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If you + don't derive profits, no royalty is due. Royalties are + payable to "Project Gutenberg Association/Carnegie-Mellon + University" within the 60 days following each + date you prepare (or were legally required to prepare) + your annual (or equivalent periodic) tax return. + +WHAT IF YOU *WANT* TO SEND MONEY EVEN IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO? +The Project gratefully accepts contributions in money, time, +scanning machines, OCR software, public domain etexts, royalty +free copyright licenses, and every other sort of contribution +you can think of. Money should be paid to "Project Gutenberg +Association / Carnegie-Mellon University". + +*END*THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.04.29.93*END* + + + + + +ANNALS OF THE PARISH +Or The Chronicle of Dalmailing during the ministry of the Rev. Micah +Balwhidder. Written by himself and arranged and edited by John Galt + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + + +In 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. +{1} 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. + +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, + +"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. + +"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. + +"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!" + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER I YEAR 1760 + + + +The 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 {2} +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. + +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. + +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." + +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. + +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. + +"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." + +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." + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER II YEAR 1761 + + + +It 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 Caesar the things that are Caesar'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. + +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, {3} 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER III YEAR 1762 + + + +The 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER IV YEAR 1763 + + + +The 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER V YEAR 1764 + + + +This 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. + +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. + + +EPITAPH + +A lovely Christian, spouse, and friend, +Pleasant in life, and at her end. - +A pale consumption dealt the blow +That laid her here, with dust below. +Sore was the cough that shook her frame; +That cough her patience did proclaim - +And as she drew her latest breath, +She said, "The Lord is sweet in death." +O pious reader! standing by, +Learn like this gentle one to die. +The grass doth grow and fade away, +And time runs out by night and day; +The King of Terrors has command +To strike us with his dart in hand. +Go where we will by flood or field, +He will pursue and make us yield. +But though to him we must resign +The vesture of our part divine, +There is a jewel in our trust, +That will not perish in the dust, +A pearl of price, a precious gem, +Ordained for Jesus' diadem; +Therefore, be holy while you can, +And think upon the doom of man. +Repent in time and sin no more, +That when the strife of life is o'er, +On wings of love your soul may rise, +To dwell with angels in the skies, +Where psalms are sung eternally, +And martyrs ne'er again shall die; +But with the saints still bask in bliss, +And drink the cup of blessedness. + + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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 +PARADISE LOST, 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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER VI YEAR 1765 + + + +As 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. + +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 - + + +"Of the marriages in May, +The bairns die of a decay." + + +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. + +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. + +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 STAKE AND RICE 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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER VII YEAR 1766 + + + +It 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER VIII YEAR 1767 + + + +All 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +She was sitting in the window-nook, reading THE WORD 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. + +"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." + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER IX YEAR 1768 + + + +It's 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER X YEAR 1769 + + + +I have 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 Scots Magazine, a very valuable book. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XI YEAR 1770 + + + +This 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XII YEAR 1771 + + + +It 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. + +One evening, early in the month of January, as I was sitting by +myself in my closet studying the Scots Magazine, 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. + +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. + +"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." + +"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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XIII YEAR 1772 + + + +On 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 Avenger, 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 Trooper. 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. + +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 +Caesarean 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. + +I had at one time a notion to send an account of this to the Scots +Magazine, 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. + + + +CHAPTER XIV YEAR 1773 + + + +In 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XV YEAR 1774 + + + +When 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. + +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. + +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! + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XVI YEAR 1775 + + + +The 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. + +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! + +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 SEASONS and Hervey's +MEDITATIONS 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 negligees 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XVII YEAR 1776 + + + +It 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XVIII YEAR 1777 + + + +This 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. + +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. + +"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." + +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." + +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 London Gazette, 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. + +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 Scots Magazine, 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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XIX YEAR 1778 + + + +This 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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! + +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 protegee, 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. + + + +CHAPTER XX YEAR 1779 + + + +I was 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. + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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." + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXI YEAR 1780 + + + +This 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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXII YEAR 1781 + + + +If 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXIII YEAR 1782 + + + +Although 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXIV YEAR 1783 + + + +This 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. + +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." + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXV YEAR 1784 + + + +I have 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." + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXVI YEAR 1785 + + + +Well 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 WHIRL'D. 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXVII YEAR 1786 + + + +From 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. + +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. + +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." + +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." + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII YEAR 1787 + + + +There 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, THE CROSS-KEYS, 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXIX YEAR 1788 + + + +It 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXX YEAR 1789 + + + +This 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXXI YEAR 1790 + + + +The 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. + +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 Scots Magazine 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXXII YEAR 1791 + + + +In 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. + +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." + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII YEAR 1792 + + + +When 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. + +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. + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV YEAR 1793 + + + +On 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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?" + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXXV YEAR 1794 + + + +This 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVI YEAR 1795 + + + +The 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 DOUGLAS TRAGEDY and the GENTLE SHEPHERD: 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 +MACBETH AND THE WITCHES, 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVII YEAR 1796 + + + +The prosperity of fortune is like the blossoms of spring, or the +golden hue of the evening cloud. It delighteth the spirit, and +passeth away, + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXXVIII YEAR 1797 + + + +When 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 +negligees. 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XXXIX YEAR 1798 + + + +This 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XL YEAR 1799 + + + +There 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. + +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." + +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. + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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 Him 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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XLI YEAR 1800 + + + +The 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XLII YEAR 1801 + + + +It 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 Scots Magazine, 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 Scots +Magazine, 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. + + + +CHAPTER XLIII YEAR 1802 + + + +"Experience 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. + +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. + +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?" + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XLIV YEAR 1803 + + + +During 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XLV YEAR 1804 + + + +In 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XLVI YEAR 1805 + + + +For 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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XLVII YEAR 1806 + + + +Mr Cayenne 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. + +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. + +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. + +"How do you find yourself, sir?" I replied, in a sympathising +manner. + +"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." + +"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." + +"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." + +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." + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER XLVIII YEAR 1807 + + + +This 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. + +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. + +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. + +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 INFARE 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. + + + +CHAPTER XLIX YEAR 1808 + + + +Through 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. + +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. + +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. + +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? + +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. + +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. + +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. + +* * * * * + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER L YEAR 1809 + + + +As 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +CHAPTER LI YEAR 1810 + + + +My 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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + +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. + + + +Footnotes: + +{1} Dreghorn, Ayrshire, two miles from Irvine. + +{2} Irvine, Ayrshire. + +{3} Cognac. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Etext of The Annals of the Parish by John Galt + diff --git a/old/anapr10.zip b/old/anapr10.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..8ac893c --- /dev/null +++ b/old/anapr10.zip |