red Kilmarnock nightcap--I mind him as well as if it was but
yesterday--and he had seen me going from house to house, and in what
manner I was rejected, and his bowels were moved, and he said to me
in a kind manner, "Come in, sir, and ease yoursel': this will never
do, the clergy are God's gorbies, and for their Master's sake it
behoves us to respect them. There was no ane in the whole parish
mair against you than mysel'; but this early visitation is a symptom
of grace that I couldna have expectit from a bird out the nest of
patronage." I thanked Thomas, and went in with him, and we had some
solid conversation together, and I told him that it was not so much
the pastor's duty to feed the flock, as to herd them well; and that,
although there might be some abler with the head than me, there
wasna a he within the bounds of Scotland more willing to watch the
fold by night and by day. And Thomas said he had not heard a mair
sound observe for some time, and that, if I held to that doctrine in
the poopit, it wouldna be lang till I would work a change.--"I was
mindit," quoth he, "never to set my foot within the kirk door while
you were there; but to testify, and no to condemn without a trial,
I'll be there next Lord's day, and egg my neighbours to be likewise,
so ye'll no have to preach just to the bare walls and the laird's
family."

I have now to speak of the coming of Mrs Malcolm.--She was the widow
of a Clyde shipmaster, that was lost at sea with his vessel. She
was a genty body, calm and methodical. From morning to night she
sat at her wheel, spinning the finest lint, which suited well with
her pale hands. She never changed her widow's weeds, and she was
aye as if she had just been ta'en out of a bandbox. The tear was
aften in her e'e when the bairns were at the school; but when they
came home, her spirit was lighted up with gladness, although, poor