the annals of the parish-第29部分

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ivinity；　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　herof　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　Scriptureher　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