the annals of the parish-第20章

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t；　for　the　preservation　of　what　was　due　to　the　establishment　and　the　upholding　of　the　decent　administration　of　religion；　I　ought　to　set　my　face　against　the　sordid　intolerance　by　which　they　were　actuated。　　This　notion　I　weighed　well　before　divulging　it　to　any　person；　but　when　I　had　assured　myself　as　to　the　rectitude　thereof；　I　rode　over　one　day　to　Mr　Kibbock's；　and　broke　my　mind　to　him　about　claiming　out　of　the　teinds　an　augmentation　of　my　stipend；　not　because　I　needed　it；　but　in　case；　after　me；　some　bare　and　hungry　gorbie　of　the　Lord　should　be　sent　upon　the　parish；　in　no　such　condition　to　plea　with　the　heritors　as　I　was。　　Mr　Kibbock　highly　approved　of　my　intent；　and　by　his　help；　after　much　tribulation；　I　got　an　augmentation　both　in　glebe　and　income；　and　to　mark　my　reason　for　what　I　did；　I　took　upon　me　to　keep　and　clothe　the　wives　and　orphans　of　the　parish；　who　lost　their　breadwinners　in　the　American　war。　　But　for　all　that；　the　heritors　spoke　of　me　as　an　avaricious　Jew；　and　made　the　hard…won　fruits　of　Mrs　Balwhidder's　great　thrift　and　good　management　a　matter　of　reproach　against　me。　　Few　of　them　would　come　to　the　church；　but　stayed　away；　to　the　detriment　of　their　own　souls　hereafter；　in　order；　as　they　thought；　to　punish　me；　so　that；　in　the　course　of　this　year；　there　was　a　visible　decay　of　the　sense　of　religion　among　the　better　orders　of　the　parish；　and；　as　will　be　seen　in　the　sequel；　their　evil　example　infected　the　minds　of　many　of　the　rising　generation。

It　was　in　this　year　that　Mr　Cayenne　bought　the　mailing　of　the　Wheatrigs；　but　did　not　begin　to　build　his　house　till　the　following　spring；　for　being　ill　to　please　with　a　plan；　he　fell　out　with　the　builders；　and　on　one　occasion　got　into　such　a　passion　with　Mr　Trowel；　the　mason；　that　he　struck　him　a　blow　on　the　face；　for　which　he　was　obligated　to　make　atonement。　　It　was　thought　the　matter　would　have　been　carried　before　the　Lords；　but；　by　the　mediation　of　Mr　Kibbock；　with　my　helping　hand；　a　reconciliation　was　brought　about；　Mr　Cayenne　indemnifying　the　mason　with　a　sum　of　money　to　say　no　more　anent　it；　after　which；　he　employed　him　to　build　his　house；　a　thing　that　no　man　could　have　thought　possible；　who　reflected　on　the　enmity　between　them。



CHAPTER　XXVIII　　YEAR　1787



There　had　been；　as　I　have　frequently　observed；　a　visible　improvement　going　on　in　the　parish。　　From　the　time　of　the　making　of　the　toll…　road；　every　new　house　that　was　built　in　the　clachan　was　built　along　that　road。　　Among　other　changes　hereby　caused；　the　Lady　Macadam's　jointure…house　that　was；　which　stood　in　a　pleasant　parterre；　inclosed　within　a　stone　wall　and　an　iron　gate；　having　a　pillar　with　a　pineapple　head　on　each　side；　came　to　be　in　the　middle　of　the　town。　While　Mr　Cayenne　inhabited　the　same；　it　was　maintained　in　good　order；　but　on　his　flitting　to　his　own　new　house　on　the　Wheatrigs；　the　parterre　was　soon　overrun　with　weeds；　and　it　began　to　wear　the　look　of　a　waste　place。　　Robert　Toddy；　who　then　kept　the　change…　house；　and　who　had；　from　the　lady's　death；　rented　the　coach…house　for　stabling；　in　this　juncture　thought　of　it　for　an　inn；　so　he　set　his　own　house　to　Thomas　Treddles　the　weaver；　whose　son；　William；　is　now　the　great　Glasgow　manufacturer；　that　has　cotton…mills　and　steam…　engines；　and　took；　〃the　Place；〃　as　it　was　called；　and　had　a　fine　sign；　THE　CROSS…KEYS；　painted　and　put　up　in　golden　characters；　by　which　it　became　one　of　the　most　noted　inns　anywhere　to　be　seen；　and　the　civility　of　Mrs　Toddy　was　commended　by　all　strangers。　　But　although　this　transmutation　from　a　change…house　to　an　inn　was　a　vast　amendment；　in　a　manner；　to　the　parish；　there　was　little　amendment　of　manners　thereby；　for　the　farmer　lads　began　to　hold　dancings　and　other　riotous　proceedings　there；　and　to　bring；　as　it　were；　the　evil　practices　of　towns　into　the　heart　of　the　country。　　All　sort　of　licence　was　allowed　as　to　drink　and　hours；　and　the　edifying　example　of　Mr　Mutchkins　and　his　pious　family；　was　no　longer　held　up　to　the　imitation　of　the　wayfaring　man。

Saving　the　mutation　of　〃the　Place〃　into　an　inn；　nothing　very　remarkable　happened　in　this　year。　　We　got　into　our　new　manse　about　the　middle　of　March；　but　it　was　rather　damp；　being　new　plastered；　and　it　caused　me　to　have　a　severe　attack　of　the　rheumatics　in　the　fall　of　the　year。

I　should　not；　in　my　notations；　forget　to　mark　a　new　luxury　that　got　in　among　the　commonality　at　this　time。　　By　the　opening　of　new　roads；　and　the　traffic　thereon　with　carts　and　carriers；　and　by　our　young　men　that　were　sailors　going　to　the　Clyde；　and　sailing　to　Jamaica　and　the　West　Indies；　heaps　of　sugar　and　coffee…beans　were　brought　home；　while　many；　among　the　kail…stocks　and　cabbages　in　their　yards；　had　planted　groset　and　berry　bushes；　which　two　things　happening　together；　the　fashion　to　make　jam　and　jelly；　which　hitherto　had　been　only　known　in　the　kitchens　and　confectionaries　of　the　gentry；　came　to　be　introduced　into　the　clachan。　　All　this；　however；　was　not　without　a　plausible　pretext；　for　it　was　found　that　jelly　was　an　excellent　medicine　for　a　sore　throat；　and　jam　a　remedy　as　good　as　London　candy　for　a　cough；　or　a　cold；　or　a　shortness　of　breath。　　I　could　not；　however；　say　that　this　gave　me　so　much　concern　as　the　smuggling　trade；　only　it　occasioned　a　great　fasherie　to　Mrs　Balwhidder；　for；　in　the　berry　time；　there　was　no　end　to　the　borrowing　of　her　brass…pan　to　make　jelly　and　jam；　till　Mrs　Toddy　of　the　Cross…Keys　bought　one；　which；　in　its　turn；　came　into　request；　and　saved　ours。

It　was　in　the　Martinmas　quarter　of　this　year　that　I　got　the　first　payment　of　my　augmentation。　　Having　no　desire　to　rip　up　old　sores；　I　shall　say　no　more　anent　it；　the　worst　being　anticipated　in　my　chronicle　of　the　last　year；　but　there　was　a　thing　happened　in　the　payment　that　occasioned　a　vexation　at　the　time；　of　a　very　disagreeable　nature。　　Daft　Meg　Gaffaw；　who；　from　the　tragical　death　of　her　mother；　was　a　privileged　subject；　used　to　come　to　the　manse　on　the　Saturdays　for　a　meal　of　meat；　and　so　it　fell　out　that　as；　by　some　neglect　of　mine；　no　steps　had　been　taken　to　regulate　the　disposal　of　the　victual　that　constituted　the　means　of　the　augmentation；　some　of　the　heritors；　in　an　ungracious　temper；　sent　what　they　called　the　tithe…ball　（the　Lord　knows　it　was　not　the　fiftieth！）　to　the　manse；　where　I　had　no　place　to　put　it。　　This　fell　out　on　a　Saturday　night；　when　I　was　busy　with　my　sermon；　thinking　not　of　silver　or　gold；　but　of　much　better；　so　that　I　was　greatly　molested　and　disturbed　thereby。　　Daft　Meg；　who　sat　by　the　kitchen　chimley…lug；　hearing　a'；　said　nothing　for　a　time；　but　when　she　saw　how　Mrs　Balwhidder　and　me　were　put　to；　she　cried　out　with　a　loud　voice；　like　a　soul　under　the　inspiration　of　prophecy〃When　the　widow's　cruse　had　filled　all　the　vessels　in　the　house；　the　Lord　stopped　the　increase。　　Verily；　verily；　I　say　unto　you；　if　your　barns　be　filled；　and　your　girnell…kists　can　hold　no　more；　seek　till　ye　shall　find　the　tume　basins　of　the　poor；　and　therein　pour　the　corn；　and　the　oil；　and　the　wine　of　your　abundance；　so　shall　ye　be　blessed　of　the　Lord。〃　　The　which　words　I　took　for　an　admonition；　and　directing　the　sacks　to　be　brought　into　the　dining…room　and　other　chambers　of　the　manse；　I　sent　off　the　heritors'　servants；　that　had　done　me　this　prejudice；　with　an　unexpected　thankfulness。　　But　this；　as　I　afterwards　was　informed；　both　them　and　their　masters　attributed　to　the　greedy　grasp　of　avarice；　with　which　they　considered　me　as　misled；　and　having　said　so；　nothing　could　exceed　their　mortification　on　Monday；　when　they　heard　（for　they　were　of　those　who　had　deserted　the　kirk）　that　I　had　given　by　the　precentor　notice　to　every　widow　in　the　parish　that　was　in　need；　to　come　to　the　manse　and　she　would　receive　her　portion　of　the　partitioning　of　the　augmentation。　　Thus；　without　any　offence　on　my　part；　saving　the　strictness　of　justice；　was　a　division　made　between　me　and　the　heritors；　but　the　people　were　with　me；　and　my　own　conscience　was　with　me；　and　though　the　fronts　of　the　lofts　and　the　pews　of　the　heritors　were　but　thinly　filled；　I　trusted　that　a　good　time　was　coming；　when　the　gentry　would　see　the　error　of　their　way。　　So　I　bent　the　head　of　resignation　to　the　Lord；　and；　assisted　by　the　wisdom　of　Mr　Kibbock；　adhered　to　the　course　I　had　adopted；　but　at　the　close　of　the　year　my　heart　was　sorrowful　for　the　schism；　and　my　prayer　on　Hogmanay　was　one　of　great　bitterness　of　soul；　that　such　an　evil　had　come　to　pass。



CHAPTER　XXIX　　YEAR　1788



It　had　been　often　remarked　by　ingenious　men；　that　the　Brawl　burn；　which　ran　through　the　parish；　though　a　small；　was　yet　a　rapid

stream；　and　had　a　wonderful　capability　for　damming；　and　to　turn　mills。　　From　the　time　that　the　Irville　water　deserted　its　channel　this　brook　grew　into　repute；　and　several　mills　and　dams　had　been　erected　on　its　course。　　In　this　year　a　proposal　came　from　Glasgow　to　build　a　cotton…mill　on　its　banks；　beneath　the　Witch…linn；　which　being　on　a　corner　of　the　Wheatrig；　the　property　of　Mr　Cayenne；　he　not　only　consented　thereto；　but　took　a　part　in　the　profit　or　loss　therein；　and；　being　a　man　of　great　activity；　though　we　thought　him；　for　many　a　day；　a　serpent…plague　sent　upon　the　parish；　he　proved　thereby　one　of　our　greatest　benefactors。　　The　cotton…mill　was　built；　and　a　spacious　fabric　it　wasnothing　like　it　had　been　seen　before　in　our　day　and　generationand；　for　the　people　that　were　brought　to　work　in　it；　a　new　town　was　built　in　the　vicinity；　which　Mr　Cayenne；　the　same　being　founded　on　his　land；　called　Cayenneville；　the　name　of　the　plantation　in　Virginia　that　had　been　taken　from　him　by　the　rebellious　Americans。　　From　that　day　Fortune　was　lavish　of　her　favours　upon　him；　his　property　swelled；　and　grew　in　the　most　extraordinary　manner；　and　the　whole　country　side　was　stirring　with　a　new　life。　　For；　when　the　mill　was　set　a…going；　he　got　weavers　of　muslin　established　in　Cayenneville；　and　shortly　after；　but　that　did　not　take　place　till　the　year　following；　he　brought　women　all　the　way　from　the　neighbourhood　of　Manchester；　in　England；　to　teach　the　lassie　bairns　in　our　old　clachan　tambouring。

Some　of　the　ancient　families；　in　their　turreted　houses；　were　not　pleased　with　this　innovation；　especially　when　they　saw　the　handsome　dwellings　that　were　built　for　the　weavers　of　the　mills；　and　the　unstinted　hand　that　supplied　the　wealth　required　for　the　carrying　on　of　the　business。　　It　sank　their　pride　into　insignificance；　and　many　of　them　would　almost　rather　have　wanted　the　rise　that　took　place　in　the　value　of　their　lands；　than　have　seen　this　incoming　of　what　they　called　o'er…sea　speculation。　　But；　saving　the　building　of　the　cotton…mill；　and　the　beginning　of　Cayenneville；　nothing　more　memorable　happened　in　this　year；　still　it　was　nevertheless　a　year　of　a　great　activity。　　The　minds　of　men　were　excited　to　new　enterprises；　a　new　genius；　as　it　were；　had　descended　upon　the　earth；　and　there　was　an　erect　and　outlooking　spirit　abroad　that　was　not　to　be　satisfied　with　the　taciturn　regularity　of　ancient　affairs。　　Even　Miss　Sabrina　Hooky；　the　schoolmistress；　though　now　waned　from　her　meridian；　was　touched　with　the　enlivening　rod；　and　set　herself　to　learn　and　to　teach　tambouring；　in　such　a　manner　as　to　supersede　by　precept　and　example　that　old　time…honoured　functionary；　as　she　herself　called　it；　the　spinning…wheel；　proving；　as　she