the annals of the parish-第5节

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eing　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　precentora　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　clachanand　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　mein　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　yearas　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　herwhich；　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　donenor　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　difficul