the annals of the parish-第38节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　stepall　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　generationa　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　storehousethe　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