our +neighbour town of Irville, to beat up for men to be soldiers +against the rebels; and thus the battle was brought, as it were, +to our gates; for the very first man that took on with them was +one Thomas Wilson, a cottar in our clachan, who, up to that time, +had been a decent and creditable character. He was at first +a farmer lad, but had forgathered with a doited tawpy, whom he +married, and had offspring three or four. For some time it +was noticed that he had a down and thoughtful look, that his +cleeding was growing bare, and that his wife kept an untrig +house, which, it was feared by many, was the cause of Thomas +going o’er often to the change-house; he was, in short, +during the greater part of the winter, evidently a man foregone +in the pleasures of this world, which made all that knew him +compassionate his situation.</p> +<p>No doubt, it was his household ills that burdened him past +bearing, and made him go into Irville, when he heard of the +recruiting, and take on to be a soldier. Such a +wally-wallying as the news of this caused at every door; for the +red-coats—from the persecuting days, when the black-cuffs +rampaged through the country—soldiers that fought for hire +were held in dread and as a horror among us, and terrible were +the stories that were told of their cruelty and sinfulness; +indeed, there had not been wanting in our time a sample of what +they were, as witness the murder of Jean Glaikit by Patrick +O’Neil, the Irish corporal, anent which I have treated at +large in the memorables of the year 1774.</p> +<p>A meeting of the session was forthwith held; for here was +Thomas Wilson’s wife and all his weans, an awful cess, +thrown upon the parish; and it was settled outright among us, +that Mr. Docken, who was then an elder, but is since dead, a +worthy man, with a soft tongue and a pleasing manner, should go +to Irville, and get Thomas, if possible, released from the +recruiters. But it was all in vain; the sergeant would not +listen to him, for Thomas was a strapping lad; nor would the poor +infatuated man himself agree to go back, but cursed like a +cadger, and swore that, if he stayed any longer among his +plagues, he would commit some rash act; so we were saddled with +his family, which was the first taste and preeing of what war is +when it comes into our hearths, and among the breadwinners.</p> +<p>The evil, however, did not stop here. Thomas, when he +was dressed out in the king’s clothes, came over to see his +bairns, and take a farewell of his friends, and he looked so +gallant, that the very next market-day another lad of the parish +listed with him; but he was a ramplor, roving sort of a creature, +and, upon the whole, it was thought he did well for the parish +when he went to serve the king.</p> +<p>The listing was a catching distemper. Before the summer +was over, the other three of the farming lads went off with the +drum, and there was a wailing in the parish, which made me preach +a touching discourse. I likened the parish to a widow woman +with a small family, sitting in her cottage by the fireside, +herself spinning with an eident wheel, ettling her best to get +them a bit and a brat, and the poor weans all canty about the +hearthstane—the little ones at their playocks, and the +elder at their tasks—the callans working with hooks and +lines to catch them a meal of fish in the morning—and the +lassies working stockings to sell at the next Marymas +fair.—And then I likened war to a calamity coming among +them—the callans drowned at their fishing—the lassies +led to a misdoing—and the feckless wee bairns laid on the +bed of sickness, and their poor forlorn mother sitting by herself +at the embers of a cauldrife fire; her tow done, and no a bodle +to buy more; drooping a silent and salt tear for her babies, and +thinking of days that war gone, and, like Rachel weeping for her +children, she would not be comforted. With this I +concluded, for my own heart filled full with the thought, and +there was a deep sob in the Church; verily it was Rachel weeping +for her children.</p> +<p>In the latter end of the year, the man-of-war, with Charles +Malcolm in her, came to the tail of the Bank at Greenock, to +press men as it was thought, and Charles got leave from his +captain to come and see his mother; and he brought with him Mr. +Howard, another midshipman, the son of a great parliament man in +London, which, as we have tasted the sorrow, gave us some insight +into the pomp of war, Charles was now grown up into a fine young +man, rattling, light-hearted, and just a cordial of gladness, and +his companion was every bit like him. They were dressed in +their fine gold-laced garbs and nobody knew Charles when he came +to the clachan, but all wondered, for they were on horseback, and +rode to the house where his mother lived when he went away, but +which was then occupied by Miss Sabrina and her school. +Miss Sabrina had never seen Charles, but she had heard of him; +and when he enquired for his mother, she guessed who he was, and +showed him the way to the new house that the captain had bought +for her.</p> +<p>Miss Sabrina, who was a little overly perjink at times, +behaved herself on this occasion with a true spirit, and gave her +lassies the play immediately; so that the news of Charles’s +return was spread by them like wildfire, and there was a +wonderful joy in the whole town. When Charles had seen his +mother, and his sister Effie, with that douce and well-mannered +lad William, his brother—for of their meeting I cannot +speak, not being present—he then came with his friend to +see me at the manse, and was most jocose with me, and, in a way +of great pleasance, got Mrs. Balwhidder to ask his friend to +sleep at the manse. In short, we had just a ploy the whole +two days they stayed with us, and I got leave from Lord +Eaglesham’s steward to let them shoot on my lord’s +land; and I believe every laddie wean in the parish attended them +to the field. As for old Lady Macadam, Charles being, as +she said, a near relation, and she having likewise some knowledge +of his comrade’s family, she was just in her element with +them, though they were but youths; for she a woman naturally of a +fantastical, and, as I have narrated, given to comical devices, +and pranks to a degree. She made for them a ball, to which +she invited all the bonniest lassies, far and near, in the +parish, and was out of the body with mirth, and had a fiddler +from Irville; and it was thought by those that were there, that +had she not been crippled with the rheumatics, she would have +danced herself. But I was concerned to hear both Charles +and his friend, like hungry hawks, rejoicing at the prospect of +the war, hoping thereby, as soon as their midship term was out, +to be made lieutenants; saving this, there was no allay in the +happiness they brought with them to the parish, and it was a +delight to see how auld and young of all degrees made of Charles; +for we were proud of him, and none more than myself, though he +began to take liberties with me, calling me old governor; it was, +however, in a warm-hearted manner, only I did not like it when +any of the elders heard. As for his mother, she deported +herself like a saint on the occasion. There was a +temperance in the pleasure of her heart, and in her thankfulness, +that is past the compass of words to describe. Even Lady +Macadam, who never could think a serious thought all her days, +said, in her wild way that the gods had bestowed more care in the +making of Mrs. Malcolm’s temper, than on the bodies and +souls of all the saints in the calendar. On the Sunday the +strangers attended divine worship, and I preached a sermon +purposely for them, and enlarged at great length and fulness on +how David overcame Goliath; and they both told me that they had +never heard such a good discourse; but I do not think they were +great judges of preachings. How, indeed, could Mr. Howard +know anything of sound doctrine, being educated, as he told me, +at Eton school, a prelatic establishment! Nevertheless, he +was a fine lad; and though a little given to frolic and +diversion, he had a principle of integrity, that afterwards +kythed into much virtue; for, during this visit, he took a notion +of Effie Malcolm, and the lassie of him, then a sprightly and +blooming creature, fair to look upon, and blithe to see; and he +kept up a correspondence with her till the war was over, when +being a captain of a frigate, he came down among us, and they +were married by me, as shall be related in its proper place.</p> +<h2><a name="page118"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +118</span>CHAPTER XVIII<br /> +YEAR 1777</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> may well be called the year of +the heavy heart, for we had sad tidings of the lads that went +away as soldiers to America. First, there was a boding in +the minds of all their friends that they were never to see them +more; and their sadness, like a mist spreading from the waters +and covering the fields, darkened the spirit of the +neighbours. Secondly, a sound was bruited about that the +king’s forces would have a hot and a sore struggle before +the rebels were put down, if they were ever put down. Then +came the cruel truth of all that the poor lads’ friends had +feared. But it is fit and proper that I should relate at +length, under their several heads, the sorrows and afflictions as +they came to pass.</p> +<p>One evening, as I was taking my walk alone, meditating my +discourse for the next Sabbath—it was shortly after +Candlemas—it was a fine clear frosty evening, just as the +sun was setting. Taking my walk alone, and thinking of the +dreadfulness of Almighty power, and how that, if it was not +tempered and restrained by infinite goodness, and wisdom, and +mercy, the miserable sinner, man, and all things that live, would +be in a woeful state, I drew near the beild where old Widow +Mirkland lived by herself, who was grand-mother to Jock Hempy, +the ramplor lad, that was the second who took on for a +soldier. I did mind of this at the time; but, passing the +house, I heard the croon, as it were, of a laden soul busy with +the Lord, and, not to disturb the holy workings of grace, I +paused and listened. It was old Mizy Mirkland herself, +sitting at the gable of the house, looking at the sun setting in +all his glory behind the Arran hills; but she was not +praying—only moaning to herself—an oozing out, as it +might be called, of the spirit from her heart, then grievously +oppressed with sorrow, and heavy bodements of grey hairs and +poverty.—“Yonder it slips awa’,” she was +saying, “and my poor bairn, that’s o’er the +seas in America, is maybe looking on its bright face, thinking of +his hame, and aiblins of me, that did my best to breed him up in +the fear of the Lord; but I couldna warsle wi’ what was +ordained. Ay, Jock! as ye look at the sun gaun down, as +many a time, when ye were a wee innocent laddie at my knee here, +I hae bade ye look at him as a type of your Maker, ye will hae a +sore heart; for ye hae left me in my need, when ye should hae +been near at hand to help me, for the hard labour and industry +with which I brought you up. But it’s the +Lord’s will. Blessed be the name of the Lord, that +makes us to thole the tribulations of this world, and will reward +us, through the mediation of Jesus, hereafter.” She +wept bitterly as she said this, for her heart was tried, but the +blessing of a religious contentment was shed upon her; and I +stepped up to her, and asked about her concerns, for, saving as a +parishioner, and a decent old woman, I knew little of her. +Brief was her story; but it was one of +misfortune.—“But I will not complain,” she +said, “of the measure that has been meted unto me. I +was left myself an orphan; when I grew up, and was married to my +gude-man, I had known but scant and want. Our days of +felicity were few; and he was ta’en awa’ from me +shortly after my Mary was born. A wailing baby, and a +widow’s heart, was a’ he left me. I nursed her +with my salt tears, and bred her in straits; but the favour of +God was with us, and she grew up to womanhood as lovely as the +rose, and as blameless as the lily. In her time she was +married to a farming lad. There never was a brawer pair in +the kirk, than on that day when they gaed there first as man and +wife. My heart was proud, and it pleased the Lord to +chastise my pride—to nip my happiness, even in the +bud. The very next day he got his arm crushed. It +never got well again; and he fell into a decay, and died in the +winter, leaving my Mary far on in the road to be a mother.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p120b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"A morning consultation" +title= +"A morning consultation" + src="images/p120s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>“When her time drew near, we both happened to be working +in the yard. She was delving to plant potatoes, and I told +her it would do her hurt; but she was eager to provide something, +as she said, for what might happen. Oh! it was an +ill-omened word. The same night her trouble came on, and +before the morning she was a cauld corpse, and another wee wee +fatherless baby was greeting at my bosom—it was him +that’s noo awa’ in America. He grew up to be a +fine bairn, with a warm heart, but a light head, and, wanting the +rein of a father’s power upon him, was no sa douce as I +could have wished; but he was no man’s foe save his +own. I thought, and hoped, as he grew to years of +discretion, he would have sobered, and been a consolation to my +old age; but he’s gone, and he’ll never come +back—disappointment is my portion in this world, and I have +no hope; while I can do, I will seek no help, but threescore and +fifteen can do little, and a small ail is a great evil to an aged +woman, who has but the distaff for her breadwinner.”</p> +<p>I did all that I could to bid her be of good cheer, but the +comfort of a hopeful spirit was dead within her; and she told me, +that by many tokens she was assured her bairn was already +slain.—“Thrice,” said she, “I have seen +his wraith—the first time he was in the pride of his young +manhood, the next he was pale and wan, with a bloody and gashy +wound in his side, and the third time there was a smoke, and, +when it cleared away, I saw him in a grave, with neither +winding-sheet nor coffin.”</p> +<p>The tale of this pious and resigned spirit dwelt in mine ear, +and, when I went home, Mrs. Balwhidder thought that I had met +with an o’ercome, and was very uneasy; so she got the tea +soon ready to make me better; but scarcely had we tasted the +first cup when a loud lamentation was heard in the kitchen. +This was from that tawpy the wife of Thomas Wilson, with her +three weans. They had been seeking their meat among the +farmer houses, and, in coming home, forgathered on the road with +the Glasgow carrier, who told them that news had come, in the +<i>London Gazette</i>, of a battle, in which the regiment that +Thomas had listed in was engaged, and had suffered loss both in +rank and file; none doubting that their head was in the number of +the slain, the whole family grat aloud, and came to the manse, +bewailing him as no more; and it afterwards turned out to be the +case, making it plain to me that there is a farseeing discernment +in the spirit, that reaches beyond the scope of our incarnate +senses.</p> +<p>But the weight of the war did not end with these afflictions; +for, instead of the sorrow that the listing caused, and the +anxiety after, and the grief of the bloody tidings, operating as +wholesome admonition to our young men, the natural perversity of +the human heart was more and more manifested. A wonderful +interest was raised among us all to hear of what was going on in +the world; insomuch, that I myself was no longer contented with +the relation of the news of the month in the <i>Scots +Magazine</i>, but joined with my father-in-law, Mr. Kibbock, to +get a newspaper twice a-week from Edinburgh. As for Lady +Macadam, who being naturally an impatient woman, she had one sent +to her three times a-week from London, so that we had something +fresh five times every week; and the old papers were lent out to +the families who had friends in the wars. This was done on +my suggestion, hoping it would make all content with their +peaceable lot; but dominion for a time had been given to the +power of contrariness, and it had quite an opposite effect. +It begot a curiosity, egging on to enterprise; and, greatly to my +sorrow, three of the brawest lads in the parish, or in any +parish, all in one day took on with a party of the Scots Greys +that were then lying in Ayr; and nothing would satisfy the +callans at Mr. Lorimore’s school, but, instead of their +innocent plays with girs, and shinties, and sicklike, they must +go ranking like soldiers, and fight sham-fights in bodies. +In short, things grew to a perfect hostility, for a swarm of +weans came out from the schools of Irville on a Saturday +afternoon, and, forgathering with ours, they had a battle with +stones on the toll-road, such as was dreadful to hear of; for +many a one got a mark that day he will take to the grave with +him.</p> +<p>It was not, however, by accidents of the field only, that we +were afflicted; those of the flood, too, were sent likewise +against us. In the month of October, when the corn was yet +in the holms, and on the cold land by the river side, the water +of Irville swelled to a great spait, from bank to brae, sweeping +all before it, and roaring, in its might, like an agent of divine +displeasure, sent forth to punish the inhabitants of the +earth. The loss of the victual was a thing reparable, and +those that suffered did not greatly complain; for, in other +respects, their harvest had been plenteous: but the river, in its +fury, not content with overflowing the lands, burst through the +sandy hills with a raging force, and a riving asunder of the +solid ground, as when the fountains of the great deep were broken +up. All in the parish was a-foot, and on the hills, some +weeping and wringing their hands, not knowing what would happen, +when they beheld the landmarks of the waters deserted, and the +river breaking away through the country, like the war-horse set +loose in his pasture, and glorying in his might. By this +change in the way and channel of the river, all the mills in our +parish were left more than half a mile from dam or lade; and the +farmers through the whole winter, till the new mills were built, +had to travel through a heavy road with their victual, which was +a great grievance, and added not a little to the afflictions of +this unhappy year, which to me were not without a particularity, +by the death of a full cousin of Mrs. Balwhidder, my first wife; +she was grievously burnt by looting over a candle. Her +mutch, which was of the high structure then in vogue, took fire, +and being fastened with corking-pins to a great toupee, it could +not be got off until she had sustained a deadly injury, of which, +after lingering long, she was kindly eased by her removal from +trouble. This sore accident was to me a matter of deep +concern and cogitation; but as it happened in Tarbolton, and no +in our parish, I have only alluded to it to show, that when my +people were chastised by the hand of Providence, their pastor was +not spared, but had a drop from the same vial.</p> +<h2><a name="page126"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +126</span>CHAPTER XIX<br /> +YEAR 1778</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> year was as the shadow of the +bygane: there was less actual suffering, but what we came through +cast a gloom among us, and we did not get up our spirits till the +spring was far advanced; the corn was in the ear, and the sun far +towards midsummer height, before there was any regular show of +gladness in the parish.</p> +<p>It was clear to me that the wars were not to be soon over; for +I noticed, in the course of this year, that there was a greater +christening of lad bairns than had ever been in any year during +my incumbency; and grave and wise persons, observant of the signs +of the times, said, that it had been long held as a sure +prognostication of war, when the births of male children +outnumbered that of females.</p> +<p>Our chief misfortune in this year was a revival of that wicked +mother of many mischiefs, the smuggling trade, which concerned me +greatly; but it was not allowed to it to make any thing like a +permanent stay among us, though in some of the neighbouring +parishes, its ravages, both in morals and property, were very +distressing, and many a mailing was sold to pay for the triumphs +of the cutters and gaugers; for the government was by this time +grown more eager, and the war caused the king’s ships to be +out and about, which increased the trouble of the smugglers, +whose wits in their turn were thereby much sharpened.</p> +<p>After Mrs. Malcolm, by the settlement of Captain Macadam, had +given up her dealing, two maiden women, that were sisters, Betty +and Janet Pawkie, came in among us from Ayr, where they had +friends in league with some of the laigh land folk, that carried +on the contraband with the Isle of Man, which was the very eye of +the smuggling. They took up the tea-selling, which Mrs. +Malcolm had dropped, and did business on a larger scale, having a +general huxtry, with parliament-cakes, and candles, and +pincushions, as well as other groceries, in their window. +Whether they had any contraband dealings, or were only +back-bitten, I cannot take it upon me to say; but it was +jealoused in the parish that the meal in the sacks, that came to +their door at night, and was sent to the Glasgow market in the +morning, was not made of corn. They were, however, decent +women, both sedate and orderly; the eldest, Betty Pawkie, was of +a manly stature, and had a long beard, which made her have a +coarse look; but she was, nevertheless, a worthy, well-doing +creature, and at her death she left ten pounds to the poor of the +parish, as may be seen in the mortification board that the +session put up in the kirk as a testification and an example.</p> +<p>Shortly after the revival of the smuggling, an exciseman was +put among us, and the first was Robin Bicker, a very civil lad +that had been a flunkey with Sir Hugh Montgomerie, when he was a +residenter in Edinburgh, before the old Sir Hugh’s +death. He was a queer fellow, and had a coothy way of +getting in about folk, the which was very serviceable to him in +his vocation; nor was he overly gleg: but when a job was ill +done, and he was obliged to notice it, he would often break out +on the smugglers for being so stupid, so that for an exciseman he +was wonderful well liked, and did not object to a waught of +brandy at a time; when the auld wives ca’d it +well-water. It happened, however, that some unneighbourly +person sent him notice of a clecking of tea chests, or brandy +kegs, at which both Jenny and Betty Pawkie were the +howdies. Robin could not but therefore enter their house; +however, before going in, he just cried at the door to somebody +on the road, so as to let the twa industrious lassies hear he was +at hand. They were not slack in closing the trance-door, +and putting stoups and stools behind it, so as to cause trouble, +and give time before any body could get in. They then +emptied their chaff-bed, and filled the tikeing with tea, and +Betty went in on the top, covering herself with the blanket, and +graining like a woman in labour. It was thought that Robin +Bicker himself would not have been overly particular in searching +the house, considering there was a woman seemingly in the +death-thraws; but a sorner, an incomer from the east country, and +that hung about the change-house as a divor hostler, that would +rather gang a day’s journey in the dark than turn a spade +in day-light, came to him as he stood at the door, and went in +with him to see the sport. Robin, for some reason, could +not bid him go away, and both Betty and Janet were sure he was in +the plot against them; indeed, it was always thought he was an +informer, and no doubt he was something not canny, for he had a +down look.</p> +<p>It was some time before the doorway was cleared of the stoups +and stools, and Jenny was in great concern, and flustered, as she +said, for her poor sister, who was taken with a +heart-colic. “I’m sorry for her,” said +Robin, “but I’ll be as quiet as possible;” and +so he searched all the house, but found nothing; at the which his +companion, the divor east country hostler, swore an oath that +could not be misunderstood; so, without more ado, but as all +thought against the grain, Robin went up to sympathize with Betty +in the bed, whose groans were loud and vehement. “Let +me feel your pulse,” said Robin, and he looted down as she +put forth her arm from aneath the clothes, and laying his hand on +the bed, cried, “Hey! what’s this? this is a costly +filling.” Upon which Betty jumpet up quite recovered, +and Jenny fell to the wailing and railing, while the hostler from +the east country took the bed of tea on his back, to carry it to +the change-house, till a cart was gotten to take it into the +custom-house at Irville.</p> +<p>Betty Pawkie being thus suddenly cured, and grudging the loss +of property, took a knife in her hand, and as the divor was +crossing the burn at the stepping-stones that lead to the back of +the change-house, she ran after him and ripped up the tikeing, +and sent all the tea floating away on the burn, which was thought +a brave action of Betty, and the story not a little helped to +lighten our melancholy meditations.</p> +<p>Robin Bicker was soon after this affair removed to another +district, and we got in his place one Mungo Argyle, who was as +proud as a provost, being come of Highland parentage. Black +was the hour he came among my people; for he was needy and +greedy, and rode on the top of his commission. Of all the +manifold ills in the train of smuggling, surely the excisemen are +the worst, and the setting of this rabiator over us was a severe +judgment for our sins. But he suffered for’t, and +peace be with him in the grave, where the wicked cease from +troubling!</p> +<p>Willie Malcolm, the youngest son of his mother, had by this +time learned all that Mr. Lorimore, the schoolmaster, could +teach; and as it was evidenced to every body, by his mild manners +and saintliness of demeanour, that he was a chosen vessel, his +mother longed to fulfil his own wish, which was doubtless the +natural working of the act of grace that had been shed upon him; +but she had not the wherewithal to send him to the college of +Glasgow, where he was desirous to study, and her just pride would +not allow her to cess his brother-in-law, the Captain Macadam, +whom, I should now mention, was raised in the end of this year, +as we read in the newspapers, to be a major. I thought her +in this somewhat unreasonable, for she would not be persuaded to +let me write to the captain; but when I reflected on the good +that Willie Malcolm might in time do as a preacher, I said +nothing more to her, but indited a letter to the Lord Eaglesham, +setting forth the lad’s parts, telling who he was and all +about his mother’s scruples; and, by the retour of the post +from London his lordship sent me an order on his steward, to pay +me twenty pounds towards equipping my protegée, as he +called Willie, with a promise to pay for his education, which was +such a great thing for his lordship to do off-hand on my +recommendation, that it won much affection throughout the country +side; and folks began to wonder, rehearsing the great things, as +was said, that I had gotten my lord at different times, and on +divers occasions, to do, which had a vast of influence among my +brethren of the presbytery, and they grew into a state of greater +cordiality with me, looking on me as a man having authority; but +I was none thereat lifted up, for not being gifted with the power +of a kirk-filling eloquence, I was but little sought for at +sacraments, and fasts, and solemn days, which was doubtless well +ordained; for I had no motive to seek fame in foreign pulpits, +but was left to walk in the paths of simplicity within my own +parish. To eschew evil myself, and to teach others to do +the same, I thought the main duties of the pastoral office, and +with a sincere heart endeavoured what in me lay to perform them +with meekness, sobriety, and a spirit wakeful to the inroads of +sin and Satan. But oh, the sordiness of human +nature!—The kindness of the Lord Eaglesham’s own +disposition was ascribed to my influence, and many a dry answer I +was obliged to give to applicants that would have me trouble his +lordship, as if I had a claim upon him. In the ensuing +year, the notion of my cordiality with him came to a great head, +and brought about an event, that could not have been forethought +by me as a thing within the compass of possibility to bring to +pass.</p> +<h2><a name="page133"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +133</span>CHAPTER XX<br /> +YEAR 1779</h2> +<p>I <span class="smcap">was</span> named in this year for the +General Assembly, and Mrs. Balwhidder, by her continual thrift, +having made our purse able to stand a shake against the wind, we +resolved to go into Edinburgh in a creditable manner. +Accordingly, in conjunct with Mrs. Dalrymple, the lady of a major +of that name, we hired the Irville chaise, and we put up in +Glasgow, at the Black Boy, where we stayed all night. Next +morning, by seven o’clock, we got into a fly-coach for the +capital of Scotland, which we reached after a heavy journey about +the same hour in the evening, and put up at the public where it +stopped till the next day; for really both me and Mrs. Balwhidder +were worn out with the undertaking, and found a cup of tea a vast +refreshment.</p> +<p>Betimes, in the morning, having taken our breakfast, we got a +caddy to guide us and our wallise to Widow M‘Vicar’s, +at the head of the Covenanters’ Close. She was a +relation to my first wife, Betty Lanshaw, my own full cousin that +was, and we had advised her, by course of post, of our coming, +and intendment to lodge with her as uncos and strangers. +But Mrs. M‘Vicar kept a cloth shop, and sold plaidings and +flannels, besides Yorkshire superfines, and was used to the +sudden incoming of strangers, especially visitants, both from the +West and the North Highlands, and was withal a gawsy furthy +woman, taking great pleasure in hospitality, and every sort of +kindliness and discretion. She would not allow of such a +thing as our being lodgers in her house, but was so cagey to see +us, and to have it in her power to be civil to a minister, as she +was pleased to say, of such repute, that nothing less would +content her but that we must live upon her, and partake of all +the best that could be gotten for us within the walls of +“the gude town.”</p> +<p>When we found ourselves so comfortable, Mrs. Balwhidder and me +waited on my patron’s family that was, the young ladies, +and the laird, who had been my pupil, but was now an advocate +high in the law. They likewise were kind also. In +short, every body in Edinburgh were in a manner wearisome kind, +and we could scarcely find time to see the Castle and the palace +of Holyrood-house, and that more sanctified place, where the +Maccabeus of the Kirk of Scotland, John Knox, was wont to +live.</p> +<p>Upon my introduction to his grace the Commissioner, I was +delighted and surprised to find the Lord Eaglesham at the levee, +and his lordship was so glad on seeing me, that he made me more +kenspeckle than I could have wished to have been in his +grace’s presence; for, owing to the same, I was required to +preach before his grace, upon a jocose recommendation of his +lordship; the which gave me great concern, and daunted me so that +in the interim I was almost bereft of all peace and studious +composure of mind. Fain would I have eschewed the honour +that was thus thrust upon me; but both my wife and Mrs. +M‘Vicar were just lifted out of themselves with the +thought.</p> +<p>When the day came, I thought all things in this world were +loosened from their hold, and that the sure and steadfast earth +itself was grown coggly beneath my feet, as I mounted the +pulpit. With what sincerity I prayed for help that day! and +never stood man more in need of it; for through all my prayer the +congregation was so watchful and still, doubtless to note if my +doctrine was orthodox, that the beating of my heart might have +been heard to the uttermost corners of the kirk.</p> +<p>I had chosen as my text, from Second Samuel, xixth chapter and +35th verse, these words—“Can I hear any more the +voice of singing men and singing women? Wherefore, then, +should thy servant be yet a burden to the king?” And +hardly had I with a trembling voice read the words, when I +perceived an awful stir in the congregation; for all applied the +words to the state of the church, and the appointment of his +grace the Commissioner. Having paused after giving out the +text, the same fearful and critical silence again ensued, and +every eye was so fixed upon me, that I was for a time deprived of +courage to look about; but heaven was pleased to compassionate my +infirmity, and as I proceeded, I began to warm as in my own +pulpit. I described the gorgeous Babylonian harlot riding +forth in her chariots of gold and silver, with trampling steeds +and a hurricane of followers, drunk with the cup of abominations, +all shouting with revelry, and glorying in her triumph, treading +down in their career those precious pearls, the saints and +martyrs, into the mire beneath their swinish feet. +“Before her you may behold Wantonness playing the tinkling +cymbal, Insolence beating the drum, and Pride blowing the +trumpet. Every vice is there with his emblems; and the +seller of pardons, with his crucifix and triple crown, is +distributing his largess of perdition. The voices of men +shout to set wide the gates, to give entrance to the queen of +nations, and the gates are set wide, and they all enter. +The avenging gates close on them—they are all shut up in +hell.”</p> +<p>There was a sough in the kirk as I said these words; for the +vision I described seemed to be passing before me as I spoke, and +I felt as if I had witnessed the everlasting destruction of +Antichrist, and the worshippers of the Beast. But soon +recovering myself, I said in a soft and gentle manner, +“Look at yon lovely creature in virgin-raiment, with the +Bible in her hand. See how mildly she walks along, giving +alms to the poor as she passes on towards the door of that lowly +dwelling—Let us follow her in—She takes her seat in +the chair at the bedside of the poor old dying sinner; and as he +tosses in the height of penitence and despair, she reads to him +the promise of the Saviour—‘This night thou shalt be +with me in Paradise;’ and he embraces her with transports, +and, falling back on his pillow, calmly closes his eyes in +peace. She is the true religion; and when I see what she +can do even in the last moments of the guilty, well may we +exclaim, when we think of the symbols and pageantry of the +departed superstition, Can I hear any more the voice of singing +men and singing women? No; let us cling to the simplicity +of the Truth that is now established in our native +land.”</p> +<p>At the conclusion of this clause of my discourse, the +congregation, which had been all so still and so solemn, never +coughing, as was often the case among my people, gave a great +rustle, changing their positions, by which I was almost overcome; +however, I took heart and ventured on, and pointed out that, with +our Bible and an orthodox priesthood, we stood in no need of the +king’s authority, however bound we were, in temporal +things, to respect it; and I showed this at some length, crying +out in the words of my text, “Wherefore, then, should thy +servant be yet a burden to the king?” in the saying of +which I happened to turn my eyes towards his grace the +Commissioner, as he sat on the throne, and I thought his +countenance was troubled, which made me add, that he might not +think I meant him any offence, “That the King of the Church +was one before whom the great, and the wise, and the +good—all doomed and sentenced convicts—implore his +mercy.” “It is true,” said I, “that +in the days of his tribulation he was wounded for our iniquities, +and died to save us; but, at his death, his greatness was +proclaimed by the quick and the dead. There was sorrow, and +there was wonder, and there was rage, and there was remorse; but +there was no shame there—none blushed on that day at that +sight but yon glorious luminary.” The congregation +rose, and looked round, as the sun that I pointed at shone in at +the window. I was disconcerted by their movement, and my +spirit was spent, so that I could say no more.</p> +<p>When I came down from the pulpit, there was a great pressing +in of acquaintance and ministers, who lauded me exceedingly; but +I thought it could be only in derision, therefore I slipped home +to Mrs. M‘Vicar’s as fast as I could.</p> +<p>Mrs. M‘Vicar, who was a clever, hearing-all sort of a +neighbour, said my sermon was greatly thought of, and that I had +surprised everybody; but I was fearful there was something of +jocularity at the bottom of this, for she was a flaunty woman, +and liked well to give a good-humoured gibe or jeer. +However, his grace the Commissioner was very thankful for the +discourse, and complimented me on what he called my apostolical +earnestness; but he was a courteous man, and I could not trust to +him, especially as my lord Eaglesham had told me in secrecy +before—it’s true, it was in his gallanting +way—that, in speaking of the king’s servant as I had +done, I had rather gone beyond the bounds of modern +moderation. Altogether, I found neither pleasure nor profit +in what was thought so great an honour, but longed for the +privacy of my own narrow pasture, and little flock.</p> +<p>It was in this visit to Edinburgh that Mrs. Balwhidder bought +her silver teapot, and other ornamental articles; but this was +not done, as she assured me, in a vain spirit of bravery, which I +could not have abided, but because it was well known that tea +draws better in a silver pot, and drinks pleasanter in a china +cup, than out of any other kind of cup or teapot.</p> +<p>By the time I got home to the manse, I had been three whole +weeks and five days absent, which was more than all my absences +together, from the time of my placing; and my people were glowing +with satisfaction when they saw us driving in a Glasgow chaise +through the clachan to the manse.</p> +<p>The rest of the year was merely a quiet succession of small +incidents, none of which are worthy of notation, though they were +all severally, no doubt, of aught somewhere, as they took us both +time and place in the coming to pass, and nothing comes to pass +without helping onwards to some great end; each particular little +thing that happens in the world being a seed sown by the hand of +Providence to yield an increase, which increase is destined, in +its turn, to minister to some higher purpose, until at last the +issue affects the whole earth. There is nothing in all the +world that doth not advance the cause of goodness; no, not even +the sins of the wicked, though, through the dim casement of her +mortal tabernacle, the soul of man cannot discern the method +thereof.</p> +<h2><a name="page141"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +141</span>CHAPTER XXI<br /> +YEAR 1780</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> was, among ourselves, another +year of few events. A sound, it is true, came among us of a +design, on the part of the government in London, to bring back +the old harlotry of papistry; but we spent our time in the lea of +the hedge, and the lown of the hill. Some there were that a +panic seized upon when they heard of Lord George Gordon, that +zealous Protestant, being committed to the Tower; but for my +part, I had no terror upon me, for I saw all things around me +going forward improving; and I said to myself, it is not so when +Providence permits scathe and sorrow to fall upon a nation. +Civil troubles, and the casting down of thrones, is always +forewarned by want and poverty striking the people. What I +have, therefore, chiefly to record as the memorables of this +year, are things of small import—the main of which are, +that some of the neighbouring lairds, taking example by Mr. +Kibbock, my father-in-law that was, began in this fall to plant +the tops of their hills with mounts of fir-trees; and Mungo +Argyle, the exciseman, just herried the poor smugglers to death, +and made a power of prize-money, which, however, had not the +wonted effect of riches, for it brought him no honour; and he +lived in the parish like a leper, or any other kind of +excommunicated person.</p> +<p>But I should not forget a most droll thing that took place +with Jenny Gaffaw, and her daughter. They had been missed +from the parish for some days, and folk began to be uneasy about +what could have become of the two silly creatures; till one +night, at the dead hour, a strange light was seen beaming and +burning at the window of the bit hole where they lived. It +was first observed by Lady Macadam, who never went to bed at any +Christian hour, but sat up reading her new French novels and +play-books with Miss Sabrina, the schoolmistress. She gave +the alarm, thinking that such a great and continuous light from a +lone house, where never candle had been seen before, could be +nothing less than the flame of a burning. And sending Miss +Sabrina and the servants to see what was the matter, they beheld +daft Jenny, and her as daft daughter, with a score of candle +doups, (Heaven only knows where they got them!) placed in the +window, and the twa fools dancing, and linking, and admiring +before the door. “What’s all this about, +Jenny,” said Miss Sabrina.—“Awa’ +wi’ you, awa’ wi’ you—ye wicked pope, ye +whore of Babylon—is na it for the glory of God, and the +Protestant religion? d’ye think I will be a pope as long as +light can put out darkness?”—And with that the mother +and daughter began again to leap and dance as madly as +before.</p> +<p>It seems that poor Jenny, having heard of the luminations that +were lighted up through the country on the ending of the Popish +Bill, had, with Meg, travelled by themselves into Glasgow, where +they had gathered or begged a stock of candles, and coming back +under the cloud of night, had surprised and alarmed the whole +clachan, by lighting up their window in the manner that I have +described. Poor Miss Sabrina, at Jenny’s uncivil +salutation, went back to my lady with her heart full, and would +fain have had the idiots brought to task before the session, for +what they had said to her. But I would not hear tell of +such a thing, for which Miss Sabrina owed me a grudge that was +not soon given up. At the same time, I was grieved to see +the testimonies of joyfulness for a holy victory, brought into +such disrepute by the ill-timed demonstrations of the two +irreclaimable naturals, that had not a true conception of the +cause for which they were triumphing.</p> +<h2><a name="page144"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +144</span>CHAPTER XXII<br /> +YEAR 1781</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">If</span> the two last years passed +o’er the heads of me and my people without any manifest +dolour, which is a great thing to say for so long a period in +this world, we had our own trials and tribulations in the one of +which I have now to make mention. Mungo Argyle, the +exciseman, waxing rich, grew proud and petulant, and would have +ruled the country side with a rod of iron. Nothing less +would serve him than a fine horse to ride on, and a world of +other conveniences and luxuries, as if he had been on an equality +with gentlemen. And he bought a grand gun, which was called +a fowling-piece; and he had two pointer dogs, the like of which +had not been seen in the parish since the planting of the +Eaglesham-wood on the moorland, which was four years before I got +the call. Every body said the man was fey; and truly, when +I remarked him so gallant and gay on the Sabbath at the kirk, and +noted his glowing face and gleg een, I thought at times there was +something no canny about him. It was indeed clear to be +seen, that the man was hurried out of himself; but nobody could +have thought that the death he was to dree would have been what +it was.</p> +<p>About the end of summer my Lord Eaglesham came to the castle, +bringing with him an English madam, that was his Miss. Some +days after he came down from London, as he was riding past the +manse, his lordship stopped to enquire for my health, and I went +to the door to speak to him. I thought that he did not meet +me with that blithe countenance he was wont, and in going away, +he said with a blush, “I fear I dare not ask you to come to +the castle.” I had heard of his concubine, and I +said, “In saying so, my lord, you show a spark of grace; +for it would not become me to see what I have heard; and I am +surprised, my lord, you will not rather take a lady of your +own.” He looked kindly, but confused, saying, he did +not know where to get one; so seeing his shame, and not wishing +to put him out of conceit entirely with himself, I replied, +“Na, na, my lord, there’s nobody will believe that, +for there never was a silly Jock, but there was as silly a +Jenny,” at which he laughed heartily, and rode away. +But I know not what was in’t; I was troubled in mind about +him, and thought, as he was riding away, that I would never see +him again; and sure enough it so happened; for the next day, +being airing in his coach with Miss Spangle, the lady he had +brought, he happened to see Mungo Argyle with his dogs and his +gun, and my lord being as particular about his game as the other +was about boxes of tea and kegs of brandy, he jumped out of the +carriage, and ran to take the gun. Words passed, and the +exciseman shot my lord. Never shall I forget that day; such +riding, such running, the whole country side afoot; but the same +night my lord breathed his last; and the mad and wild reprobate +that did the deed was taken up and sent off to Edinburgh. +This was a woeful riddance of that oppressor, for my lord was a +good landlord and a kind-hearted man; and albeit, though a little +thoughtless, was aye ready to make his power, when the way was +pointed out, minister to good works. The whole parish +mourned for him, and there was not a sorer heart in all its +bounds than my own. Never was such a sight seen as his +burial: the whole country side was there, and all as solemn as if +they had been assembled in the valley of Jehoshaphat in the +latter day. The hedges where the funeral was to pass were +clad with weans, like bunches of hips and haws, and the kirkyard +was as if all its own dead were risen. Never, do I think, +was such a multitude gathered together. Some thought there +could not be less than three thousand grown men, besides women +and children.</p> +<p>Scarcely was this great public calamity past, for it could be +reckoned no less, when one Saturday afternoon, as Miss Sabrina, +the schoolmistress, was dining with Lady Macadam, her ladyship +was stricken with the paralytics, and her face so thrown in the +course of a few minutes, that Miss Sabrina came flying to the +manse for the help and advice of Mrs. Balwhidder. A doctor +was gotten with all speed by express; but her ladyship was +smitten beyond the reach of medicine. She lived, however, +some time after; but oh! she was such an object, that it was a +grief to see her. She could only mutter when she tried to +speak, and was as helpless as a baby. Though she never +liked me, nor could I say there was many things in her demeanour +that pleased me; yet she was a free-handed woman to the needful, +and when she died she was more missed than it was thought she +could have been.</p> +<p>Shortly after her funeral, which was managed by a gentleman +sent from her friends in Edinburgh, that I wrote to about her +condition, the Major, her son, with his lady, Kate Malcolm, and +two pretty bairns, came and stayed in her house for a time, and +they were a great happiness to us all, both in the way of +drinking tea, and sometimes taking a bit of dinner, their only +mother now, the worthy and pious Mrs. Malcolm, being regularly of +the company.</p> +<p>Before the end of the year, I should mention, that the fortune +of Mrs. Malcolm’s family got another shove upwards, by the +promotion of her second son, Robert Malcolm, who, being grown an +expert and careful mariner, was made captain of a grand ship, +whereof Provost Maitland of Glasgow, that was kind to his mother +in her distresses, was the owner. But that douce lad +Willie, her youngest son, who was at the university of Glasgow +under the Lord Eaglesham’s patronage, was like to have +suffered a blight. However, Major Macadam, when I spoke to +him anent the young man’s loss of his patron, said, with a +pleasant generosity, he should not be stickit; and, accordingly, +he made up, as far as money could, for the loss of his lordship; +but there was none that made up for the great power and +influence, which, I have no doubt, the Earl would have exerted in +his behalf, when he was ripened for the church. So that, +although in time William came out a sound and heart-searching +preacher, he was long obliged, like many another unfriended +saint, to cultivate sand, and wash Ethiopians in the shape of an +east country gentleman’s camstrairy weans; than which, as +he wrote me himself, there cannot be on earth a greater trial of +temper. However, in the end he was rewarded, and is not +only now a placed minister, but a doctor of divinity.</p> +<p>The death of Lady Macadam was followed by another parochial +misfortune; for, considering the time when it happened, we could +count it as nothing less. Auld Thomas Howkings, the +betheral, fell sick, and died in the course of a week’s +illness, about the end of November; and the measles coming at +that time upon the parish, there was such a smashery of the poor +weans as had not been known for an age; insomuch that James +Banes, the lad who was Thomas Howkings’ helper, rose in +open rebellion against the session during his superior’s +illness; and we were constrained to augment his pay, and to +promise him the place if Thomas did not recover, which it was +then thought he could not do. On the day this happened, +there were three dead children in the clachan, and a panic and +consternation spread about the burial of them when James +Bane’s insurrection was known, which made both me and the +session glad to hush up the affair, that the heart of the public +might have no more than the sufferings of individuals to hurt +it.—Thus ended a year, on many accounts, heavy to be +remembered.</p> +<h2><a name="page150"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +150</span>CHAPTER XXIII<br /> +YEAR 1782</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">Although</span> I have not been particular +in noticing it, from time to time, there had been an occasional +going off, at fairs and on market-days, of the lads of the parish +as soldiers, and when Captain Malcolm got the command of his +ship, no less than four young men sailed with him from the +clachan; so that we were deeper and deeper interested in the +proceedings of the doleful war that was raging in the +plantations. By one post we heard of no less than three +brave fellows belonging to us being slain in one battle, for +which there was a loud and general lamentation.</p> +<p>Shortly after this, I got a letter from Charles Malcolm, a +very pretty letter it indeed was: he had heard of my Lord +Eaglesham’s murder, and grieved for the loss, both because +his lordship was a good man, and because he had been such a +friend to him and his family. “But,” said +Charles, “the best way I can show my gratitude for his +patronage, is to prove myself a good officer to my king and +country.” Which I thought a brave sentiment, and was +pleased thereat; for somehow Charles, from the time he brought me +the limes to make a bowl of punch, in his pocket from Jamaica, +had built a nest of affection in my heart. But, oh! the +wicked wastry of life in war. In less than a month after, +the news came of a victory over the French fleet, and by the same +post I got a letter from Mr. Howard, that was the midshipman who +came to see us with Charles, telling me that poor Charles had +been mortally wounded in the action, and had afterwards died of +his wounds. “He was a hero in the engagement,” +said Mr. Howard, “and he died as a good and a brave man +should.”—These tidings gave me one of the sorest +hearts I ever suffered, and it was long before I could gather +fortitude to disclose the tidings to poor Charles’s +mother. But the callants of the school had heard of the +victory, and were going shouting about, and had set the steeple +bell a-ringing, by which Mrs. Malcolm heard the news; and knowing +that Charles’s ship was with the fleet, she came over to +the manse in great anxiety to hear the particulars, somebody +telling her that there had been a foreign letter to me by the +postman.</p> +<p>When I saw her I could not speak, but looked at her in pity, +and, the tear fleeing up into my eyes, she guessed what had +happened. After giving a deep and sore sigh, she enquired, +“How did he behave? I hope well, for he was aye a +gallant laddie!”—and then she wept very +bitterly. However, growing calmer, I read to her the +letter; and, when I had done, she begged me to give it to her to +keep, saying, “It’s all that I have now left of my +pretty boy; but it’s mair precious to me than the wealth of +the Indies;” and she begged me to return thanks to the Lord +for all the comforts and manifold mercies with which her lot had +been blessed, since the hour she put her trust in him alone; and +that was when she was left a penniless widow, with her five +fatherless bairns.</p> +<p>It was just an edification of the spirit to see the Christian +resignation of this worthy woman. Mrs. Balwhidder was +confounded, and said, there was more sorrow in seeing the deep +grief of her fortitude than tongue could tell.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p152b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Old Herd" +title= +"The Old Herd" + src="images/p152s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>Having taken a glass of wine with her, I walked out to conduct +her to her own house; but in the way we met with a severe +trial. All the weans were out parading with napkins and +kail-blades on sticks, rejoicing and triumphing in the glad +tidings of victory. But when they saw me and Mrs. Malcolm +coming slowly along, they guessed what had happened, and threw +away their banners of joy; and standing all up in a row, with +silence and sadness, along the kirkyard wall as we passed, showed +an instinct of compassion that penetrated to my very soul. +The poor mother burst into fresh affliction, and some of the +bairns into an audible weeping; and, taking one another by the +hand, they followed us to her door, like mourners at a +funeral. Never was such a sight seen in any town +before. The neighbours came to look at it as we walked +along, and the men turned aside to hide their faces; while the +mothers pressed their babies fondlier to their bosoms, and +watered their innocent faces with their tears.</p> +<p>I prepared a suitable sermon, taking as the words of my text, +“Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for your strength is laid +waste.” But when I saw around me so many of my people +clad in complimentary mourning for the gallant Charles Malcolm, +and that even poor daft Jenny Gaffaw, and her daughter, had on an +old black riband; and when I thought of him, the spirited laddie, +coming home from Jamaica with his parrot on his shoulder, and his +limes for me, my heart filled full, and I was obliged to sit down +in the pulpit, and drop a tear.</p> +<p>After a pause, and the Lord having vouchsafed to compose me, I +rose up, and gave out that anthem of triumph, the 124th psalm, +the singing of which brought the congregation round to +themselves; but still I felt that I could not preach as I had +meant to do; therefore I only said a few words of prayer, and +singing another psalm, dismissed the congregation.</p> +<h2><a name="page154"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +154</span>CHAPTER XXIV<br /> +YEAR 1783</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> was another Sabbath year of my +ministry. It has left me nothing to record but a silent +increase of prosperity in the parish. I myself had now in +the bank more than a thousand pounds, and every thing was +thriving around. My two bairns, Gilbert, that is now the +merchant in Glasgow, was grown into a sturdy ramplor laddie, and +Janet, that is married upon Dr. Kittleword, the minister of +Swappington, was as fine a lassie for her years as the eyes of a +parent could desire to see.</p> +<p>Shortly after the news of the peace, an event at which all +gave themselves up to joy, a thing happened among us that at the +time caused much talk; but although very dreadful, was yet not so +serious, some how or other, as such an awsome doing should have +been. Poor Jenny Gaffaw happened to take a heavy cold, and +soon thereafter died. Meg went about from house to house, +begging dead-clothes, and got the body straighted in a wonderful +decent manner, with a plate of earth and salt placed upon +it—an admonitory type of mortality and eternal life that +has ill-advisedly gone out of fashion. When I heard of +this, I could not but go to see how a creature that was not +thought possessed of a grain of understanding, could have done so +much herself. On entering the door, I beheld Meg sitting +with two or three of the neighbouring kimmers, and the corpse +laid out on a bed. “Come awa’, sir,” said +Meg; “this is an altered house. They’re gane +that keepit it bein; but, sir, we maun a’ come to +this—we maun pay the debt o’ nature—death is a +grim creditor, and a doctor but brittle bail when the hour of +reckoning’s at han’! What a pity it is, mother, +that you’re now dead, for here’s the minister come to +see you. Oh, sir! but she would have had a proud heart to +see you in her dwelling, for she had a genteel turn, and would +not let me, her only daughter, mess or mell wi’ the lathron +lasses of the clachan. Ay, ay, she brought me up with care, +and edicated me for a lady: nae coarse wark darkened my +lily-white hands. But I maun work now; I maun dree the +penalty of man.”</p> +<p>Having stopped some time, listening to the curious maunnering +of Meg, I rose to come away; but she laid her hand on my arm, +saying, “No, sir, ye maun taste before ye gang! My +mother had aye plenty in her life, nor shall her latter day be +needy.”</p> +<p>Accordingly, Meg, with all the due formality common on such +occasions, produced a bottle of water, and a dram-glass, which +she filled and tasted, then presented to me, at the same time +offering me a bit of bread on a slate. It was a +consternation to everybody how the daft creature had learnt all +the ceremonies, which she performed in a manner past the power of +pen to describe, making the solemnity of death, by her strange +mockery, a kind of merriment, that was more painful than sorrow; +but some spirits are gifted with a faculty of observation, that, +by the strength of a little fancy, enables them to make a +wonderful and truthlike semblance of things and events, which +they never saw, and poor Meg seemed to have this gift.</p> +<p>The same night, the session having provided a coffin, the body +was put in, and removed to Mr. Mutchkin’s brewhouse, where +the lads and lassies kept the late-wake.</p> +<p>Saving this, the year flowed in a calm, and we floated on in +the stream of time towards the great ocean of eternity, like +ducks and geese in the river’s tide, that are carried down +without being sensible of the speed of the current. Alas! +we have not wings like them, to fly back to the place we set out +from.</p> +<h2><a name="page157"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +157</span>CHAPTER XXV<br /> +YEAR 1784</h2> +<p>I <span class="smcap">have</span> ever thought that this was a +bright year, truly an Ann. Dom., for in it many of the lads came +home that had listed to be soldiers; and Mr. Howard, that was the +midshipman, being now a captain of a man-of-war, came down from +England and married Effie Malcolm, and took her up with him to +London, where she wrote to her mother, that she found his family +people of great note, and more kind to her than she could +write. By this time, also, Major Macadam was made a +colonel, and lived with his lady in Edinburgh, where they were +much respected by the genteeler classes, Mrs. Macadam being +considered a great unco among them for all manner of ladylike +ornaments, she having been taught every sort of perfection in +that way by the old lady, who was educated at the court of +France, and was, from her birth, a person of quality. In +this year, also, Captain Malcolm, her brother, married a daughter +of a Glasgow merchant, so that Mrs. Malcolm, in her declining +years, had the prospect of a bright setting; but nothing could +change the sober Christianity of her settled mind; and although +she was strongly invited, both by the Macadams and the Howards, +to see their felicity, she ever declined the same, +saying—“No! I have been long out of the world, +or rather, I have never been in it; my ways are not as theirs; +and although I ken their hearts would be glad to be kind to me, I +might fash their servants, or their friends might think me unlike +other folk, by which, instead of causing pleasure, mortification +might ensue; so I will remain in my own house, trusting that, +when they can spare the time, they will come and see +me.”</p> +<p>There was a spirit of true wisdom in this resolution, for it +required a forbearance that in weaker minds would have relaxed; +but though a person of a most slender and delicate frame of body, +she was a Judith in fortitude; and in all the fortune that seemed +now smiling upon her, she never was lifted up, but bore always +that pale and meek look, which gave a saintliness to her +endeavours in the days of her suffering and poverty.</p> +<p>But when we enjoy most, we have least to tell. I look +back on this year as on a sunny spot in the valley, amidst the +shadows of the clouds of time; and I have nothing to record, save +the remembrance of welcomings and weddings, and a meeting of +bairns and parents, that the wars and the waters had long raged +between. Contentment within the bosom, lent a livelier +grace to the countenance of Nature; and everybody said, that in +this year the hedges were greener than common, the gowans +brighter on the brae, and the heads of the statelier trees +adorned with a richer coronal of leaves and blossoms. All +things were animated with the gladness of thankfulness, and +testified to the goodness of their Maker.</p> +<h2><a name="page160"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +160</span>CHAPTER XXVI<br /> +YEAR 1785</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">Well</span> may we say, in the pious words +of my old friend and neighbour, the Reverend Mr. Keekie of +Loupinton, that the world is such a wheel-carriage, that it might +very properly be called the <span +class="GutSmall">WHIRL’D</span>. This reflection was +brought home to me in a very striking manner, while I was +preparing a discourse for my people, to be preached on the +anniversary day of my placing, in which I took a view of what had +passed in the parish during the five-and-twenty years that I had +been, by the grace of God, the pastor thereof. The bairns, +that were bairns when I came among my people, were ripened unto +parents, and a new generation was swelling in the bud around +me. But it is what happened that I have to give an account +of.</p> +<p>This year the Lady Macadam’s jointure-house that was, +having been long without a tenant, a Mr. Cayenne and his family, +American loyalists, came and took it, and settled among us for a +time. His wife was a clever woman, and they had two +daughters, Miss Virginia and Miss Carolina; but he was himself an +ettercap, a perfect spunkie of passion, as ever was known in town +or country. His wife had a terrible time o’t with +him, and yet the unhappy man had a great share of common sense, +and, saving the exploits of his unmanageable temper, was an +honest and creditable gentleman. Of his humour we soon had +a sample, as I shall relate at length all about it.</p> +<p>Shortly after he came to the parish, Mrs. Balwhidder and me +waited upon the family to pay our respects, and Mr. Cayenne, in a +free and hearty manner, insisted on us staying to dinner. +His wife, I could see, was not satisfied with this, not being, as +I discerned afterwards, prepared to give an entertainment to +strangers; however, we fell into the misfortune of staying, and +nothing could exceed the happiness of Mr. Cayenne. I +thought him one of the blithest bodies I had ever seen, and had +no notion that he was such a tap of tow as in the sequel he +proved himself.</p> +<p>As there was something extra to prepare, the dinner was a +little longer of being on the table than usual, at which he began +to fash, and every now and then took a turn up and down the room, +with his hands behind his back, giving a short melancholious +whistle. At length the dinner was served, but it was more +scanty than he had expected, and this upset his good-humour +altogether. Scarcely had I asked the blessing when he began +to storm at his blackamoor servant, who was, however, used to his +way, and did his work without minding him; but by some neglect +there was no mustard down, which Mr. Cayenne called for in the +voice of a tempest, and one of the servant lassies came in with +the pot, trembling. It happened that, as it had not been +used for a day or two before, the lid was clagged, and, as it +were, glued in, so that Mr. Cayenne could not get it out, which +put him quite wud, and he attempted to fling it at Sambo, the +black lad’s head, but it stottit against the wall, and the +lid flying open, the whole mustard flew in his own face, which +made him a sight not to be spoken of. However it calmed +him; but really, as I had never seen such a man before, I could +not but consider the accident as a providential reproof, and +trembled to think what greater evil might fall out in the hands +of a man so left to himself in the intemperance of passion.</p> +<p>But the worst thing about Mr. Cayenne was his meddling with +matters in which he had no concern; for he had a most irksome +nature, and could not be at rest, so that he was truly a thorn in +our side. Among other of his strange doings, was the part +he took in the proceedings of the session, with which he had as +little to do, in a manner, as the man in the moon; but having no +business on his hands, he attended every sederunt, and from less +to more, having no self-government, he began to give his opinion +in our deliberations; and often bred us trouble, by causing +strife to arise.</p> +<p>It happened, as the time of the summer occasion was drawing +near, that it behoved us to make arrangements about the +assistance; and upon the suggestion of the elders, to which I +paid always the greatest deference, I invited Mr. Keekie of +Loupinton, who was a sound preacher, and a great expounder of the +kittle parts of the Old Testament, being a man well versed in the +Hebrew and etymologies, for which he was much reverenced by the +old people that delighted to search the Scriptures. I had +also written to Mr. Sprose of Annock, a preacher of another sort, +being a vehement and powerful thresher of the word, making the +chaff and vain babbling of corrupt commentators to fly from his +hand. He was not, however, so well liked, as he wanted that +connect method which is needful to the enforcing of +doctrine. But he had never been among us, and it was +thought it would be a godly treat to the parish to let the people +hear him. Besides Mr. Sprose, Mr. Waikle of Gowanry, a +quiet hewer out of the image of holiness in the heart, was +likewise invited, all in addition to our old stoops from the +adjacent parishes.</p> +<p>None of these three preachers were in any estimation with Mr. +Cayenne, who had only heard each of them once; and he, happening +to be present in the session-house at the time, enquired how we +had settled. I thought this not a very orderly question, +but I gave him a civil answer, saying, that, Mr. Keekie of +Loupinton would preach on the morning of the fast-day, Mr. Sprose +of Annock in the afternoon, and Mr. Waikle of Gowanry on the +Saturday. Never shall I or the elders, while the breath of +life is in our bodies, forget the reply. Mr. Cayenne struck +the table like a clap of thunder, and cried, “Mr. Keekie of +Loupinton, and Mr. Sprose of Annock, and Mr. Waikle of Gowanry, +and all suck trash, may go to — and be —!” and +out of the house he bounced, like a hand-ball stotting on a +stone.</p> +<p>The elders and me were confounded, and for some time we could +not speak, but looked at each other, doubtful if our ears heard +aright. At long and length I came to myself; and, in the +strength of God, took my place at the table, and said, this was +an outrageous impiety not to be borne, which all the elders +agreed to; and we thereupon came to a resolve, which I dictated +myself, wherein we debarred Mr. Cayenne from ever after entering, +unless summoned, the session-house, the which resolve we directed +the session-clerk to send to him direct, and thus we vindicated +the insulted privileges of the church.</p> +<p>Mr. Cayenne had cooled before he got home, and our paper +coming to him in his appeased blood, he immediately came to the +manse, and made a contrite apology for his hasty temper, which I +reported in due time and form, to the session, and there the +matter ended. But here was an example plain to be seen of +the truth of the old proverb, that as one door shuts another +opens; for scarcely were we in quietness by the decease of that +old light-headed woman, the Lady Macadam, till a full equivalent +for her was given in this hot and fiery Mr. Cayenne.</p> +<h2><a name="page166"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +166</span>CHAPTER XXVII<br /> +YEAR 1786</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">From</span> the day of my settlement, I +had resolved, in order to win the affections of my people, and to +promote unison among the heritors, to be of as little expense to +the parish as possible; but by this time the manse had fallen +into a sore state of decay—the doors were wormed on the +hinges—the casements of the windows chattered all the +winter, like the teeth of a person perishing with cold, so that +we had no comfort in the house; by which, at the urgent +instigations of Mrs. Balwhidder, I was obligated to represent our +situation to the session. I would rather, having so much +saved money in the bank, paid the needful repairs myself, than +have done this, but she said it would be a rank injustice to our +own family; and her father, Mr. Kibbock, who was very +long-headed, with more than a common man’s portion of +understanding, pointed out to me, that, as my life was but in my +lip, it would be a wrong thing towards whomsoever was ordained to +be my successor, to use the heritors to the custom of the +minister paying for the reparations of the manse, as it might +happen he might not be so well able to afford it as me. So +in a manner, by their persuasion, and the constraint of the +justice of the case, I made a report of the infirmities both of +doors and windows, as well as of the rotten state of the floors, +which were constantly in want of cobbling. Over and above +all, I told them of the sarking of the roof, which was as frush +as a puddock-stool; insomuch, that in every blast some of the +pins lost their grip, and the slates came hurling off.</p> +<p>The heritors were accordingly convened, and, after some +deliberation, they proposed that the house should be seen to, and +whitewashed and painted; and I thought this might do, for I saw +they were terrified at the expense of a thorough repair; but when +I went home and repeated to Mrs. Balwhidder what had been said at +the meeting, and my thankfulness at getting the heritors’ +consent to do so much, she was excessively angry, and told me, +that all the painting and whitewashing in the world would avail +nothing, for that the house was as a sepulchre full of +rottenness; and she sent for Mr. Kibbock, her father, to confer +with him on the way of getting the matter put to rights.</p> +<p>Mr. Kibbock came, and hearing of what had passed, pondered for +some time, and then said, “All was very right! the minister +(meaning me) has just to get tradesmen to look at the house, and +write out their opinion of what it needs. There will be +plaster to mend; so, before painting, he will get a +plasterer. There will be a slater wanted; he has just to +get a slater’s estimate, and a wright’s, and so +forth, and when all is done, he will lay them before the session +and the heritors, who, no doubt, will direct the reparations to +go forward.”</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p168b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Roadman" +title= +"The Roadman" + src="images/p168s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>This was very pawkie, counselling, of Mr. Kibbock, and I did +not see through it at the time, but did as he recommended, and +took all the different estimates, when they came in, to the +session. The elders commended my prudence exceedingly for +so doing, before going to work; and one of them asked me what the +amount of the whole would be, but I had not cast it up. +Some of the heritors thought that a hundred pounds would be +sufficient for the outlay; but judge of our consternation, when, +in counting up all the sums of the different estimates together, +we found them well on towards a thousand pounds. +“Better big a new house at once, than do this!” cried +all the elders, by which I then perceived the draughtiness of Mr. +Kibbock’s advice. Accordingly, another meeting of the +heritors was summoned, and after a great deal of controversy, it +was agreed that a new manse should be erected; and, shortly +after, we contracted with Thomas Trowel, the mason to build one +for six hundred pounds, with all the requisite appurtenances, by +which a clear gain was saved to the parish, by the foresight of +Mr. Kibbock, to the amount of nearly four hundred pounds. +But the heritors did not mean to have allowed the sort of repair +that his plan comprehended. He was, however, a far +forecasting man; the like of him for natural parts not being in +our country side; and nobody could get the whip-hand of him, +either in a bargain or an improvement, when he once was sensible +of the advantage. He was, indeed, a blessing to the shire, +both by his example as a farmer, and by his sound and discreet +advice in the contentions of his neighbours, being a man, as was +a saying among the commonality, “wiser than the law and the +fifteen Lords of Edinburgh.”</p> +<p>The building of the new manse occasioned a heavy cess on the +heritors, which made them overly ready to pick holes in the coats +of me and the elders; so that, out of my forbearance and delicacy +in time past, grew a lordliness on their part, that was an ill +return for the years that I had endured no little inconveniency +for their sake. It was not in my heart or principles to +harm the hair of a dog; but when I discerned the austerity with +which they were disposed to treat their minister, I bethought me +that, for the preservation of what was due to the establishment +and the upholding of the decent administration of religion, I +ought to set my face against the sordid intolerance by which they +were actuated. This notion I weighed well before divulging +it to any person; but when I had assured myself as to the +rectitude thereof, I rode over one day to Mr. Kibbock’s, +and broke my mind to him about claiming out of the teinds an +augmentation of my stipend, not because I needed it, but in case, +after me, some bare and hungry gorbie of the Lord should be sent +upon the parish, in no such condition to plea with the heritors +as I was. Mr. Kibbock highly approved of my intent; and by +his help, after much tribulation, I got an augmentation both in +glebe and income; and to mark my reason for what I did, I took +upon me to keep and clothe the wives and orphans of the parish, +who lost their breadwinners in the American war. But for +all that, the heritors spoke of me as an avaricious Jew, and made +the hard-won fruits of Mrs. Balwhidder’s great thrift and +good management a matter of reproach against me. Few of +them would come to the church, but stayed away, to the detriment +of their own souls hereafter, in order, as they thought, to +punish me; so that, in the course of this year, there was a +visible decay of the sense of religion among the better orders of +the parish, and, as will be seen in the sequel, their evil +example infected the minds of many of the rising generation.</p> +<p>It was in this year that Mr. Cayenne bought the mailing of the +Wheatrigs, but did not begin to build his house till the +following spring; for being ill to please with a plan, he fell +out with the builders, and on one occasion got into such a +passion with Mr. Trowel, the mason, that he struck him a blow on +the face, for which he was obligated to make atonement. It +was thought the matter would have been carried before the Lords; +but, by the mediation of Mr. Kibbock, with my helping hand, a +reconciliation was brought about, Mr. Cayenne indemnifying the +mason with a sum of money to say no more anent it; after which, +he employed him to build his house, a thing that no man could +have thought possible, who reflected on the enmity between +them.</p> +<h2><a name="page172"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +172</span>CHAPTER XXVIII<br /> +YEAR 1787</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">There</span> had been, as I have +frequently observed, a visible improvement going on in the +parish. From the time of the making of the toll-road, every +new house that was built in the clachan was built along that +road. Among other changes hereby caused, the Lady +Macadam’s jointure-house that was, which stood in a +pleasant parterre, inclosed within a stone wall and an iron gate, +having a pillar with a pineapple head on each side, came to be in +the middle of the town. While Mr. Cayenne inhabited the +same, it was maintained in good order; but on his flitting to his +own new house on the Wheatrigs, the parterre was soon overrun +with weeds, and it began to wear the look of a waste place. +Robert Toddy, who then kept the change-house, and who had, from +the lady’s death, rented the coach-house for stabling, in +this juncture thought of it for an inn; so he set his own house +to Thomas Treddles the weaver, whose son, William, is now the +great Glasgow manufacturer, that has cotton-mills and +steam-engines, and took, “the Place,” as it was +called, and had a fine sign, <span class="smcap">The +Cross-Keys</span>, painted and put up in golden characters, by +which it became one of the most noted inns anywhere to be seen; +and the civility of Mrs. Toddy was commended by all +strangers. But although this transmutation from a +change-house to an inn was a vast amendment, in a manner, to the +parish, there was little amendment of manners thereby; for the +farmer lads began to hold dancings and other riotous proceedings +there, and to bring, as it were, the evil practices of towns into +the heart of the country. All sort of licence was allowed +as to drink and hours; and the edifying example of Mr. Mutchkins +and his pious family, was no longer held up to the imitation of +the wayfaring man.</p> +<p>Saving the mutation of “the Place” into an inn, +nothing very remarkable happened in this year. We got into +our new manse about the middle of March; but it was rather damp, +being new plastered, and it caused me to have a severe attack of +the rheumatics in the fall of the year.</p> +<p>I should not, in my notations, forget to mark a new luxury +that got in among the commonality at this time. By the +opening of new roads, and the traffic thereon with carts and +carriers, and by our young men that were sailors going to the +Clyde, and sailing to Jamaica and the West Indies, heaps of sugar +and coffee-beans were brought home, while many, among the +kail-stocks and cabbages in their yards, had planted groset and +berry bushes; which two things happening together, the fashion to +make jam and jelly, which hitherto had been only known in the +kitchens and confectionaries of the gentry, came to be introduced +into the clachan. All this, however, was not without a +plausible pretext; for it was found that jelly was an excellent +medicine for a sore throat, and jam a remedy as good as London +candy for a cough, or a cold, or a shortness of breath. I +could not, however, say that this gave me so much concern as the +smuggling trade, only it occasioned a great fasherie to Mrs. +Balwhidder; for, in the berry time, there was no end to the +borrowing of her brass-pan to make jelly and jam, till Mrs. Toddy +of the Cross-Keys bought one, which, in its turn, came into +request, and saved ours.</p> +<p>It was in the Martinmas quarter of this year that I got the +first payment of my augmentation. Having no desire to rip +up old sores, I shall say no more anent it, the worst being +anticipated in my chronicle of the last year; but there was a +thing happened in the payment that occasioned a vexation at the +time, of a very disagreeable nature. Daft Meg Gaffaw, who, +from the tragical death of her mother, was a privileged subject, +used to come to the manse on the Saturdays for a meal of meat; +and so it fell out that as, by some neglect of mine, no steps had +been taken to regulate the disposal of the victual that +constituted the means of the augmentation, some of the heritors, +in an ungracious temper, sent what they called the tithe-ball +(the Lord knows it was not the fiftieth!) to the manse, where I +had no place to put it. This fell out on a Saturday night, +when I was busy with my sermon, thinking not of silver or gold, +but of much better; so that I was greatly molested and disturbed +thereby. Daft Meg, who sat by the kitchen chimley-lug, +hearing a’, said nothing for a time; but when she saw how +Mrs. Balwhidder and me were put to, she cried out with a loud +voice, like a soul under the inspiration of +prophecy—“When the widow’s cruse had filled all +the vessels in the house, the Lord stopped the increase. +Verily, verily, I say unto you, if your barns be filled, and your +girnell-kists can hold no more, seek till ye shall find the tume +basins of the poor, and therein pour the corn, and the oil, and +the wine of your abundance; so shall ye be blessed of the +Lord.” The which words I took for an admonition, and +directing the sacks to be brought into the dining-room and other +chambers of the manse, I sent off the heritors’ servants, +that had done me this prejudice, with an unexpected +thankfulness. But this, as I afterwards was informed, both +them and their masters attributed to the greedy grasp of avarice, +with which they considered me as misled; and having said so, +nothing could exceed their mortification on Monday, when they +heard (for they were of those who had deserted the kirk) that I +had given by the precentor notice to every widow in the parish +that was in need, to come to the manse and she would receive her +portion of the partitioning of the augmentation. Thus, +without any offence on my part, saving the strictness of justice, +was a division made between me and the heritors; but the people +were with me; and my own conscience was with me; and though the +fronts of the lofts and the pews of the heritors were but thinly +filled, I trusted that a good time was coming, when the gentry +would see the error of their way. So I bent the head of +resignation to the Lord, and, assisted by the wisdom of Mr. +Kibbock, adhered to the course I had adopted; but at the close of +the year my heart was sorrowful for the schism; and my prayer on +Hogmanay was one of great bitterness of soul, that such an evil +had come to pass.</p> +<h2><a name="page177"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +177</span>CHAPTER XXIX<br /> +YEAR 1788</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> had been often remarked by +ingenious men, that the Brawl burn, which ran through the parish, +though a small, was yet a rapid stream, and had a wonderful +capability for damming, and to turn mills. From the time +that the Irville water deserted its channel this brook grew into +repute, and several mills and dams had been erected on its +course. In this year a proposal came from Glasgow to build +a cotton-mill on its banks, beneath the Witch-linn, which being +on a corner of the Wheatrig, the property of Mr. Cayenne, he not +only consented thereto, but took a part in the profit or loss +therein; and, being a man of great activity, though we thought +him, for many a day, a serpent-plague sent upon the parish, he +proved thereby one of our greatest benefactors. The +cotton-mill was built, and a spacious fabric it was—nothing +like it had been seen before in our day and generation—and, +for the people that were brought to work in it, a new town was +built in the vicinity, which Mr. Cayenne, the same being founded +on his land, called Cayenneville, the name of the plantation in +Virginia that had been taken from him by the rebellious +Americans. From that day Fortune was lavish of her favours +upon him; his property swelled, and grew in the most +extraordinary manner, and the whole country side was stirring +with a new life. For, when the mill was set a-going, he got +weavers of muslin established in Cayenneville; and shortly after, +but that did not take place till the year following, he brought +women all the way from the neighbourhood of Manchester, in +England, to teach the lassie bairns in our old clachan +tambouring.</p> +<p>Some of the ancient families, in their turreted houses, were +not pleased with this innovation, especially when they saw the +handsome dwellings that were built for the weavers of the mills, +and the unstinted hand that supplied the wealth required for the +carrying on of the business. It sank their pride into +insignificance, and many of them would almost rather have wanted +the rise that took place in the value of their lands, than have +seen this incoming of what they called o’er-sea +speculation. But, saving the building of the cotton-mill, +and the beginning of Cayenneville, nothing more memorable +happened in this year, still it was nevertheless a year of a +great activity. The minds of men were excited to new +enterprises; a new genius, as it were, had descended upon the +earth, and there was an erect and outlooking spirit abroad that +was not to be satisfied with the taciturn regularity of ancient +affairs. Even Miss Sabrina Hooky, the schoolmistress, +though now waned from her meridian, was touched with the +enlivening rod, and set herself to learn and to teach tambouring, +in such a manner as to supersede by precept and example that old +time-honoured functionary, as she herself called it, the +spinning-wheel, proving, as she did one night to Mr. Kibbock and +me, that, if more money could be made by a woman tambouring than +by spinning, it was better for her to tambour than to spin.</p> +<p>But, in the midst of all this commercing and manufacturing, I +began to discover signs of decay in the wonted simplicity of our +country ways. Among the cotton-spinners and muslin weavers +of Cayenneville were several unsatisfied and ambitious spirits, +who clubbed together, and got a London newspaper to the +Cross-Keys, where they were nightly in the habit of meeting and +debating about the affairs of the French, which were then +gathering towards a head. They were represented to me as +lads by common in capacity, but with unsettled notions of +religion. They were, however, quiet and orderly; and some +of them since, at Glasgow, Paisley, and Manchester, even, I am +told, in London, have grown into a topping way.</p> +<p>It seems they did not like my manner of preaching, and on that +account absented themselves from public worship; which, when I +heard, I sent for some of them, to convince them of their error +with regard to the truth of divers points of doctrine; but they +confounded me with their objections, and used my arguments, which +were the old and orthodox proven opinions of the Divinity Hall, +as if they had been the light sayings of a vain man. So +that I was troubled, fearing that some change would ensue to my +people, who had hitherto lived amidst the boughs and branches of +the gospel unmolested by the fowler’s snare, and I set +myself to watch narrowly, and with a vigilant eye, what would +come to pass.</p> +<p>There was a visible increase among us of worldly prosperity in +the course of this year; insomuch that some of the farmers, who +were in the custom of taking their vendibles to the neighbouring +towns on the Tuesdays, the Wednesdays, and Fridays, were led to +open a market on the Saturdays in our own clachan, the which +proved a great convenience. But I cannot take it upon me to +say, whether this can be said to have well begun in the present +Ann. Dom., although I know that in the summer of the ensuing year +it was grown into a settled custom; which I well recollect by the +Macadams coming with their bairns to see Mrs. Malcolm, their +mother, suddenly on a Saturday afternoon; on which occasion me +and Mrs. Balwhidder were invited to dine with them, and Mrs. +Malcolm bought in the market for the dinner that day, both mutton +and fowls, such as twenty years before could not have been got +for love or money on such a pinch. Besides, she had two +bottles of red and white wine from the Cross-Keys, luxuries +which, saving in the Breadland House in its best days, could not +have been had in the whole parish, but must have been brought +from a borough town; for Eaglesham Castle is not within the +bounds of Dalmailing, and my observe does not apply to the stock +and stores of that honourable mansion, but only to the dwellings +of our own heritors, who were in general straitened in their +circumstances, partly with upsetting, and partly by the eating +rust of family pride, which hurt the edge of many a clever fellow +among them, that would have done well in the way of trade, but +sunk into divors for the sake of their genteelity.</p> +<h2><a name="page182"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +182</span>CHAPTER XXX<br /> +YEAR 1789</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> I have always reflected upon +as one of our blessed years. It was not remarkable for any +extraordinary occurrence; but there was a hopefulness in the +minds of men, and a planning of new undertakings, of which, +whatever may be the upshot, the devising is ever rich in the +cheerful anticipations of good.</p> +<p>Another new line of road was planned, for a shorter cut to the +cotton-mill, from the main road to Glasgow, and a public-house +was opened in Cayenneville: the latter, however, was not an event +that gave me much satisfaction; but it was a convenience to the +inhabitants, and the carriers that brought the cotton-bags and +took away the yarn twice a-week, needed a place of +refreshment. And there was a stage-coach set up thrice +every week from Ayr, that passed through the town, by which it +was possible to travel to Glasgow between breakfast and dinner +time, a thing that could not, when I came to the parish, have +been thought within the compass of man.</p> +<p>This stage-coach I thought one of the greatest conveniences +that had been established among us; and it enabled Mrs. +Balwhidder to send a basket of her fresh butter into the Glasgow +market, by which, in the spring and the fall of the year, she got +a great price; for the Glasgow merchants are fond of excellent +eatables, and the payment was aye ready money—Tam Whirlit +the driver paying for the one basket when he took up the +other.</p> +<p>In this year William Malcolm, the youngest son of the widow, +having been some time a tutor in a family in the east country, +came to see his mother, as indeed he had done every year from the +time he went to the college; but this occasion was made +remarkable by his preaching in my pulpit. His old +acquaintance were curious to hear him; and I myself had a sort of +a wish likewise, being desirous to know how far he was orthodox; +so I thought fit, on the suggestion of one of the elders, to ask +him to preach one day for me, which, after some fleeching, he +consented to do. I think, however, there was a true modesty +in his diffidence, although his reason was a weak one, being lest +he might not satisfy his mother, who had as yet never heard +him. Accordingly, on the Sabbath after, he did preach, and +the kirk was well packed, and I was not one of the least +attentive of the congregation. His sermon assuredly was +well put together and there was nothing to object to in his +doctrine; but the elderly people thought his language rather too +Englified, which I thought likewise; for I never could abide that +the plain auld Kirk of Scotland, with her sober presbyterian +simplicity, should borrow, either in word or in deed, from the +language of the prelatic hierarchy of England. +Nevertheless, the younger part of the congregation were loud in +his praise, saying, there had not been heard before such a style +of language in our side of the country. As for Mrs. +Malcolm, his mother, when I spoke to her anent the same, she said +but little, expressing only her hope that his example would be +worthy of his precepts; so that, upon the whole, it was a +satisfaction to us all, that he was likely to prove a stoop and +upholding pillar to the Kirk of Scotland. And his mother +had the satisfaction, before she died, to see him a placed +minister, and his name among the authors of his country; for he +published at Edinburgh a volume of Moral Essays, of which he sent +me a pretty bound copy, and they were greatly creditable to his +pen, though lacking somewhat of that birr and smeddum that is the +juice and flavour of books of that sort.</p> +<h2><a name="page185"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +185</span>CHAPTER XXXI<br /> +YEAR 1790</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> features of this Ann. Dom. +partook of the character of its predecessor. Several new +houses were added to the clachan; Cayenneville was spreading out +with weavers’ shops, and growing up fast into a town. +In some respects it got the start of ours; for one day, when I +was going to dine with Mr. Cayenne at Wheatrig House, not a +little to my amazement, did I behold a bookseller’s shop +opened there, with sticks of red and black wax, pouncet-boxes, +pens, pocket-books, and new publications, in the window, such as +the like of was only to be seen in cities and borough +towns. And it was lighted at night by a patent lamp, which +shed a wonderful beam, burning oil, and having no smoke. +The man sold likewise perfumery, powder-puffs, trinkets, and +Dublin dolls, besides penknives, Castile soap, and +walking-sticks, together with a prodigy of other luxuries too +tedious to mention.</p> +<p>Upon conversing with the man, for I was enchanted to go into +this phenomenon, for as no less could I regard it, he told me +that he had a correspondence with London, and could get me down +any book published there within the same month in which it came +out; and he showed me divers of the newest come out, of which I +did not read even in the <i>Scots Magazine</i> till more than +three months after, although I had till then always considered +that work as most interesting for its early intelligence. +But what I was most surprised to hear, was, that he took in a +daily London newspaper for the spinners and weavers, who paid him +a penny a-week a-piece for the same; they being all greatly taken +up with what, at the time, was going on in France.</p> +<p>This bookseller in the end, however, proved a whawp in our +nest, for he was in league with some of the English reformers; +and when the story took wind three years after, concerning the +plots and treasons of the corresponding societies and democrats, +he was fain to make a moonlight flitting, leaving his wife for a +time to manage his affairs. I could not, however, think any +ill of the man notwithstanding; for he had very correct notions +of right and justice, in a political sense, and when he came into +the parish he was as orderly and well-behaved as any other body; +and conduct is a test that I have always found as good for a +man’s principles as professions. Nor, at the time of +which I am speaking, was there any of that dread or fear of +reforming the government that has since been occasioned by the +wild and wasteful hand which the French employed in their +revolution.</p> +<p>But, among other improvements, I should mention that a Doctor +Marigold came and settled in Cayenneville, a small, round, +happy-tempered man, whose funny stories were far better liked +than his drugs. There was a doubt among some of the weavers +if he was a skilful Esculapian; and this doubt led to their +holding out an inducement to another medical man, Dr. Tanzey, to +settle there likewise, by which it grew into a saying, that at +Cayenneville there was a doctor for health as well as sickness; +for Dr. Marigold was one of the best hands in the country at a +pleasant punch-bowl, while Dr. Tanzey had all the requisite +knowledge for the faculty for the bedside.</p> +<p>It was in this year that the hour-plate and hand on the kirk +steeple were renewed, as indeed, may yet be seen by the date, +though it be again greatly in want of fresh gilding; for it was +by my advice that the figures of the Ann. Dom. were placed one in +each corner. In this year, likewise, the bridge over the +Brawl burn was built—a great convenience, in the winter +time, to the parishioners that lived on the north side; for when +there happened to be a spait on the Sunday, it kept them from the +kirk; but I did not find that the bridge mended the matter, till +after the conclusion of the war against the democrats, and the +beginning of that which we are now waging with Boney, their child +and champion. It is, indeed, wonderful to think of the +occultation of grace that was taking place about this time, +throughout the whole bound of Christendom; for I could mark a +visible darkness of infidelity spreading in the corner of the +vineyard committed to my keeping, and a falling away of the vines +from their wonted props and confidence in the truths of +Revelation. But I said nothing. I knew that the faith +could not be lost, and that it would be found purer and purer the +more it was tried; and this I have lived to see, many now being +zealous members of the church, that were abundantly lukewarm at +the period of which I am now speaking.</p> +<h2><a name="page189"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +189</span>CHAPTER XXXII<br /> +YEAR 1791</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">In</span> the spring of this year, I took +my son Gilbert into Glasgow, to place him in a +counting-house. As he had no inclination for any of the +learned professions, and not having been there from the time when +I was sent to the General Assembly, I cannot express my +astonishment at the great improvements, surpassing far all that +was done in our part of the country, which I thought was not to +be paralleled. When I came afterwards to reflect on my +simplicity in this, it was clear to me that we should not judge +of the rest of the world by what we see going on around +ourselves, but walk abroad into other parts, and thereby enlarge +our sphere of observation, as well as ripen our judgment of +things.</p> +<p>But although there was no doubt a great and visible increase +of the city, loftier buildings on all sides, and streets that +spread their arms far into the embraces of the country, I thought +the looks of the population were impaired, and that there was a +greater proportion of long white faces in the Trongate, than when +I attended the Divinity class. These, I was told, were the +weavers and others concerned in the cotton trade, which I could +well believe, for they were very like in their looks to the men +of Cayenneville; but from living in a crowded town, and not +breathing a wholesome country air between their tasks, they had a +stronger cast of unhealthy melancholy. I was therefore very +glad that Providence had placed in my hand the pastoral staff of +a country parish; for it cut me to the heart to see so many young +men, in the rising prime of life, already in the arms of a pale +consumption. “If, therefore,” said I to Mrs. +Balwhidder, when I returned home to the manse, “we live, as +it were, within the narrow circle of ignorance, we are spared +from the pain of knowing many an evil; and, surely, in much +knowledge there is sadness of heart.”</p> +<p>But the main effect of this was to make me do all in my power +to keep my people contented with their lowly estate; for in that +same spirit of improvement, which was so busy every where, I +could discern something like a shadow, that showed it was not +altogether of that pure advantage which avarice led all so +eagerly to believe. Accordingly, I began a series of +sermons on the evil and vanity of riches, and, for the most part +of the year, pointed out in what manner they led the possessor to +indulge in sinful luxuries, and how indulgence begat desire, and +desire betrayed integrity and corrupted the heart; making it +evident that the rich man was liable to forget his unmerited +obligations to God, and to oppress the laborious and the needful +when he required their services.</p> +<p>Little did I imagine, in thus striving to keep aloof the +ravenous wolf Ambition from my guileless flock, that I was giving +cause for many to think me an enemy to the king and government, +and a perverter of Christianity, to suit levelling +doctrines. But so it was. Many of the heritors +considered me a blackneb, though I knew it not, but went on in +the course of my duty, thinking only how best to preserve peace +on earth and goodwill towards men. I saw, however, an +altered manner in the deportment of several, with whom I had long +lived in friendly terms. It was not marked enough to make +me inquire the cause, but sufficiently plain to affect my ease of +mind. Accordingly, about the end of this year, I fell into +a dull way: my spirit was subdued, and at times I was aweary of +the day, and longed for the night, when I might close my eyes in +peaceful slumbers. I missed my son Gilbert, who had been a +companion to me in the long nights, while his mother was busy +with the lasses, and their ceaseless wheels and cardings, in the +kitchen. Often could I have found it in my heart to have +banned that never-ceasing industry, and to tell Mrs. Balwhidder, +that the married state was made for something else than to make +napery and beetle blankets; but it was her happiness to keep all +at work, and she had no pleasure in any other way of life, so I +sat many a night by the fireside with resignation; sometimes in +the study, and sometimes in the parlour, and, as I was doing +nothing, Mrs. Balwhidder said it was needless to light the +candle. Our daughter Janet was in this time at a +boarding-school in Ayr, so that I was really a most solitary +married man.</p> +<h2><a name="page192"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +192</span>CHAPTER XXXIII<br /> +YEAR 1792</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">When</span> the spring in this year began +to brighten on the brae, the cloud of dulness that had darkened +and oppressed me all the winter somewhat melted away, and I could +now and then joke again at the never-ending toil and trouble of +that busiest of all bees, the second Mrs. Balwhidder. But +still I was far from being right: a small matter affected me, and +I was overly given to walking by myself, and musing on things +that I could tell nothing about—my thoughts were just the +rack of a dream without form, and driving witlessly as the smoke +that mounteth up, and is lost in the airy heights of the sky.</p> +<p>Heeding little of what was going on in the clachan, and taking +no interest in the concerns of any body, I would have been +contented to die, but I had no ail about me. An accident, +however, fell out, that, by calling on me for an effort, had the +blessed influence of clearing my vapours almost entirely +away.</p> +<p>One morning as I was walking on the sunny side of the road, +where the footpath was in the next year made to the cotton-mill, +I fell in with Mr. Cayenne, who was seemingly much fashed—a +small matter could do that at any time; and he came up to me with +a red face and an angry eye. It was not my intent to speak +to him; for I was grown loth to enter into conversation with any +body, so I bowed and passed on. “What,” cried +Mr. Cayenne, “and will you not speak to me?” I +turned round, and said meekly, “Mr. Cayenne, I have no +objections to speak to you; but having nothing particular to say, +it did not seem necessary just now.”</p> +<p>He looked at me like a gled, and in a minute exclaimed, +“Mad, by Jupiter! as mad as a March hare!” He +then entered into conversation with me, and said, that he had +noticed me an altered man, and was just so far on his way to the +manse, to enquire what had befallen me. So, from less to +more, we entered into the marrow of my case; and I told him how I +had observed the estranged countenances of some of the heritors; +at which he swore an oath, that they were a parcel of the +damn’dest boobies in the country, and told me how they had +taken it into their heads that I was a leveller. “But +I know you better,” said Mr. Cayenne, “and have stood +up for you as an honest conscientious man, though I don’t +much like your humdrum preaching. However, let that pass; I +insist upon your dining with me to-day, when some of these arrant +fools are to be with us, and the devil’s in’t if I +don’t make you friends with them.” I did not +think Mr. Cayenne, however, very well qualified for peacemaker, +but, nevertheless, I consented to go; and having thus got an +inkling of the cause of that cold back-turning which had +distressed me so much, I made such an effort to remove the error +that was entertained against me, that some of the heritors, +before we separated, shook me by the hands with the cordiality of +renewed friendship; and, as if to make amends for past neglect, +there was no end to their invitations to dinner which had the +effect of putting me again on my mettle, and removing the thick +and muddy melancholious humour out of my blood.</p> +<p>But what confirmed my cure was the coming home of my daughter +Janet from the Ayr boarding-school, where she had learnt to play +on the spinnet, and was become a conversible lassie, with a +competent knowledge, for a woman of geography and history; so +that when her mother was busy with the weariful booming wheel, +she entertained me sometimes with a tune, and sometimes with her +tongue, which made the winter nights fly cantily by.</p> +<p>Whether it was owing to the malady of my imagination +throughout the greatest part of this year, or that really nothing +particular did happen to interest me, I cannot say; but it is +very remarkable that I have nothing remarkable to +record—further, than I was at the expense myself of getting +the manse rough-case, and the window cheeks painted, with roans +put up, rather than apply to the heritors; for they were always +sorely fashed when called upon for outlay.</p> +<h2><a name="page196"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +196</span>CHAPTER XXXIV<br /> +YEAR 1793</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">On</span> the first night of this year I +dreamt a very remarkable dream, which, when I now recall to mind +at this distance of time, I cannot but think that there was a +case of prophecy in it. I thought that I stood on the tower +of an old popish kirk, looking out at the window upon the +kirkyard, where I beheld ancient tombs, with effigies and +coats-of-arms on the wall thereof, and a great gate at the one +side, and a door that led into a dark and dismal vault at the +other. I thought all the dead that were lying in the common +graves, rose out of their coffins; at the same time, from the old +and grand monuments, with the effigies and coats-of-arms, came +the great men, and the kings of the earth with crowns on their +heads, and globes and sceptres in their hands.</p> +<p>I stood wondering what was to ensue, when presently I heard +the noise of drums and trumpets, and anon I beheld an army with +banners entering in at the gate; upon which the kings and the +great men came also forth in their power and array, and a +dreadful battle was foughten; but the multitude that had risen +from the common graves, stood afar off, and were but +lookers-on.</p> +<p>The kings and their host were utterly discomfited. They +were driven within the doors of their monuments, their +coats-of-arms were broken off, and their effigies cast down, and +the victors triumphed over them with the flourishes of trumpets +and the waving of banners. But while I looked, the vision +was changed, and I then beheld a wide and a dreary waste, and +afar off the steeples of a great city, and a tower in the midst, +like the tower of Babel, and on it I could discern, written in +characters of fire, “Public Opinion.” While I +was pondering at the same, I heard a great shout, and presently +the conquerors made their appearance, coming over the desolate +moor. They were going in great pride and might towards the +city; but an awful burning rose, afar as it were in the darkness, +and the flames stood like a tower of fire that reached unto the +heavens. And I saw a dreadful hand and an arm stretched +from out of the cloud, and in its hold was a besom made of the +hail and the storm, and it swept the fugitives like dust; and in +their place I saw the churchyard, as it were, cleared and spread +around, the graves closed, and the ancient tombs, with their +coats-of-arms and their effigies of stone, all as they were in +the beginning. I then awoke, and behold it was a dream.</p> +<p>This vision perplexed me for many days, and when the news came +that the King of France was beheaded by the hands of his people, +I received, as it were, a token in confirmation of the vision +that had been disclosed to me in my sleep, and I preached a +discourse on the same, and against the French Revolution, that +was thought one of the greatest and soundest sermons that I had +ever delivered in my pulpit.</p> +<p>On the Monday following, Mr. Cayenne, who had been some time +before appointed a justice of the peace, came over from Wheatrig +House to the Cross-Keys, where he sent for me and divers other +respectable inhabitants of the clachan, and told us that he was +to have a sad business, for a warrant was out to bring before him +two democratical weaver lads, on a suspicion of high +treason. Scarcely were the words uttered when they were +brought in, and he began to ask them how they dared to think of +dividing, with their liberty and equality of principles, his and +every other man’s property in the country. The men +answered him in a calm manner, and told him they sought no +man’s property, but only their own natural rights; upon +which he called them traitors and reformers. They denied +they were traitors, but confessed they were reformers, and said +they knew not how that should be imputed to them as a fault, for +that the greatest men of all times had been +reformers,—“Was not,” they said, “our +Lord Jesus Christ a reformer?”—“And what the +devil did he make of it?” cried Mr. Cayenne, bursting with +passion; “Was he not crucified?”</p> +<p>I thought, when I heard these words, that the pillars of the +earth sank beneath me, and that the roof of the house was carried +away in a whirlwind. The drums of my ears crackit, blue +starns danced before my sight, and I was fain to leave the house +and hie me home to the manse, where I sat down in my study, like +a stupified creature, awaiting what would betide. Nothing, +however, was found against the weaver lads; but I never from that +day could look on Mr. Cayenne as a Christian, though surely he +was a true government-man.</p> +<p>Soon after this affair, there was a pleasant re-edification of +a gospel-spirit among the heritors, especially when they heard +how I had handled the regicides in France; and on the following +Sunday, I had the comfortable satisfaction to see many a +gentleman in their pews, that had not been for years within a +kirk-door. The democrats, who took a world of trouble to +misrepresent the actions of the gentry, insinuated that all this +was not from any new sense of grace, but in fear of their being +reported as suspected persons to the king’s +government. But I could not think so, and considered their +renewal of communion with the church as a swearing of allegiance +to the King of kings, against that host of French atheists, who +had torn the mortcloth from the coffin, and made it a banner, +with which they were gone forth to war against the Lamb. +The whole year was, however, spent in great uneasiness, and the +proclamation of the war was followed by an appalling stop in +trade. We heard of nothing but failures on all hands; and +among others that grieved me, was that of Mr. Maitland of +Glasgow, who had befriended Mrs. Malcolm in the days of her +affliction, and gave her son Robert his fine ship. It was a +sore thing to hear of so many breakings, especially of old +respected merchants like him, who had been a Lord Provost, and +was far declined into the afternoon of life. He did not, +however, long survive the mutation of his fortune; but bending +his aged head in sorrow, sank down beneath the stroke, to rise no +more.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p200b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Minister’s Daughter" +title= +"The Minister’s Daughter" + src="images/p200s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h2><a name="page201"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +201</span>CHAPTER XXXV<br /> +YEAR 1794</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> year had opened into all the +leafiness of midsummer before anything memorable happened in the +parish, further than that the sad division of my people into +government-men and jacobins was perfected. This calamity, +for I never could consider such heartburning among neighbours as +any thing less than a very heavy calamity, was assuredly +occasioned by faults on both sides; but it must be confessed that +the gentry did nothing to win the commonality from the errors of +their way. A little more condescension on their part would +not have made things worse, and might have made them better; but +pride interposed, and caused them to think that any show of +affability from them would be construed by the democrats into a +terror of their power; while the democrats were no less to blame; +for hearing how their compeers were thriving in France, and +demolishing every obstacle to their ascendency, they were crouse +and really insolent, evidencing none of that temperance in +prosperity that proves the possessors worthy of their good +fortune.</p> +<p>As for me, my duty in these circumstances was plain and +simple. The Christian religion was attempted to be brought +into disrepute; the rising generation were taught to gibe at its +holiest ordinances; and the kirk was more frequented as a place +to while away the time on a rainy Sunday, than for any insight of +the admonitions and revelations in the sacred book. Knowing +this, I perceived that it would be of no effect to handle much +the mysteries of the faith; but as there was at the time a bruit +and a sound about universal benevolence, philanthropy, utility, +and all the other disguises with which an infidel philosophy +appropriated to itself the charity, brotherly love, and welldoing +inculcated by our holy religion, I set myself to task upon these +heads, and thought it no robbery to use a little of the stratagem +employed against Christ’s kingdom, to promote the interests +thereof in the hearts and understandings of those whose ears +would have been sealed against me, had I attempted to expound +higher things. Accordingly, on one day it was my practice +to show what the nature of Christian charity was, comparing it to +the light and warmth of the sun, that shines impartially on the +just and the unjust—showing that man, without the sense of +it as a duty, was as the beasts that perish, and that every +feeling of his nature was intimately selfish, but then when +actuated by this divine impulse, he rose out of himself, and +became as a god, zealous to abate the sufferings of all things +that live; and, on the next day, I demonstrated that the new +benevolence which had come so much into vogue, was but another +version of this Christian virtue. In like manner, I dealt +with brotherly love, bringing it home to the business and bosoms +of my hearers, that the Christianity of it was neither enlarged +nor bettered by being baptized with the Greek name of +philanthropy. With welldoing, however, I went more roundly +to work, I told my people that I thought they had more sense than +to secede from Christianity to become Utilitarians; for that it +would be a confession of ignorance of the faith they deserved, +seeing that it was the main duty inculcated by our religion to do +all in morals and manners to which the newfangled doctrine of +utility pretended.</p> +<p>These discourses, which I continued for sometime, had no great +effect on the men; but being prepared in a familiar household +manner, they took the fancies of the young women, which was to me +an assurance that the seed I had planted would in time shoot +forth; for I reasoned with myself, that if the gudeman of the +immediate generation should continue free-thinkers, their wives +will take care that those of the next shall not lack that spunk +of grace; so I was cheered under that obscurity which fell upon +Christianity at this time, with a vista beyond, in which I saw, +as it were, the children unborn, walking on the bright green, and +in the unclouded splendour of the faith.</p> +<p>But what with the decay of trade, and the temptation of the +king’s bounty, and, over all, the witlessness that was in +the spirit of man at this time, the number that enlisted in the +course for the year from the parish was prodigious. In one +week no less than three weavers and two cotton-spinners went over +to Ayr, and took the bounty of the Royal Artillery. But I +could not help remarking to myself, that the people were grown so +used to changes and extraordinary adventures, that the single +enlistment of Thomas Wilson, at the beginning of the American +war, occasioned a far greater grief and work among us, than all +the swarms that went off week after week in the months of +November and December of this year.</p> +<h2><a name="page205"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +205</span>CHAPTER XXXVI<br /> +YEAR 1795</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> present Ann. Dom. was ushered +in with an event that I had never dreaded to see in my day, in +our once sober and religious country parish. The number of +lads that had gone over to Ayr to be soldiers from among the +spinners and weavers of Cayenneville had been so great, that the +government got note of it, and sent a recruiting party to be +quartered in the town; for the term clachan was beginning by this +time to wear out of fashion: indeed, the place itself was +outgrowing the fitness of that title. Never shall I forget +the dunt that the first tap of the drum gied to my heart, as I +was sitting on Hansel Monday by myself at the parlour fireside, +Mrs. Balwhidder being throng with the lassies looking out a +washing, and my daughter at Ayr, spending a few days with her old +comrades of the boarding school. I thought it was the +enemy; and then anon the sound of the fife came shrill to the +ear, for the night was lown and peaceful. My wife and all +the lassies came flying in upon me, crying all in the name of +heaven, what could it be? by which I was obligated to put on my +big-coat, and, with my hat and staff, go out to enquire. +The whole town was aloof, the aged at the doors in clusters, and +the bairns following the tattoo, as it was called, and at every +doubling beat of the drum, shouting as if they had been in the +face of their foemen.</p> +<p>Mr. Archibald Dozendale, one of my elders, was saying to +several persons around him, just as I came up, “Hech, sirs! +but the battle draws near our gates,” upon which there was +a heavy sigh from all that heard him; and then they told me of +the sergeant’s business; and we had a serious communing +together anent the same. But while we were thus standing +discoursing on the causey, Mrs. Balwhidder and the servant +lassies could thole no longer, but in a troop came in quest of +me, to hear what was doing. In short, it was a night both +of sorrow and anxiety. Mr. Dozendale walked back to the +manse with us, and we had a sober tumbler of toddy together; +marvelling exceedingly where these fearful portents and changes +would stop, both of us being of opinion that the end of the world +was drawing nearer and nearer.</p> +<p>Whether it was, however, that the lads belonging to the place +did not like to show themselves with the enlistment cockades +among their acquaintance, or that there was any other reason, I +cannot take it upon me to say; but certain it is, the recruiting +party came no speed, and, in consequence, were removed about the +end of March.</p> +<p>Another thing happened in this year, too remarkable for me to +neglect to put on record, as it strangely and strikingly marked +the rapid revolutions that were going on. In the month of +August at the time of the fair, a gang of playactors came, and +hired Thomas Thacklan’s barn for their enactments. +They were the first of that clanjamfrey who had ever been in the +parish; and there was a wonderful excitement caused by the +rumours concerning them. Their first performance was +<i>Douglas Tragedy</i> and the <i>Gentle Shepherd</i>: and the +general opinion was, that the lad who played Norval in the play, +and Patie in the farce, was an English lord’s son, who had +run away from his parents rather than marry an old cracket lady +with a great portion. But, whatever truth there might be in +this notion, certain it is, the whole pack was in a state of +perfect beggary; and yet, for all that, they not only in their +parts, as I was told, laughed most heartily, but made others do +the same; for I was constrained to let my daughter go to see +them, with some of her acquaintance; and she gave me such an +account of what they did, that I thought I would have liked to +have gotten a keek at them myself. At the same time, I must +own this was a sinful curiosity, and I stifled it to the best of +my ability. Among other plays that they did, was one called +<i>Macbeth and the Witches</i>, which the Miss Cayennes had seen +performed in London, when they were there in the winter time with +their father, for three months, seeing the world, after coming +from the boarding-school. But it was no more like the true +play of Shakespeare the poet, according to their account, than a +duddy betheral, set up to fright the sparrows from the peas, is +like a living gentleman. The hungry players, instead of +behaving like guests at the royal banquet, were voracious on the +needful feast of bread, and the strong ale, that served for wine +in decanters. But the greatest sport of all was about a +kail-pot, that acted the part of a caldron, and which should have +sunk with thunder and lightning into the earth; however, it did +quite as well, for it made its exit, as Miss Virginia said, by +walking quietly off, being pulled by a string fastened to one of +its feet. No scene of the play was so much applauded as +this one; and the actor who did the part of King Macbeth made a +most polite bow of thankfulness to the audience, for the +approbation with which they had received the performance of the +pot.</p> +<p>We had likewise, shortly after the “Omnes exeunt” +of the players, an exhibition of a different sort in the same +barn. This was by two English quakers, and a quaker lady, +tanners of Kendal, who had been at Ayr on some leather business, +where they preached, but made no proselytes. The travellers +were all three in a whisky, drawn by one of the best-ordered +horses, as the hostler at the Cross-Keys told me, ever +seen. They came to the Inn to their dinner, and meaning to +stay all night, sent round, to let it be known that they would +hold a meeting in Friend Thacklan’s barn; but Thomas denied +they were either kith or kin to him: this, however, was their way +of speaking.</p> +<p>In the evening, owing to the notice, a great congregation was +assembled in the barn, and I myself, along with Mr. Archibald +Dozendale, went there likewise, to keep the people in awe; for we +feared the strangers might be jeered and insulted. The +three were seated aloft on a high stage, prepared on purpose, +with two mares and scaffold-deals, borrowed from Mr. Trowel the +mason. They sat long, and silent; but at last the spirit +moved the woman, and she rose, and delivered a very sensible +exposition of Christianity. I was really surprised to hear +such sound doctrine; and Mr. Dozendale said, justly, that it was +more to the purpose than some that my younger brethren from +Edinburgh endeavoured to teach. So, that those who went to +laugh at the sincere simplicity of the pious quakers, were +rebuked by a very edifying discourse on the moral duties of a +Christian’s life.</p> +<p>Upon the whole, however, this, to the best of my recollection, +was another unsatisfactory year. In this we were, +doubtless, brought more into the world; but we had a greater +variety of temptation set before us, and there was still jealousy +and estrangement in the dispositions of the gentry, and the lower +orders, particularly the manufacturers. I cannot say, +indeed, that there was any increase of corruption among the rural +portion of my people; for their vocation calling them to work +apart, in the purity of the free air of heaven, they were kept +uncontaminated by that seditious infection which fevered the +minds of the sedentary weavers, and working like flatulence in +the stomachs of the cotton-spinners, sent up into their heads a +vain and diseased fume of infidel philosophy.</p> +<h2><a name="page211"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +211</span>CHAPTER XXXVII<br /> +YEAR 1796</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> prosperity of fortune is like +the blossoms of spring, or the golden hue of the evening +cloud. It delighteth the spirit, and passeth away.</p> +<p>In the month of February my second wife was gathered to the +Lord. She had been very ill for some time with an income in +her side, which no medicine could remove. I had the best +doctors in the country side to her; but their skill was of no +avail, their opinions being that her ail was caused by an +internal abscess, for which physic has provided no cure. +Her death was to me a great sorrow; for she was a most excellent +wife, industrious to a degree, and managed every thing with so +brisk a hand, that nothing went wrong that she put it to. +With her I had grown richer than any other minister in the +presbytery; but, above all, she was the mother of my bairns, +which gave her a double claim upon me.</p> +<p>I laid her by the side of my first love, Betty Lanshaw, my own +cousin that was, and I inscribed her name upon the same +headstone; but time had drained my poetical vein, and I have not +yet been able to indite an epitaph on her merits and virtues, for +she had an eminent share of both. Her greatest +fault—the best have their faults—was an +over-earnestness to gather gear; in the doing of which I thought +she sometimes sacrificed the comforts of a pleasant fireside; for +she was never in her element but when she was keeping the +servants eident at their work. But, if by this she +subtracted something from the quietude that was most consonant to +my nature, she has left cause, both in bank and bond, for me and +her bairns to bless her great household activity.</p> +<p>She was not long deposited in her place of rest till I had +occasion to find her loss. All my things were kept by her +in a most perjink and excellent order; but they soon fell into an +amazing confusion; for, as she often said to me, I had a turn for +heedlessness; insomuch, that although my daughter Janet was grown +up, and able to keep the house, I saw that it would be necessary, +as soon as decency would allow, for me to take another +wife. I was moved to this chiefly by foreseeing that my +daughter would in time be married, and taken away from me, but +more on account of the servant lasses, who grew out of all +bounds, verifying the proverb, “Well kens the mouse when +the cat’s out of the house.” Besides this, I +was now far down in the vale of years, and could not expect to be +long without feeling some of the penalties of old age, although I +was still a hail and sound man. It therefore behoved me to +look in time for a helpmate, to tend me in my approaching +infirmities.</p> +<p>Upon this important concern I reflected, as I may say, in the +watches of the night; and, considering the circumstances of my +situation, I saw it would not do for me to look out for an overly +young woman, nor yet would it do for one of my ways to take an +elderly maiden, ladies of that sort being liable to possess +strong-set particularities. I therefore resolved that my +choice should lie among widows of a discreet age; and I had a +glimmer in my mind of speaking to Mrs. Malcolm; but when I +reflected on the saintly steadiness of her character, I was +satisfied it would be of no use to think of her. +Accordingly, I bent my brows, and looked towards Irville, which +is an abundant trone for widows and other single women; and I +fixed my purpose on Mrs. Nugent, the relic of a professor in the +university of Glasgow, both because she was a well-bred woman, +without any children to plea about the interest of my own two, +and likewise because she was held in great estimation by all who +knew her, as a lady of a Christian principle.</p> +<p>It was some time in the summer, however, before I made up my +mind to speak to her on the subject; but one afternoon, in the +month of August, I resolved to do so, and with that intent walked +leisurely over to Irville; and after calling on the Rev. Dr. +Dinwiddie, the minister, I stepped in, as if by chance, to Mrs. +Nugent’s. I could see that she was a little surprised +at my visit; however, she treated me with every possible +civility, and her servant lass bringing in the tea-things in a +most orderly manner, as punctually as the clock was striking, she +invited me to sit still, and drink my tea with her; which I did, +being none displeased to get such encouragement. However, I +said nothing that time, but returned to the manse, very well +content with what I had observed, which made me fain to repeat my +visit. So, in the course of the week, taking Janet my +daughter with me, we walked over in the forenoon, and called at +Mrs. Nugent’s first, before going to any other house; and +Janet saying, as we came out to go to the minister’s, that +she thought Mrs. Nugent an agreeable woman, I determined to knock +the nail on the head without further delay.</p> +<p>Accordingly, I invited the minister and his wife to dine with +us on the Thursday following; and before leaving the town, I made +Janet, while the minister and me were handling a subject, as a +sort of thing in common civility, go to Mrs. Nugent, and invite +her also. Dr. Dinwiddie was a gleg man, of a jocose nature; +and he, guessing something of what I was ettling at, was very +mirthful with me; but I kept my own counsel till a meet +season.</p> +<p>On the Thursday, the company as invited came, and nothing +extraordinary was seen; but in cutting up and helping a hen, Dr. +Dinwiddie put one wing on Mrs. Nugent’s plate, and the +other wing on my plate, and said, there have been greater +miracles than these two wings flying together, which was a sharp +joke, that caused no little merriment at the expense of Mrs. +Nugent and me. I, however, to show that I was none daunted, +laid a leg also on her plate, and took another on my own, saying, +in the words of the reverend doctor, there have been greater +miracles than that these two legs should lie in the same nest, +which was thought a very clever come off; and, at the same time, +I gave Mrs. Nugent a kindly nip on her sonsy arm, which was +breaking the ice in as pleasant a way as could be. In +short, before anything passed between ourselves on the subject, +we were set down for a trysted pair; and this being the case, we +were married as soon as a twelvemonth and a day had passed from +the death of the second Mrs. Balwhidder; and neither of us have +had occasion to rue the bargain. It is, however, but a +piece of justice due to my second wife to say, that this was not +a little owing to her good management; for she had left such a +well-plenished house, that her successor said, we had nothing to +do but to contribute to one another’s happiness.</p> +<p>In this year nothing more memorable happened in the parish, +saving that the cotton-mill dam burst about the time of the +Lammas flood, and the waters went forth like a deluge of +destruction, carrying off much victual, and causing a vast of +damage to the mills that are lower down the stream. It was +just a prodigy to see how calmly Mr. Cayenne acted on that +occasion; for, being at other times as crabbed as a wud terrier, +folk were afraid to tell him, till he came out himself in the +morning and saw the devastation; at the sight of which he gave +only a shrill whistle, and began to laugh at the idea of the men +fearing to take him the news, as if he had not fortune and +philosophy enough, as he called it, to withstand much greater +misfortunes.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p216b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Weaver" +title= +"The Weaver" + src="images/p216s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<h2><a name="page217"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +217</span>CHAPTER XXXVIII<br /> +YEAR 1797</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">When</span> I have seen in my walks the +irrational creatures of God, the birds and the beasts, governed +by a kindly instinct in attendance on their young, often has it +come into my head that love and charity, far more than reason or +justice, formed the tie that holds the world, with all its +jarring wants and woes, in social dependence and obligation +together; and, in this year, a strong verification of the +soundness of this notion was exemplified in the conduct of the +poor haverel lassie Meg Gaffaw, whose naturality on the occasion +of her mother’s death I have related at length in this +chronicle.</p> +<p>In the course of the summer, Mr. Henry Melcomb, who was a +nephew to Mr. Cayenne, came down from England to see his +uncle. He had just completed his education at the college +of Christ Church, in Oxford, and was the most perfect young +gentleman that had ever been seen in this part of the +country.</p> +<p>In his appearance he was a very paragon, with a fine manly +countenance, frank-hearted, blithe, and, in many points of +character, very like my old friend the Lord Eaglesham, who was +shot. Indeed, in some respects, he was even above his +lordship; for he had a great turn at ready wit, and could joke +and banter in a most agreeable manner. He came very often +to the manse to see me, and took great pleasure in my company, +and really used a freedom that was so droll, I could scarcely +keep my composity and decorum with him. Among others that +shared in his attention, was daft Meg Gaffaw, whom he had +forgathered with one day in coming to see me; and after +conversing with her for some time, he handed her, as she told me +herself, over the kirk-stile like a lady of high degree, and came +with her to the manse door linking by the arm.</p> +<p>From the ill-timed daffin of that hour, poor Meg fell deep in +love with Mr. Melcomb; and it was just a playacting to see the +arts and antics she put in practice to win his attention. +In her garb, she had never any sense of a proper propriety, but +went about the country asking for shapings of silks and satins, +with which she patched her duds, calling them by the divers names +of robes and negligées. All hitherto, however, had +been moderation, compared to the daffadile of vanity which she +was now seen, when she had searched, as she said, to the bottom +of her coffer. I cannot take it upon me to describe her; +but she kythed in such a variety of cuffs and ruffles, feathers, +old gumflowers, painted paper knots, ribbons, and furs, and +laces, and went about gecking and simpering with an old fan in +her hand, that it was not in the power of nature to look at her +with sobriety.</p> +<p>Her first appearance in this masquerading was at the kirk on +the Sunday following her adventure with Mr. Melcomb, and it was +with a sore difficulty that I could keep my eyes off her, even in +prayer; and when the kirk skailed, she walked before him, +spreading all her grandeur to catch his eye, in such a manner as +had not been seen or heard of since the prank that Lady Macadam +played Miss Betty Wudrife.</p> +<p>Any other but Mr. Melcomb would have been provoked by the +fool’s folly; but he humoured her wit, and, to the +amazement of the whole people, presented her his hand, and +allemanded her along in a manner that should not have been seen +in any street out of a king’s court, and far less on the +Lord’s day. But, alas! this sport did not last +long. Mr. Melcomb had come from England to be +‘married’ to his cousin, Miss Virginia Cayenne, and +poor daft Meg never heard of it till the banns for their purpose +of marriage was read out by Mr. Lorimore on the Sabbath +after. The words were scarcely out of his mouth, when the +simple and innocent natural gave a loud shriek, that terrified +the whole congregation, and ran out of the kirk demented. +There was no more finery for poor Meg; but she went and sat +opposite to the windows of Mr. Cayenne’s house, where Mr. +Melcomb was, with clasped hands and beseeching eyes, like a +monumental statue in alabaster, and no entreaty could drive her +away. Mr. Melcomb sent her money, and the bride many a fine +thing; but Meg flung them from her, and clasped her hands again, +and still sat. Mr. Cayenne would have let loose the +house-dog on her, but was not permitted.</p> +<p>In the evening it began to rain, and they thought that and the +coming darkness would drive her away; but when the servants +looked out before barring the doors, there she was in the same +posture. I was to perform the marriage ceremony at seven +o’clock in the morning, for the young pair were to go that +night to Edinburgh; and when I went, there was Meg sitting +looking at the windows with her hands clasped. When she saw +me she gave a shrill cry, and took me by the hand, and wised me +to go back, crying out in a heart-breaking voice, “O, +Sir! No yet—no yet! He’ll maybe draw +back, and think of a far truer bride.” I was wae for +her and very angry with the servants for laughing at the fond +folly of the ill-less thing.</p> +<p>When the marriage was over, and the carriage at the door, the +bridegroom handed in the bride. Poor Meg saw this, and +jumping up from where she sat, was at his side like a spirit, as +he was stepping in, and, taking him by the hand, she looked in +his face so piteously, that every heart was sorrowful, for she +could say nothing. When he pulled away his hand, and the +door was shut, she stood as if she had been charmed to the spot, +and saw the chaise drive away. All that were about the door +then spoke to her, but she heard us not. At last she gave a +deep sigh, and the water coming into her eye, she said, +“The worm—the worm is my bonny bridegroom, and Jenny +with the many-feet my bridal maid. The mill-dam +water’s the wine o’ the wedding, and the clay and the +clod shall be my bedding. A lang night is meet for a +bridal, but none shall be langer than mine.” In +saying which words, she fled from among us, with heels like the +wind. The servants pursued; but long before they could stop +her, she was past redemption in the deepest plumb of the +cotton-mill dam.</p> +<p>Few deaths had for many a day happened in the parish, to cause +so much sorrow as that of this poor silly creature. She was +a sort of household familiar among us, and there was much like +the inner side of wisdom in the pattern of her sayings, many of +which are still preserved as proverbs.</p> +<h2><a name="page222"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +222</span>CHAPTER XXXIX<br /> +YEAR 1798</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> was one of the heaviest years +in the whole course of my ministry. The spring was slow of +coming, and cold and wet when it did come; the dibs were full, +the roads foul, and the ground that should have been dry at the +seed-time, was as claggy as clay, and clung to the harrow. +The labour of man and beast was thereby augmented; and all nature +being in a state of sluggish indisposition, it was evident to +every eye of experience that there would be a great +disappointment to the hopes of the husbandman.</p> +<p>Foreseeing this, I gathered the opinion of all the most +sagacious of my parishioners, and consulted with them for a +provision against the evil day, and we spoke to Mr. Cayenne on +the subject, for he had a talent by common in matters of +mercantile management. It was amazing, considering his hot +temper, with what patience he heard the grounds of our +apprehension, and how he questioned and sifted the experience of +the old farmers, till he was thoroughly convinced that all +similar seed-times were ever followed by a short crop. He +then said, that he would prove himself a better friend to the +parish than he was thought. Accordingly, as he afterwards +told me himself, he wrote off that very night to his +correspondents in America, to buy for his account all the wheat +and flour they could get, and ship it to arrive early in the +fall; and he bought up likewise in countries round the Baltic +great store of victual, and brought in two cargoes to Irville on +purpose for the parish, against the time of need, making for the +occasion a garnel of one of the warehouses of the +cotton-mill.</p> +<p>The event came to pass as had been foretold: the harvest fell +short, and Mr. Cayenne’s cargoes from America and the +Baltic came home in due season, by which he made a terrible power +of money, clearing thousands on thousands by post after +post—making more profit, as he said himself, in the course +of one month, he believed, than ever was made by any individual +within the kingdom of Scotland in the course of a year.—He +said, however that he might have made more if he had bought up +the corn at home; but being convinced by us that there would be a +scarcity, he thought it his duty as an honest man to draw from +the stores and granaries of foreign countries, by which he was +sure he would serve his country, and be abundantly +rewarded. In short, we all reckoned him another Joseph when +he opened his garnels at the cotton-mill, and, after distributing +a liberal portion to the poor and needy, selling the remainder at +an easy rate to the generality of the people. Some of the +neighbouring parishes, however, were angry that he would not +serve them likewise, and called him a wicked and extortionate +forestaller; but he made it plain to the meanest capacity, that +if he did not circumscribe his dispensation to our own bounds it +would be as nothing. So that, although he brought a +wonderful prosperity in by the cotton-mill, and a plenteous +supply of corn in a time of famine, doing more in these things +for the people than all the other heritors had done from the +beginning of time, he was much reviled; even his bounty was +little esteemed by my people, because he took a moderate profit +on what he sold to them. Perhaps, however, these prejudices +might be partly owing to their dislike of his hasty temper, at +least I am willing to think so; for it would grieve me if they +were really ungrateful for a benefit that made the pressure of +the time lie but lightly on them.</p> +<p>The alarm of the Irish rebellion in this year was likewise +another source of affliction to us; for many of the gentry coming +over in great straits, especially ladies and their children, and +some of them in the hurry of their flight having but little ready +money, were very ill off. Some four or five families came +to the Cross-Keys in this situation, and the conduct of Mr. +Cayenne to them was most exemplary. He remembered his own +haste with his family from Virginia, when the Americans rebelled; +and immediately on hearing of these Irish refugees, he waited on +them with his wife and daughter, supplied them with money, +invited them to his house, made ploys to keep up their spirits, +while the other gentry stood back till they knew something of the +strangers.</p> +<p>Among these destitute ladies was a Mrs. Desmond and her two +daughters, a woman of most august presence, being indeed more +like one ordained to reign over a kingdom, than for household +purposes. The Miss Desmonds were only entering their teens, +but they also had no ordinary stamp upon them. What made +this party the more particular, was on account of Mr. Desmond, +who was supposed to be a united man with the rebels, and it was +known his son was deep in their plots; yet although this was all +told to Mr. Cayenne, by some of the other Irish ladies who were +of the loyal connexion, it made no difference with him, but, on +the contrary, he acted as if he thought the Desmonds the most of +all the refugees entitled to his hospitable civilities. +This was a wonderment to our strait-laced narrow lairds, as there +was not a man of such strict government principles in the whole +country side as Mr. Cayenne: but he said he carried his political +principles only to the camp and the council. “To the +hospital and the prison,” said he, “I take those of a +man”—which was almost a Christian doctrine, and from +that declaration Mr. Cayenne and me began again to draw a little +more cordially together; although he had still a very imperfect +sense of religion, which I attributed to his being born in +America, where even as yet, I am told, they have but a scanty +sprinkling of grace.</p> +<p>But before concluding this year, I should tell the upshot of +the visitation of the Irish, although it did not take place until +some time after the peace with France.</p> +<p>In the putting down of the rebels Mr. Desmond and his son made +their escape to Paris, where they stayed till the treaty was +signed, by which, for several years after the return to Ireland +of the grand lady and her daughters, as Mrs. Desmond was called +by our commonalty, we heard nothing of them. The other +refugees repaid Mr. Cayenne his money with thankfulness, and, on +their restoration to their homes, could not sufficiently express +their sense of his kindness. But the silence and seeming +ingratitude of the Desmonds vexed him; and he could not abide to +hear the Irish rebellion mentioned without flying into a passion +against the rebels, which every body knew was owing to the ill +return he had received from that family. However, one +afternoon, just about half an hour before his wonted dinner hour, +a grand equipage, with four horses and outriders, stopped at his +door, and who was in it but Mrs. Desmond and an elderly man, and +a young gentleman with an aspect like a lord. It was her +husband and son. They had come from Ireland in all their +state on purpose to repay with interest the money Mr. Cayenne had +counted so long lost, and to express in person the perpetual +obligation which he had conferred upon the Desmond family, in all +time coming. The lady then told him, that she had been so +straitened in helping the poor ladies, that it was not in her +power to make repayment till Desmond, as she called her husband, +came home; and not choosing to assign the true reason, lest it +might cause trouble, she rather submitted to be suspected of +ingratitude than to an improper thing.</p> +<p>Mr. Cayenne was transported with this unexpected return, and a +friendship grew up between the families, which was afterwards +cemented into relationship by the marriage of the young Desmond +with Miss Caroline Cayenne. Some in the parish objected to +this match, Mrs. Desmond being a papist: but as Miss Caroline had +received an episcopalian education, I thought it of no +consequence, and married them after their family chaplain from +Ireland, as a young couple both by beauty and fortune well +matched, and deserving of all conjugal felicity.</p> +<h2><a name="page228"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +228</span>CHAPTER XL<br /> +YEAR 1799</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">There</span> are but two things to make me +remember this year; the first was the marriage of my daughter +Janet with the reverend Dr. Kittlewood of Swappington, a match in +every way commendable; and on the advice of the third Mrs. +Balwhidder, I settled a thousand pounds down, and promised five +hundred more at my death if I died before my spouse, and a +thousand at her death if she survived me; which was the greatest +portion ever minister’s daughter had in our country +side. In this year likewise I advanced fifteen hundred +pounds for my son in a concern in Glasgow,—all was the +gathering of that indefatigable engine of industry the second +Mrs. Balwhidder, whose talents her successor said were a wonder, +when she considered the circumstances in which I had been left at +her death, and made out of a narrow stipend.</p> +<p>The other memorable was the death of Mrs. Malcolm. If +ever there was a saint on this earth, she was surely one. +She had been for some time bedfast, having all her days from the +date of her widowhood been a tender woman; but no change made any +alteration on the Christian contentment of her mind. She +bore adversity with an honest pride; she toiled in the day of +penury and affliction with thankfulness for her earnings, +although ever so little. She bent her head to the Lord in +resignation when her first-born fell in battle; nor was she +puffed up with vanity when her daughters were married, as it was +said, so far above their degree, though they showed it was but +into their proper sphere by their demeanour after. She +lived to see her second son, the captain, rise into affluence, +married, and with a thriving young family; and she had the very +great satisfaction, on the last day she was able to go to church, +to see her youngest son the clergyman standing in my pulpit, a +doctor of divinity, and the placed minister of a richer parish +than mine. Well indeed might she have said on that day, +“Lord, let thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have +seen thy salvation.”</p> +<p>For some time it had been manifest to all who saw her, that +her latter end was drawing nigh; and therefore, as I had kept up +a correspondence with her daughters, Mrs. Macadam and Mrs. +Howard, I wrote them a particular account of her case, which +brought them to the clachan. They both came in their own +carriages; for Colonel Macadam was now a general, and had +succeeded to a great property by an English uncle, his +mother’s brother; and Captain Howard, by the death of his +father, was also a man, as it was said, with a lord’s +living. Robert Malcolm, her son the captain, was in the +West Indies at the time; but his wife came on the first summons, +as did William the minister.</p> +<p>They all arrived about four o’clock in the afternoon, +and at seven a message came for me and Mrs. Balwhidder to go over +to them, which we did, and found the strangers seated by the +heavenly patient’s bedside. On my entering, she +turned her eyes towards me, and said, “Bear witness, sir, +that I die thankful for an extraordinary portion of temporal +mercies. The heart of my youth was withered like the leaf +that is scared with the lightning; but in my children I have +received a great indemnification for the sorrows of that +trial.” She then requested me to pray, saying, +“No; let it be a thanksgiving. My term is out, and I +have nothing more to hope or fear from the good or evil of this +world. But I have had much to make me grateful; therefore, +sir, return thanks for the time I have been spared, for the +goodness granted so long unto me, and the gentle hand with which +the way from this world is smoothed for my passing.”</p> +<p>There was something so sweet and consolatory in the way she +said this, that although it moved all present to tears, they were +tears without the wonted bitterness of grief. Accordingly, +I knelt down and did as she had required, and there was a great +stillness while I prayed. At the conclusion we looked to +the bed, but the spirit had, in the mean time, departed, and +there was nothing remaining but the clay tenement.</p> +<p>It was expected by the parish, considering the vast affluence +of the daughters, that there would have been a grand funeral, and +Mrs. Howard thought it was necessary; but her sister, who had +from her youth upward a superior discernment of propriety, said, +“No, as my mother has lived, so shall be her +end.” Accordingly, everybody of any respect in the +clachan was invited to the funeral; but none of the gentry, +saving only such as had been numbered among the acquaintance of +the deceased. But Mr. Cayenne came unbidden, saying to me, +that although he did not know Mrs. Malcolm personally, he had +often heard she was an amiable woman, and therefore he thought it +a proper compliment to her family, who were out of the parish, to +show in what respect she was held among us; for he was a man that +would take his own way, and do what he thought was right, +heedless alike of blame or approbation.</p> +<p>If, however, the funeral was plain, though respectable, the +ladies distributed a liberal sum among the poor families; but +before they went away, a silent token of their mother’s +virtue came to light, which was at once a source of sorrow and +pleasure. Mrs. Malcolm was first well provided by the +Macadams, afterwards the Howards settled on her an equal annuity, +by which she spent her latter days in great comfort. Many a +year before, she had repaid Provost Maitland the money he sent +her in the day of her utmost distress; and at this period he was +long dead, having died of a broken heart at the time of his +failure. From that time his widow and her daughters had +been in very straitened circumstances; but unknown to all but +herself, and <span class="smcap">Him</span> from whom nothing is +hid, Mrs. Malcolm from time to time had sent them, in a blank +letter, an occasional note to the young ladies to buy a +gown. After her death, a bank-bill for a sum of money, her +own savings, was found in her scrutoire, with a note of her own +writing pinned to the same, stating, that the amount being more +than she had needed for herself, belonged of right to those who +had so generously provided for her; but as they were not in want +of such a trifle, it would be a token of respect to her memory, +if they would give the bill to Mrs. Maitland and her daughters, +which was done with the most glad alacrity; and, in the doing of +it, the private kindness was brought to light.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p232b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Millwright" +title= +"The Millwright" + src="images/p232s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>Thus ended the history of Mrs. Malcolm, as connected with our +Parish Annals. Her house was sold, and is the same now +inhabited by the millwright, Mr. Periffery; and a neat house it +still is, for the possessor is an Englishman, and the English +have an uncommon taste for snod houses and trim gardens; but at +the time it was built, there was not a better in the town, though +it’s now but of the second class. Yearly we hear both +from Mrs. Macadam and her sister, with a five-pound note from +each to the poor of the parish, as a token of their remembrance; +but they are far off, and, were any thing ailing me, I suppose +the gift will not be continued. As for Captain Malcolm, he +has proved, in many ways, a friend to such of our young men as +have gone to sea. He has now left it off himself, and +settled at London, where he latterly sailed from, and, I +understand, is in a great way as a shipowner. These things +I have thought it fitting to record, and will now resume my +historical narration.</p> +<h2><a name="page234"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +234</span>CHAPTER XLI<br /> +YEAR 1800</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">The</span> same quietude and regularity +that marked the progress of the last year, continued throughout +the whole of this. We sowed and reaped in tranquillity, +though the sough of distant war came heavily from a +distance. The cotton-mill did well for the company, and +there was a sobriety in the minds of the spinners and weavers, +which showed that the crisis of their political distemperature +was over;—there was something more of the old prudence in +men’s reflections; and it was plain to see that the +elements of reconciliation were coming together throughout the +world. The conflagration of the French Revolution was +indeed not extinguished, but it was evidently burning out; and +their old reverence for the Grand Monarque was beginning to +revive among them, though they only called him a consul. +Upon the king’s fast I preached on this subject; and when +the peace was concluded, I got great credit for my foresight, but +there was no merit in’t. I had only lived longer than +the most of those around me, and had been all my days a close +observer of the signs of the times; so that what was lightly +called prophecy and prediction, were but a probability that +experience had taught me to discern.</p> +<p>In the affairs of the parish, the most remarkable generality +(for we had no particular catastrophe) was a great death of old +people in the spring. Among others, Miss Sabrina, the +school mistress, paid the debt of nature, but we could now better +spare her than we did her predecessor; for at Cayenneville there +was a broken manufacturer’s wife, an excellent teacher, and +a genteel and modernised woman, who took the better order of +children; and Miss Sabrina having been long frail (for she was +never stout), a decent and discreet carlin, Mrs. M‘Caffie, +the widow of a custom-house officer, that was a native of the +parish, set up another for plainer work. Her opposition +Miss Sabrina did not mind, but she was sorely displeased at the +interloping of Mrs. Pirn at Cayenneville, and some said it helped +to kill her—of that, however, I am not so certain; for Dr. +Tanzey had told me in the winter, that he thought the sharp winds +in March would blow out her candle, as it was burnt to the snuff; +accordingly, she took her departure from this life, on the +twenty-fifth day of that month, after there had, for some days +prior, been a most cold and piercing east wind.</p> +<p>Miss Sabrina, who was always an oddity and aping grandeur, it +was found, had made a will, leaving her gatherings to her +favourites, with all regular formality. To one she +bequeathed a gown, to another this, and a third that, and to me a +pair of black silk stockings. I was amazed when I heard +this; but judge what I felt, when a pair of old marrowless +stockings, darned in the heel, and not whole enough in the legs +to make a pair of mittens to Mrs. Balwhidder, were delivered to +me by her executor, Mr. Caption, the lawyer. Saving, +however, this kind of flummery, Miss Sabrina was a harmless +creature, and could quote poetry in discourse more glibly than +texts of Scripture—her father having spared no pains on her +mind: as for her body, it could not be mended; but that was not +her fault.</p> +<p>After her death, the session held a consultation, and we +agreed to give the same salary that Miss Sabrina enjoyed to Mrs. +M‘Caffie, which angered Mr. Cayenne, who thought it should +have been given to the head mistress; and it made him give Mrs. +Pirn, out of his own pocket, double the sum. But we +considered that the parish funds were for the poor of the parish, +and therefore it was our duty to provide for the instruction of +the poor children. Saving, therefore, those few notations, +I have nothing further to say concerning the topics and progress +of this Ann. Dom.</p> +<h2><a name="page237"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +237</span>CHAPTER XLII<br /> +YEAR 1801</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">It</span> is often to me very curious food +for meditation, that as the parish increased in population, there +should have been less cause for matter to record. Things +that in former days would have occasioned great discourse and +cogitation, are forgotten with the day in which they happen; and +there is no longer that searching into personalities which was so +much in vogue during the first epoch of my ministry, which I +reckon the period before the American war; nor has there been any +such germinal changes among us, as those which took place in the +second epoch, counting backward from the building of the +cotton-mill that gave rise to the town of Cayenneville. But +still we were not, even at this era, of which this Ann. Dom. is +the beginning, without occasional personality, or an event that +deserved to be called a germinal.</p> +<p>Some years before, I had noted among the callans at Mr. +Lorimore’s school a long soople laddie, who, like all +bairns that grow fast and tall, had but little smeddum. He +could not be called a dolt, for he was observant and thoughtful, +and giving to asking sagacious questions; but there was a +sleepiness about him, especially in the kirk, and he gave, as the +master said, but little application to his lessons, so that folk +thought he would turn out a sort of gaunt-at-the-door, more +mindful of meat than work. He was, however, a good-natured +lad; and, when I was taking my solitary walks of meditation, I +sometimes fell in with him sitting alone on the brae by the +water-side, and sometimes lying on the grass, with his hands +under his head, on the sunny green knolls where Mr. Cylinder, the +English engineer belonging to the cotton-work, has built the +bonny house that he calls Diryhill Cottage. This was when +Colin Mavis was a laddie at the school, and when I spoke to him, +I was surprised at the discretion of his answers; so that +gradually I began to think and say, that there was more about +Colin than the neighbours knew. Nothing, however, for many +a day, came out to his advantage; so that his mother, who was by +this time a widow woman, did not well know what to do with him, +and folk pitied her heavy handful of such a droud.</p> +<p>By-and-by, however, it happened that one of the young clerks +at the cotton-mill shattered his right-hand thumb by a gun +bursting; and, being no longer able to write, was sent into the +army to be an ensign, which caused a vacancy in the office; and, +through the help of Mr. Cayenne, I got Colin Mavis into the +place, where, to the surprise of everybody, he proved a wonderful +eident and active lad, and, from less to more, has come at the +head of all the clerks, and deep in the confidentials of his +employers. But although this was a great satisfaction to +me, and to the widow woman his mother, it somehow was not so much +so to the rest of the parish, who seemed, as it were, angry that +poor Colin had not proved himself such a dolt as they had +expected and foretold.</p> +<p>Among other ways that Colin had of spending his leisure, was +that of playing music on an instrument, in which it was said he +made a wonderful proficiency; but being long and thin, and of a +delicate habit of body, he was obligated to refrain from this +recreation; so he betook himself to books, and from reading he +began to try writing; but, as this was done in a corner, nobody +jealoused what he was about, till one evening in this year he +came to the manse, and asked a word in private with me. I +thought that perhaps he had fallen in with a lass, and was come +to consult me anent matrimony; but when we were by ourselves, in +my study, he took out of his pocket a number of the <i>Scots +Magazine</i>, and said, “Sir, you have been long pleased to +notice me more than any other body, and when I got this, I could +not refrain from bringing it, to let you see’t. Ye +maun ken, sir, that I have been long in secret given to trying my +hand at rhyme; and, wishing to ascertain what others thought of +my power in that way, I sent by the post twa three verses to the +<i>Scots Magazine</i>, and they have not only inserted them, but +placed them in the body of the book, in such a way that I kenna +what to think.” So I looked at the Magazine, and read +his verses, which were certainly very well-made verses for one +who had no regular education. But I said to him, as the +Greenock magistrates said to John Wilson, the author of +“Clyde,” when they stipulated with him to give up the +art, that poem-making was a profane and unprofitable trade, and +he would do well to turn his talent to something of more +solidity, which he promised to do; but he has since put out a +book, whereby he has angered all those that had foretold he would +be a do-nae-gude. Thus has our parish walked sidy for sidy +with all the national improvements, having an author of its own, +and getting a literary character in the ancient and famous +republic of letters.</p> +<h2><a name="page241"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +241</span>CHAPTER XLIII<br /> +YEAR 1802</h2> +<p>“<span class="smcap">Experience</span> teaches +fools,” was the first moral apothegm that I wrote in small +text, when learning to write at the school, and I have ever since +thought it was a very sensible reflection. For assuredly, +as year after year has flown away on the swift wings of time, I +have found my experience mellowing, and my discernment improving; +by which I have, in the afternoon of life, been enabled to +foresee what kings and nations would do, by the symptoms +manifested within the bounds of the society around me. +Therefore, at the beginning of the spring in this Ann. Dom., I +had misgivings at the heart, a fluttering in my thoughts, and +altogether a strange uneasiness as to the stability of the peace +and harmony that was supposed to be founded upon a steadfast +foundation between us and the French people. What my fears +principally took their rise from, was a sort of compliancy, on +the part of those in power and authority, to cultivate the old +relations and parts between them and the commonalty. It did +not appear to me that this proceeded from any known or decided +event, for I read the papers at this period daily; but from some +general dread and fear, that was begotten, like a vapour out of +the fermentation of all sorts of opinions; most people of any +sagacity thinking that the state of things in France being so +much of an antic, poetical, and playactor-like guise, that it +would never obtain that respect, far less that reverence from the +world, which is necessary to the maintenance of all beneficial +government. The consequence of this was a great distrust +between man and man, and an aching restlessness among those who +had their bread to bake in the world; persons possessing the +power to provide for their kindred, forcing them, as it were, +down the throats of those who were dependent on them in business, +a bitter morsel.</p> +<p>But the pith of these remarks chiefly applies to the +manufacturing concerns of the new town of Cayenneville; for in +the clachan we lived in the lea of the dike, and were more taken +up with our own natural rural affairs, and the markets for +victual, than the craft of merchandise. The only man +interested in business, who walked in a steady manner at his old +pace, though he sometimes was seen, being of a spunkie temper, +grinding the teeth of vexation, was Mr. Cayenne himself.</p> +<p>One day, however, he came to me at the manse. +“Doctor,” says he, for so he always called me, +“I want your advice. I never choose to trouble others +with my private affairs; but there are times when the word of an +honest man may do good. I need not tell you, that when I +declared myself a Royalist in America, it was at a considerable +sacrifice. I have, however, nothing to complain of against +government on that score; but I think it damn’d hard that +those personal connexions, whose interests I preserved to the +detriment of my own, should in my old age make such an ungrateful +return. By the steps I took prior to quitting America, I +saved the property of a great mercantile concern in London. +In return for that, they took a share with me, and for me, in the +cotton-mill; and being here on the spot, as manager, I have both +made and saved them money. I have, no doubt, bettered my +own fortune in the mean time. Would you believe it, doctor, +they have written a letter to me, saying that they wish to +provide for a relation, and requiring me to give up to him a +portion of my share in the concern—a pretty sort of +providing this, at another man’s expense! But +I’ll be damn’d if I do any such thing! If they +want to provide for their friend, let them do so from themselves, +and not at my cost—What is your opinion?”</p> +<p>This appeared to me a very weighty concern, and, not being +versed in mercantile dealing, I did not well know what to say; +but I reflected for some time, and then I replied, “As far, +Mr. Cayenne, as my observation has gone in this world, I think +that the giffs and the gaffs nearly balance one another; and when +they do not, there is a moral defect on the failing side. +If a man long gives his labour to his employer, and is paid for +that labour, it might be said that both are equal; but I say +no. For it’s in human nature to be prompt to change; +and the employer, having always more in his power than his +servant or agent, it seems to me a clear case, that in the course +of a number of years, the master of the old servant is the +obligated of the two; and therefore I say, in the first place, in +your case there is no tie or claim, by which you may, in a moral +sense, be called upon to submit to the dictates of your London +correspondents; but there is a reason, in the nature of the thing +and case, by which you may ask a favour from them—So, the +advice I would give you would be this: write an answer to their +letter, and tell them that you have no objection to the taking in +of a new partner, but you think it would be proper to revise all +the copartnery, especially as you have, considering the manner in +which you have advanced the business, been of opinion, that your +share should be considerably enlarged.”</p> +<p>I thought Mr. Cayenne would have louped out of his skin with +mirth at this notion; and, being a prompt man, he sat down at my +scrutoire, and answered the letter which gave him so much +uneasiness. No notice was taken of it for some time; but in +the course of a month he was informed, that it was not considered +expedient at that time to make any change in the company. I +thought the old man was gone by himself when he got this +letter. He came over instantly in his chariot, from the +cotton-mill office to the manse, and swore an oath, by some +dreadful name, that I was a Solomon. However, I only +mention this to show how experience had instructed me, and as a +sample of that sinister provisioning of friends that was going on +in the world at this time—all owing, as I do verily +believe, to the uncertain state of governments and national +affairs.</p> +<p>Besides these generalities, I observed another thing working +to effect—mankind read more, and the spirit of reflection +and reasoning was more awake than at any time within my +remembrance. Not only was there a handsome +bookseller’s shop in Cayenneville, with a London newspaper +daily, but magazines, and reviews, and other new +publications.</p> +<p>Till this year, when a chaise was wanted we had to send to +Irville; but Mr. Toddy of the Cross-Keys being in at Glasgow, he +bought an excellent one at the second-hand, a portion of the +effects of a broken merchant, by which, from that period, we had +one of our own, and it proved a great convenience; for I, who +never but twice in my life before hired that kind of commodity, +had it thrice during the summer, for a bit jaunt with Mrs. +Balwhidder to divers places and curiosities in the county that I +had not seen before, by which our ideas were greatly enlarged; +indeed, I have always had a partiality for travelling, as one of +the best means of opening the faculty of the mind, and giving +clear and correct notions of men and things.</p> +<h2><a name="page247"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +247</span>CHAPTER XLIV<br /> +YEAR 1803</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">During</span> the tempestuous times that +ensued, from the death of the King of France by the hands of the +executioner in 1793, there had been a political schism among my +people that often made me very uneasy. The folk belonging +to the cotton-mill, and the muslin-weavers in Cayenneville, were +afflicted with the itch of jacobinism, but those of the village +were stanch and true to king and country; and some of the +heritors were desirous to make volunteers of the young men of +them, in case of anything like the French anarchy and confusion +rising on the side of the manufacturers. I, however, set +myself, at that time, against this, for I foresaw that the French +business was but a fever which would soon pass off; but no man +could tell the consequence of putting arms in the hands of +neighbour against neighbour, though it was but in the way of +policy.</p> +<p>But when Bonaparte gathered his host fornent the English +coast, and the government at London were in terror of their lives +for an invasion, all in the country saw that there was danger, +and I was not backward in sounding the trumpet to battle. +For a time, however, there was a diffidence among us +somewhere. The gentry had a distrust of the manufacturers, +and the farming lads were wud with impatience, that those who +should be their leaders would not come forth. I, knowing +this, prepared a sermon suitable to the occasion, giving out from +the pulpit myself, the Sabbath before preaching it, that it was +my intent, on the next Lord’s day, to deliver a religious +and political exhortation on the present posture of public +affairs. This drew a vast congregation of all ranks.</p> +<p>I trow that the stoor had no peace in the stuffing of the +pulpit in that day; and the effect was very great and speedy: for +next morning the weavers and cotton-mill folk held a meeting, and +they, being skilled in the ways of committees and associating +together, had certain resolutions prepared, by which a select few +was appointed to take an enrolment of all willing in the parish +to serve as volunteers in defence of their king and country, and +to concert with certain gentlemen named therein, about the +formation of a corps, of which, it was an understood thing, the +said gentlemen were to be the officers. The whole of this +business was managed with the height of discretion; and the +weavers, and spinners, and farming lads, vied with one another +who should be first on the list. But that which the most +surprised me, was the wonderful sagacity of the committee in +naming the gentlemen that should be the officers. I could +not have made a better choice myself; for they were the best +built, the best bred, and the best natured, in the parish. +In short, when I saw the bravery that was in my people, and the +spirit of wisdom by which it was directed, I said in my heart, +the Lord of Hosts is with us, and the adversary shall not +prevail.</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p248b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Silhouette" +title= +"The Silhouette" + src="images/p248s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>The number of valiant men which at that time placed themselves +around the banners of their country was so great, that the +government would not accept of all who offered; so, like as in +other parishes, we were obligated to make a selection, which was +likewise done in a most judicious manner, all men above a certain +age being reserved for the defence of the parish, in the day when +the young might be called to England to fight the enemy.</p> +<p>When the corps was formed, and the officers named, they made +me their chaplain, and Dr. Marigold their doctor. He was a +little man with a big belly, and was as crouse as a bantam cock; +but it was not thought he could do so well in field exercises, on +which account he was made the doctor, although he had no repute +in that capacity in comparison with Dr. Tanzey, who was not, +however, liked, being a stiff-mannered man, with a sharp +temper.</p> +<p>All things having come to a proper head, the young ladies of +the parish resolved to present the corps with a stand of colours, +which they embroidered themselves, and a day was fixed for the +presentation of the same. Never was such a day seen in +Dalmailing. The sun shone brightly on that scene of bravery +and grandeur, and far and near the country folk came flocking in; +and we had the regimental band of music hired from the soldiers +that were in Ayr barracks. The very first sound o’t +made the hair on my old grey head to prickle up, and my blood to +rise and glow as if youth was coming again into my veins.</p> +<p>Sir Hugh Montgomerie was the commandant; and he came in all +the glory of war, on his best horse, and marched at the head of +the men to the green-head. The doctor and me were the +rearguard: not being able, on account of my age and his fatness, +to walk so fast as the quick-step of the corps. On the +field, we took our place in front, near Sir Hugh and the ladies +with the colours; and after some salutations, according to the +fashion of the army, Sir Hugh made a speech to the men, and then +Miss Maria Montgomerie came forward, with her sister Miss Eliza, +and the other ladies, and the banners were unfurled, all +glittering with gold, and the king’s arms in +needlework. Miss Maria then made a speech, which she had +got by heart; but she was so agitated that it was said she forgot +the best part of it: however, it was very well considering. +When this was done, I then stepped forward, and laying my hat on +the ground, every man and boy taking off theirs, I said a prayer, +which I had conned most carefully, and which I thought the most +suitable I could devise, in unison with Christian principles, +which are averse to the shedding of blood; and I particularly +dwelt upon some of the specialities of our situation.</p> +<p>When I had concluded, the volunteers gave three great shouts, +and the multitude answered them to the same tune, and all the +instruments of music sounded, making such a bruit as could not be +surpassed for grandeur—a long, and very circumstantial +account of all which, may be read in the newspapers of that +time.</p> +<p>The volunteers, at the word of command, then showed us the way +they were to fight with the French, in the doing of which a sad +disaster happened; for when they were charging bayonets, they +came towards us like a flood, and all the spectators ran; and I +ran, and the doctor ran; but being laden with his belly, he could +not run fast enough, so he lay down, and being just before me at +the time, I tumbled over him, and such a shout of laughter shook +the field as was never heard.</p> +<p>When the fatigues of the day were at an end, we marched to the +cotton-mill, where, in one of the ware-houses, a vast table was +spread, and a dinner, prepared at Mr. Cayenne’s own +expense, sent in from the Cross-Keys, and the whole corps, with +many of the gentry of the neighbourhood, dined with great +jollity, the band of music playing beautiful airs all the +time. At night there was a universal dance, gentle and +semple mingled together. All which made it plain to me, +that the Lord, by this unison of spirit, had decreed our national +preservation; but I kept this in my own breast, lest it might +have the effect to relax the vigilance of the kingdom. And +I should note that Colin Mavis, the poetical lad, of whom I have +spoken in another part, made a song for this occasion that was +very mightily thought of, having in it a nerve of valiant genius, +that kindled the very souls of those that heard it.</p> +<h2><a name="page253"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +253</span>CHAPTER XLV<br /> +YEAR 1804</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">In</span> conformity with the altered +fashions of the age, in this year the session came to an +understanding with me, that we should not inflict the common +church censures for such as made themselves liable thereto; but +we did not formally promulge our resolution as to this, wishing +as long as possible to keep the deterring rod over the heads of +the young and thoughtless. Our motive, on the one hand, was +the disregard of the manufacturers in Cayenneville, who were, +without the breach of truth, an irreligious people; and, on the +other, a desire to preserve the ancient and wholesome admonitory +and censorian jurisdiction of the minister and elders. We +therefore laid it down as a rule to ourselves, that, in the case +of transgressions on the part of the inhabitants of the new +district of Cayenneville, we should subject them rigorously to a +fine; but that for the farming-lads, we would put it in their +option to pay the fine, or stand in the kirk.</p> +<p>We conformed also in another matter to the times, by +consenting to baptize occasionally in private houses. +Hitherto it had been a strict rule with me only to baptize from +the pulpit. Other parishes, however, had long been in the +practice of this relaxation of ancient discipline.</p> +<p>But all this on my part, was not done without compunction of +spirit; for I was of opinion, that the principle of Presbyterian +integrity should have been maintained to the uttermost. +Seeing, however, the elders set on an alteration, I distrusted my +own judgment, and yielded myself to the considerations that +weighed with them; for they were true men, and of a godly +honesty, and took the part of the poor in all contentions with +the heritors, often to the hazard and damage of their own +temporal welfare.</p> +<p>I have now to note a curious thing, not on account of its +importance, but to show to what lengths a correspondence had been +opened in the parish with the farthest parts of the earth. +Mr. Cayenne got a turtle-fish sent to him from a Glasgow +merchant, and it was living when it came to the Wheatrig House, +and was one of the most remarkable beasts that had ever been seen +in our country side. It weighed as much as a well-fed calf, +and had three kinds of meat in its body, fish, flesh, and fowl, +and it had four water-wings, for they could not be properly +called fins; but what was little short of a miracle about the +creature, happened after the head was cutted off, when, if a +finger was offered to it, it would open its mouth and snap at it, +and all this after the carcass was divided for dressing.</p> +<p>Mr. Cayenne made a feast on the occasion to many of the +neighbouring gentry, to the which I was invited; and we drank +lime-punch as we ate the turtle, which, as I understand, is the +fashion in practice among the Glasgow West Indy merchants, who +are famed as great hands with turtles and lime-punch. But +it is a sort of food that I should not like to fare long +upon. I was not right the next day; and I have heard it +said, that when eaten too often, it has a tendency to harden the +heart and make it crave for greater luxuries.</p> +<p>But the story of the turtle is nothing to that of the Mass, +which, with all its mummeries and abominations, was brought into +Cayenneville by an Irish priest of the name of Father +O’Grady, who was confessor to some of the poor deluded +Irish labourers about the new houses and the cotton-mill. +How he had the impudence to set up that memento of Satan, the +crucifix, within my parish and jurisdiction, was what I never +could get to the bottom of; but the soul was shaken within me, +when, on the Monday after, one of the elders came to the manse, +and told me that the old dragon of Popery, with its seven heads +and ten horns, had been triumphing in Cayenneville on the +foregoing Lord’s day! I lost no time in convening the +session to see what was to be done; much, however, to my +surprise, the elders recommended no step to be taken, but only a +zealous endeavour to greater Christian excellence on our part, by +which we should put the beast and his worshippers to shame and +flight. I am free to confess, that, at the time, I did not +think this the wisest counsel which they might have given; for, +in the heat of my alarm, I was for attacking the enemy in his +camp. But they prudently observed, that the days of +religious persecution were past, and it was a comfort to see +mankind cherishing any sense of religion at all, after the +vehement infidelity that had been sent abroad by the French +Republicans; and to this opinion, now that I have had years to +sift its wisdom, I own myself a convert and proselyte.</p> +<p>Fortunately, however, for my peace of mind, there proved to be +but five Roman Catholics in Cayenneville; and Father +O’Grady not being able to make a living there, packed up +his Virgin Marys, saints, and painted Agneses in a portmanteau, +and went off in the Ayr fly one morning for Glasgow, where I hear +he has since met with all the encouragement that might be +expected from the ignorant and idolatrous inhabitants of that +great city.</p> +<p>Scarcely were we well rid of Father O’Grady, when +another interloper entered the parish. He was more +dangerous, in the opinion of the session, than even the Pope of +Rome himself; for he came to teach the flagrant heresy of +Universal Redemption, a most consolatory doctrine to the sinner +that is loth to repent, and who loves to troll his iniquity like +a sweet morsel under his tongue. Mr. Martin Siftwell, who +was the last ta’en on elder, and who had received a liberal +and judicious education, and was, moreover, naturally possessed +of a quick penetration, observed, in speaking of this new +doctrine, that the grossest papist sinner might have some qualms +of fear after he had bought the Pope’s pardon, and might +thereby be led to a reformation of life; but that the doctrine of +universal redemption was a bribe to commit sin, the wickedest +mortal, according to it, being only liable to a few thousand +years, more or less, of suffering, which, compared with eternity, +was but a momentary pang, like having a tooth drawn for the +toothache. Mr. Siftwell is a shrewd and clear-seeing man in +points of theology, and I would trust a great deal to what he +says, as I have not, at my advanced age, such a mind for the +kittle crudities of polemical investigation that I had in my +younger years, especially when I was a student in the Divinity +Hall of Glasgow.</p> +<p>It will be seen from all I have herein recorded, that, in the +course of this year, there was a general resuscitation of +religious sentiments; for what happened in my parish was but a +type and index to the rest of the world. We had, however, +one memorable that must stand by itself; for although neither +death nor bloodshed happened, yet was it cause of the fear of +both.</p> +<p>A rumour reached us from the Clyde, that a French man-of-war +had appeared in a Highland loch, and that all the Greenock +volunteers had embarked in merchant vessels to bring her in for a +prize. Our volunteers were just jumping and yowling, like +chained dogs, to be at her too; but the colonel, Sir Hugh, would +do nothing without orders from his superiors. Mr. Cayenne, +though an aged man above seventy, was as bold as a lion, and came +forth in the old garb of an American huntsman, like, as I was +told, a Robin Hood in the play is; and it was just a sport to see +him, feckless man, trying to march so crousely with his lean, +shaking hands. But the whole affair proved a false alarm, +and our men, when they heard it, were as well pleased that they +had been constrained to sleep in their warm beds at home, instead +of lying on coils of cables, like the gallant Greenock +sharp-shooters.</p> +<h2><a name="page259"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +259</span>CHAPTER XLVI<br /> +YEAR 1805</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">For</span> some time I had meditated a +reformation in the parish, and this year I carried the same into +effect. I had often noticed with concern, that, out of a +mistaken notion of paying respect to the dead, my people were +wont to go to great lengths at their burials, and dealt round +short-bread and sugar-biscuit, with wine and other confections, +as if there had been no ha’d in their hands; which +straitened many a poor family, making the dispensation of the +Lord a heavier temporal calamity than it should naturally have +been. Accordingly, on consulting with Mrs. Balwhidder, who +has a most judicious judgment, it was thought that my +interference would go a great way to lighten the evil. I +therefore advised with those whose friends were taken from them, +not to make that amplitude of preparation which used to be the +fashion, nor to continue handing about as long as the folk would +take, but only at the very most to go no more than three times +round with the service. Objections were made to this, as if +it would be thought mean; but I put on a stern visage, and told +them, that if they did more I would rise up, and rebuke and +forbid the extravagance. So three services became the +uttermost modicum at all burials. This was doing much, but +it was not all that I wished to do.</p> +<p>I considered that the best reformations are those which +proceed step by step, and stop at that point where the consent to +what has been established becomes general; and so I governed +myself, and therefore interfered no farther; but I was determined +to set an example. Accordingly, at the very next dregy, +after I partook of one service, I made a bow to the servitors and +they passed on, but all before me had partaken of the second +service; some, however, of those after me did as I did, so I +foresaw that in a quiet canny way I would bring in the fashion of +being satisfied with one service. I therefore, from that +time, always took my place as near as possible to the door, where +the chief mourner sat, and made a point of nodding away the +second service, which has now grown into a custom, to the great +advantage of surviving relations.</p> +<p>But in this reforming business I was not altogether pleased +with our poet; for he took a pawkie view of my endeavours, and +indited a ballad on the subject, in the which he makes a +clattering carlin describe what took place, so as to turn a very +solemn matter into a kind of derision. When he brought his +verse and read it to me, I told him that I thought it was overly +natural; for I could not find another term to designate the cause +of the dissatisfaction that I had with it; but Mrs. Balwhidder +said that it might help my plan if it were made public; so upon +her advice we got some of Mr. Lorimore’s best writers to +make copies of it for distribution, which was not without fruit +and influence. But a sore thing happened at the very next +burial. As soon as the nodding away of the second service +began, I could see that the gravity of the whole meeting was +discomposed; and some of the irreverent young chiels almost broke +out into even-down laughter, which vexed me exceedingly. +Mrs. Balwhidder, howsoever, comforted me by saying, that custom +in time would make it familiar, and by-and-by the thing would +pass as a matter of course, until one service would be all that +folk would offer; and truly the thing is coming to that, for only +two services are now handed round, and the second is regularly +nodded by.</p> +<h2><a name="page262"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +262</span>CHAPTER XLVII<br /> +YEAR 1806</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">Mr. Cayenne</span> of Wheatrig having for +several years been in a declining way, partly brought on by the +consuming fire of his furious passion, and partly by the decay of +old age, sent for me on the evening of the first Sabbath of March +in this year. I was surprised at the message, and went to +the Wheatrig House directly, where, by the lights in the windows +as I gaed up through the policy to the door, I saw something +extraordinary was going on. Sambo, the blackamoor servant, +opened the door, and, without speaking, shook his head; for it +was an affectionate creature, and as fond of his master as if he +had been his own father. By this sign I guessed that the +old gentleman was thought to be drawing near his latter end; so I +walked softly after Sambo up the stair, and was shown into the +chamber where Mr. Cayenne, since he had been confined to the +house, usually sat. His wife had been dead some years +before.</p> +<p>Mr. Cayenne was sitting in his easy chair, with a white cotton +nightcap on his head, and a pillow at his shoulders to keep him +straight. But his head had fallen down on his breast, and +he breathed like a panting baby. His legs were swelled, and +his feet rested on a footstool. His face, which was wont to +be the colour of a peony rose, was of a yellow hue, with a patch +of red on each cheek like a wafer; and his nose was shirpit and +sharp, and of an unnatural purple. Death was evidently +fighting with nature for the possession of the body. +“Heaven have mercy on his soul!” said I to myself, as +I sat down beside him.</p> +<p>When I had been seated some time, the power was given him to +raise his head as it were a-jee; and he looked at me with the +tail of his eye, which I saw was glittering and glassy. +“Doctor,” for he always called me doctor, though I am +not of that degree, “I am glad to see you,” were his +words, uttered with some difficulty.</p> +<p>“How do you find yourself, sir?” I replied, in a +sympathising manner.</p> +<p>“Damned bad,” said he, as if I had been the cause +of his suffering. I was daunted to the very heart to hear +him in such an unregenerate state; but after a short pause I +addressed myself to him again, saying, that “I hoped he +would soon be more at ease; and he should bear in mind that the +Lord chasteneth whom he loveth.”</p> +<p>“The devil take such love!” was his awful answer, +which was to me as a blow on the forehead with a mell. +However, I was resolved to do my duty to the miserable sinner, +let him say what he would. Accordingly, I stooped towards +him with my hands on my knees, and said in a compassionate voice, +“It’s very true, sir, that you are in great agony; +but the goodness of God is without bound.”</p> +<p>“Curse me if I think so, doctor!” replied the +dying uncircumcised Philistine. But he added at whiles, his +breathlessness being grievous, and often broken by a sore hiccup, +“I am, however, no saint, as you know, doctor; so I wish +you to put in a word for me, doctor; for you know that in these +times, doctor, it is the duty of every good subject to die a +Christian.”</p> +<p>This was a poor account of the state of his soul; but it was +plain I could make no better o’t, by entering into any +religious discourse or controversy with him, he being then in the +last gasp; so I knelt down and prayed for him with great +sincerity, imploring the Lord, as an awakening sense of grace to +the dying man, that it would please him to lift up, though it +were but for the season of a minute, the chastening hand which +was laid so heavily upon his aged servant; at which Mr. Cayenne, +as if, indeed, the hand had been then lifted, cried out, +“None of that stuff, doctor; you know that I cannot call +myself his servant.”</p> +<p style="text-align: center"> +<a href="images/p264b.jpg"> +<img alt= +"The Ruling Elder" +title= +"The Ruling Elder" + src="images/p264s.jpg" /> +</a></p> +<p>Was ever a minister in his prayer so broken in upon by a +perishing sinner! However, I had the weight of a duty upon +me, and made no reply, but continued, “Thou hearest, O +Lord, how he confesses his unworthiness! Let not thy +compassion, therefore, be withheld, but verify to him the words +that I have spoken in faith, of the boundlessness of thy +goodness, and the infinite multitude of thy tender +mercies.” I then calmly, but sadly, sat down, and +presently, as if my prayer had been heard, relief was granted; +for Mr. Cayenne raised his head, and giving me a queer look, +said, “That last clause of your petition, doctor, was well +put, and I think, too, it has been granted, for I am +easier”—adding, “I have no doubt, doctor, given +much offence in the world, and oftenest when I meant to do good; +but I have wilfully injured no man; and as God is my judge, and +his goodness, you say, is so great, he may, perhaps, take my soul +into his holy keeping.” In saying which words, Mr. +Cayenne dropped his head upon his breast, his breathing ceased, +and he was wafted away out of this world with as little trouble +as a blameless baby.</p> +<p>This event soon led to a change among us. In the +settling of Mr. Cayenne’s affairs in the Cotton-mill +Company, it was found that he had left such a power of money, +that it was needful to the concern, in order that they might +settle with the doers under his testament, to take in other +partners. By this Mr. Speckle came to be a resident in the +parish, he having taken up a portion of Mr. Cayenne’s +share. He likewise took a tack of the house and policy of +Wheatrig. But although Mr. Speckle was a far more +conversible man than his predecessor, and had a wonderful +plausibility in business, the affairs of the company did not +thrive in his hands. Some said this was owing to his having +owre many irons in the fire; others, to the circumstances of the +times: in my judgment, however, both helped; but the issue +belongs to the events of another year. In the meanwhile, I +should here note, that in the course of this current Ann. Dom. it +pleased Heaven to visit me with a severe trial; the nature of +which I will here record at length—the upshot I will make +known hereafter.</p> +<p>From the planting of inhabitants in the cotton-mill town of +Cayenneville, or as the country folk, not used to used to such +lang-nebbit words, now call it, Canaille, there had come in upon +the parish various sectarians among the weavers, some of whom +were not satisfied with the gospel as I preached it, and +endeavoured to practise it in my walk and conversation; and they +began to speak of building a kirk for themselves, and of getting +a minster that would give them the gospel more to their own +ignorant fancies. I was exceedingly wroth and disturbed +when the thing was first mentioned to me; and I very earnestly, +from the pulpit, next Lord’s day, lectured on the growth of +newfangled doctrines; which, however, instead of having the +wonted effect of my discourses, set up the theological weavers in +a bleeze, and the very Monday following they named a committee, +to raise money by subscription to build a meeting-house. +This was the first overt act of insubordination, collectively +manifested, in the parish; and it was conducted with all that +crafty dexterity with which the infidel and jacobin spirit of the +French Revolution had corrupted the honest simplicity of our good +old hameward fashions. In the course of a very short time, +the Canaille folk had raised a large sum, and seduced not a few +of my people into their schism, by which they were enabled to set +about building their kirk; the foundations thereof were not, +however, laid till the following year, but their proceedings gave +me a het heart, for they were like an open rebellion to my +authority, and a contemptuous disregard of that religious +allegiance which is due from the flock to the pastor.</p> +<p>On Christmas-day the wind broke off the main arm of our Adam +and Eve pear-tree; and I grieved for it more as a type and sign +of the threatened partition, than on account of the damage, +though the fruit was the juiciest in all the country side.</p> +<h2><a name="page268"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +268</span>CHAPTER XLVIII<br /> +YEAR 1807</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">This</span> was a year to me of +satisfaction in many points; for a greater number of my younger +flock married in it, than had done for any one of ten years +prior. They were chiefly the offspring of the marriages +that took place at the close of the American war; and I was +pleased to see the duplification of well-doing, as I think +marrying is, having always considered the command to increase and +multiply, a holy ordinance, which the circumstances of this world +but too often interfere to prevent.</p> +<p>It was also made manifest to me, that in this year there was a +very general renewal in the hearts of men, of a sense of the +utility, even in earthly affairs, of a religious life: in some, I +trust it was more than prudence, and really a birth of +grace. Whether this was owing to the upshot of the French +Revolution, all men being pretty well satisfied in their minds, +that uproar and rebellion make but an ill way of righting wrongs, +or that the swarm of unruly youth the offspring, as I have said, +of the marriages after the American war, had grown sobered from +their follies, and saw things in a better light, I cannot take +upon me to say. But it was very edifying to me, their +minister, to see several lads who had been both wild and free in +their principles, marrying with sobriety, and taking their wives +to the kirk with the comely decorum of heads of families.</p> +<p>But I was now growing old, and could go seldomer out among my +people than in former days; so that I was less a partaker of +their ploys and banquets, either at birth, bridal, or +burial. I heard, however, all that went on at them, and I +made it a rule, after giving the blessing at the end of the +ceremony, to admonish the bride and bridegroom to ca’ +canny, and join trembling with their mirth. It behoved me +on one occasion, however, to break through a rule that age and +frailty had imposed upon me, and to go to the wedding of Tibby +Banes, the daughter of the betheral, because she had once been a +servant in the manse, besides the obligation upon me, from her +father’s part both in the kirk and kirkyard. Mrs. +Balwhidder went with me, for she liked to countenance the +pleasantries of my people; and, over and above all, it was a +pay-wedding, in order to set up the bridegroom in a shop.</p> +<p>There was, to be sure, a great multitude, gentle and semple, +of all denominations, with two fiddles and a bass, and the +volunteers’ fife and drum; and the jollity that went on was +a perfect feast of itself, though the wedding-supper was a +prodigy of abundance. The auld carles kecklet with fainness +as they saw the young dancers; and the carlins sat on forms, as +mim as May puddocks, with their shawls pinned apart, to show +their muslin napkins. But, after supper, when they had got +a glass of the punch, their heels showed their mettle, and +grannies danced with their oyes, holding out their hands as if +they had been spinning with two rocks. I told Colin Mavis, +the poet, than an <i>Infare</i> was a fine subject for his muse; +and soon after he indited an excellent ballad under that title, +which he projects to publish, with other ditties, by +subscription; and I have no doubt a liberal and discerning public +will give him all manner of encouragement, for that is the food +of talent of every kind; and without cheering, no one can say +what an author’s faculty naturally is.</p> +<h2><a name="page271"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +271</span>CHAPTER XLIX<br /> +YEAR 1808</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">Through</span> all the wars that have +raged from the time of the King’s accession to the throne, +there has been a gradually coming nearer and nearer to our gates, +which is a very alarming thing to think of. In the first, +at the time he came to the crown, we suffered nothing. Not +one belonging to the parish was engaged in the battles thereof; +and the news of victories, before they reached us, which was +generally by word of mouth, were old tales. In the American +war, as I have related at length, we had an immediate +participation; but those that suffered were only a few +individuals, and the evil was done at a distance, and reached us +not until the worst of its effects were spent. And during +the first term of the present just and necessary contest for all +that is dear to us as a people, although, by the offswarming of +some of our restless youth, we had our part and portion in common +with the rest of the Christian world; yet still there was at home +a great augmentation of prosperity, and every thing had thriven +in a surprising manner; somewhat, however, to the detriment of +our country simplicity. By the building of the cotton-mill, +and the rising up of the new town of Cayenneville, we had +intromitted so much with concerns of trade, that we were become a +part of the great web of commercial reciprocities, and felt in +our corner and extremity, every touch or stir that was made on +any part of the texture. The consequence of this I have now +to relate.</p> +<p>Various rumours had been floating about the business of the +cotton manufacturers not being so lucrative as it had been; and +Bonaparte, as it is well known, was a perfect limb of Satan +against our prosperity, having recourse to the most wicked means +and purposes to bring ruin upon us as a nation. His +cantrips, in this year, began to have a dreadful effect.</p> +<p>For some time it had been observed in the parish, that Mr. +Specle of the cotton-mill, went very often to Glasgow, and was +sometimes off at a few minutes’ warning to London; and the +neighbours began to guess and wonder at what could be the cause +of all this running here, and riding there, as if the little-gude +was at his heels. Sober folk augured ill o’t; and it +was remarked, likewise, that there was a haste and confusion in +his mind, which betokened a foretaste of some change of +fortune. At last, in the fulness of time, the babe was +born.</p> +<p>On a Saturday night, Mr. Speckle came out late from Glasgow; +on the Sabbath he was with all his family at the kirk, looking as +a man that had changed his way of life; and on the Monday, when +the spinners went to the mill, they were told that the company +had stopped payment. Never did a thunder-clap daunt the +heart like this news; for the bread in a moment was snatched from +more than a thousand mouths. It was a scene not to be +described, to see the cotton-spinners and the weavers, with their +wives and children, standing in bands along the road, all looking +and speaking as if they had lost a dear friend or parent. +For my part, I could not bear the sight, but hid myself in my +closet, and prayed to the Lord to mitigate a calamity which +seemed to me past the capacity of man to remedy; for what could +our parish fund do in the way of helping a whole town, thus +suddenly thrown out of bread?</p> +<p>In the evening, however, I was strengthened, and convened the +elders at the manse to consult with them on what was best to be +done; for it was well known that the sufferers had made no +provision for a sore foot. But all our gathered judgments +could determine nothing; and therefore we resolved to wait the +issue, not doubting but that He who sends the night, would bring +the day in His good and gracious time, which so fell out. +Some of them who had the largest experience of such vicissitudes, +immediately began to pack up their ends and their awls, and to +hie them into Glasgow and Paisley in quest of employ; but those +who trusted to the hopes that Mr. Speckle himself still +cherished, lingered long, and were obligated to submit to sore +distress. After a time, however, it was found that the +company was ruined; and the mill being sold for the benefit of +the creditors, it was bought by another Glasgow company, who, by +getting a good bargain, and managing well, have it still, and +have made it again a blessing to the country. At the time +of the stoppage, however, we saw that commercial prosperity, +flush as it might be, was but a perishable commodity, and from +thence, both by public discourse and private exhortation, I have +recommended to the workmen to lay up something for a reverse; and +showed that, by doing with their bawbees and pennies what the +great do with their pounds, they might in time get a pose to help +them in the day of need. This advice they have followed, +and made up a Savings Bank, which is a pillow of comfort to many +an industrious head of a family.</p> +<p>But I should not close this account of the disaster that +befell Mr. Speckle, and the cotton-mill company, without relating +a very melancholy case that was the consequence. Among the +overseers there was a Mr. Dwining, an Englishman from Manchester, +where he had seen better days, having had himself there of his +own property, once as large a mill, according to report, as the +Cayenneville mill. He was certainly a man above the common, +and his wife was a lady in every point; but they held themselves +by themselves, and shunned all manner of civility, giving up +their whole attention to their two little boys, who were really +like creatures of a better race than the callans of our +clachan.</p> +<p>On the failure of the company, Mr. Dwining was observed by +those who were present to be particularly distressed: his salary +being his all; but he said little, and went thoughtfully +home. Some days after he was seen walking by himself with a +pale face, a heavy eye, and slow step—all tokens of a +sorrowful heart. Soon after, he was missed altogether; +nobody saw him. The door of his house was however open, and +his two pretty boys were as lively as usual, on the green before +the door. I happened to pass when they were there, and I +asked them how their father and mother were. They said they +were still in bed, and would not waken, and the innocent lambs +took me by the hand, to make me waken their parents. I know +not what was in it, but I trembled from head to foot, and I was +led in by the babies, as if I had not the power to resist. +Never shall I forget what I saw in that bed.</p> +<p style="text-align: center">* * * * *</p> +<p>I found a letter on the table; and I came away, locking the +door behind me, and took the lovely prattling orphans home. +I could but shake my head and weep, as I gave them to the care of +Mrs. Balwhidder, and she was terrified but said nothing. I +then read the letter. It was to send the bairns to a +gentleman, their uncle, in London. Oh! it is a terrible +tale; but the winding-sheet and the earth is over it. I +sent for two of my elders. I related what I had seen. +Two coffins were got, and the bodies laid in them; and the next +day, with one of the fatherless bairns in each hand, I followed +them to the grave, which was dug in that part of the kirkyard +where unchristened babies are laid. We durst not take it +upon us to do more; but few knew the reason, and some thought it +was because the deceased were strangers, and had no regular +lair.</p> +<p>I dressed the two bonny orphans in the best mourning at my own +cost, and kept them in the manse till we could get an answer from +their uncle, to whom I sent their father’s letter. It +stung him to the quick, and he came down all the way from London, +and took the children away himself. Oh! he was a vexed man +when the beautiful bairns, on being told he was their uncle, ran +into his arms, and complained that their papa and mamma had slept +so long, that they would never waken.</p> +<h2><a name="page277"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +277</span>CHAPTER L<br /> +YEAR 1809</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">As</span> I come towards the events of +these latter days, I am surprised to find myself not at all so +distinct in my recollection of them as in those of the first of +my ministry; being apt to confound the things of one occasion +with those of another, which Mrs. Balwhidder says is an +admonishment to me to leave off my writing. But, please +God, I will endeavour to fulfil this as I have through life +tried, to the best of my capacity, to do every other duty; and, +with the help of Mrs. Balwhidder, who has a very clear +understanding, I think I may get through my task in a creditable +manner, which is all I aspire after; not writing for a vain +world, but only to testify to posterity anent the great changes +that have happened in my day and generation—a period which +all the best-informed writers say, has not had its match in the +history of the world since the beginning of time.</p> +<p>By the failure of the cotton-mill company, whose affairs were +not settled till the spring of this year, there was great +suffering during the winter; but my people, those that still +adhered to the establishment, bore their share of the +dispensation with meekness and patience, nor was there wanting +edifying monuments of resignation even among the stravaigers.</p> +<p>On the day that the Canaille Meeting-house was opened, which +was in the summer, I was smitten to the heart to see the empty +seats that were in my kirk; for all the thoughtless, and some +that I had a better opinion of, went to hear the opening +discourse. Satan that day had power given to him to buffet +me as he did Job of old; and when I looked around and saw the +empty seats, my corruption rose, and I forgot myself in the +remembering prayer; for when I prayed for all denominations of +Christians, and worshippers, and infidels, I could not speak of +the schismatics with patience, but entreated the Lord to do with +the hobleshow at Cayenneville, as he saw meet in his displeasure, +the which, when I came afterwards to think upon, I grieved at +with a sore contrition.</p> +<p>In the course of the week following, the elders, in a body, +came to me in the manse, and after much commendation of my godly +ministry, they said, that seeing I was now growing old, they +thought they could not testify their respect for me in a better +manner than by agreeing to get me a helper. But I would not +at that time listen to such a proposal, for I felt no falling off +in my powers of preaching; on the contrary, I found myself +growing better at it, as I was enabled to hold forth, in an easy +manner, often a whole half hour longer, than I could do a dozen +years before. Therefore nothing was done in this year anent +my resignation; but during the winter, Mrs. Balwhidder was often +grieved, in the bad weather, that I should preach, and, in short, +so worked upon my affections, that I began to think it was +fitting for me to comply with the advice of my friends. +Accordingly, in the course of the winter, the elders began to +cast about for a helper; and during the bleak weather in the +ensuing spring, several young men spared me from the necessity of +preaching. But this relates to the concerns of the next and +last year of my ministry. So I will now proceed to give an +account of it, very thankful that I have been permitted, in +unmolested tranquillity, to bring my history to such a point.</p> +<h2><a name="page280"></a><span class="pagenum">p. +280</span>CHAPTER LI<br /> +YEAR 1810</h2> +<p><span class="smcap">My</span> tasks are all near a close; and +in writing this final record of my ministry, the very sound of my +pen admonishes me that my life is a burden on the back of flying +Time, that he will soon be obliged to lay down in his great +storehouse—the grave. Old age has, indeed, long +warned me to prepare for rest; and the darkened windows of my +sight show that the night is coming on, while deafness, like a +door fast barred, has shut out all the pleasant sounds of this +world, and inclosed me, as it were, in a prison, even from the +voices of my friends.</p> +<p>I have lived longer than the common lot of man, and I have +seen, in my time, many mutations and turnings, and ups and downs, +notwithstanding the great spread that has been in our national +prosperity. I have beheld them that were flourishing like +the green bay-trees, made desolate, and their branches +scattered. But, in my own estate, I have had a large and +liberal experience of goodness.</p> +<p>At the beginning of my ministry I was reviled and rejected; +but my honest endeavours to prove a faithful shepherd were +blessed from on high, and rewarded with the affection of my +flock. Perhaps, in the vanity of doting old age, I thought +in this there was a merit due to myself, which made the Lord to +send the chastisement of the Canaille schism among my people; for +I was then wroth without judgment, and by my heat hastened into +an open division the flaw that a more considerate manner might +have healed. But I confess my fault, and submit my cheek to +the smiter; and now I see that the finger of Wisdom was in that +probation, and it was far better that the weavers meddled with +the things of God, which they could not change, than with those +of the King, which they could only harm. In that matter, +however, I was like our gracious monarch in the American war; for +though I thereby lost the pastoral allegiance of a portion of my +people, in like manner as he did of his American subjects, yet, +after the separation, I was enabled so to deport myself, that +they showed me many voluntary testimonies of affectionate +respect, and which it would be a vain glory in me to rehearse +here. One thing I must record, because it is as much to +their honour as it is to mine.</p> +<p>When it was known that I was to preach my last sermon, every +one of those who had been my hearers, and who had seceded to the +Canaille meeting, made it a point that day to be in the parish +kirk, and to stand in the crowd, that made a lane of reverence +for me to pass from the kirk-door to the back-yett of the +manse. And shortly after, a deputation of all their +brethren, with their minister at their head, came to me one +morning, and presented to me a server of silver, in token, as +they were pleased to say, of their esteem for my blameless life, +and the charity that I had practised towards the poor of all +sects in the neighbourhood; which is set forth in a well-penned +inscription, written by a weaver lad that works for his daily +bread. Such a thing would have been a prodigy at the +beginning of my ministry; but the progress of book-learning and +education has been wonderful since, and with it has come a spirit +of greater liberality than the world knew before, bringing men of +adverse principles and doctrines into a more humane communion +with each other; showing that it’s by the mollifying +influence of knowledge the time will come to pass, when the tiger +of papistry shall lie down with the lamb of reformation, and the +vultures of prelacy be as harmless as the presbyterian doves; +when the independent, the anabaptist, and every other order and +denomination of Christians, not forgetting even those poor wee +wrens of the Lord, the burghers and anti-burghers, who will pick +from the hand of patronage, and dread no snare.</p> +<p>On the next Sunday, after my farewell discourse, I took the +arm of Mrs. Balwhidder, and with my cane in my hand, walked to +our own pew, where I sat some time; but, owing to my deafness, +not being able to hear, I have not since gone back to the +church. But my people are fond of having their weans still +christened by me, and the young folk, such as are of a serious +turn, come to be married at my hands, believing, as they say, +that there is something good in the blessing of an aged gospel +minister. But even this remnant of my gown I must lay +aside; for Mrs. Balwhidder is now and then obliged to stop me in +my prayers, as I sometimes wander—pronouncing the baptismal +blessing upon a bride and bridegroom, talking as if they were +already parents. I am thankful, however, that I have been +spared with a sound mind to write this book to the end; but it is +my last task, and, indeed, really I have no more to say, saving +only to wish a blessing on all people from on high, where I soon +hope to be, and to meet there all the old and long-departed sheep +of my flock, especially the first and second Mrs. +Balwhidders.</p> +<h2>FOOTNOTES.</h2> +<p><a name="footnote1"></a><a href="#citation1" +class="footnote">[1]</a> Dreghorn, Ayrshire, two miles from +Irvine.</p> +<p><a name="footnote9"></a><a href="#citation9" +class="footnote">[9]</a> Irvine, Ayrshire.</p> +<p><a name="footnote17"></a><a href="#citation17" +class="footnote">[17]</a> Cognac.</p> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ANNALS OF THE PARISH***</p> +<pre> + + +***** This file should be named 1310-h.htm or 1310-h.zip****** + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/3/1/1310 + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will +be renamed. + +Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright +law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, +so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United +States without permission and without paying copyright +royalties. 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