the annals of the parish-第12部分

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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　parishfor　so；　it　seems；　they　call　a　pastor　in　Englandand　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　gr