the annals of the parish-第28部分

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eels　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　postmaking　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　th