roducing me to a wide circle of influential friends.

Nor, whilst the pen leads on my mind to recall these Border memories,
must I fail to record how John Scott Dudgeon, Esq., Longnewton, a
greatly esteemed Elder of the Church went from town to town in all that
region, and from Minister to Minister, arranging for me a series of
happy meetings. I shared also the hospitality of his beautiful home, and
added himself and his much-beloved wife to the precious roll of those
who are dear for the Gospel's sake and for their own. Her Majesty's
Commissioner to the General Assembly for the year was that distinguished
Christian as well as nobleman, the Earl of Aberdeen. He graciously
invited me to meet the Countess and himself at ancient Holyrood. After
dinner he withdrew himself for a lengthened time from the general
company, and entered into a close and interested conversation about our
Mission, and especially about the threatened annexation of the New
Hebrides by the French.

There also I had the memorable pleasure of meeting, and for a long while
conversing with that truly noble and large-hearted lady, his mother, the
much-beloved Dowager-Countess well known for her life-long devotion to
so many schemes of Christian philanthropy. At her own home, Alva House,
she afterwards arranged meetings for me, as well as in Halls and
Churches in the immediately surrounding district; and her letters of
interest in the work, of sympathy, and of helpfulness, from time to time
received, were amongst the sustaining forces of my spiritual life.

When one sees men and women of noble rank thus consecrating themselves
in humble and faithful service to Jesus, there dawns upon the mind a
glimpse of what the prophet means, and of what the world will be like,
when it can be said regarding the Church of God on Earth,--"Kings have
become thy nursing fathers, and their Queens thy nursing mothers."

CHAPTER LXXXVI.
MY CAMPAIGN IN IRELAND.

MY steps were next directed towards Ireland, immediately after the
Church meetings at Edinburgh; first to 'Derry, where the Presbyterian
Assembly was met in annual conclave, and thereafter to Belfast, where
the Pan-Presbyterian Council was shortly to sit. The eloquent fervor of
the Brethren at 'Derry was like a refreshing breeze to my spirit; I
never met Ministers anywhere, in all my travels, who seemed more
wholehearted in their devotion to the work which the Lord had given them
to do.

I addressed the Assemb