sing of God may descend on "each and all of
you," is the fervent prayer of her kinswoman and executrix,_

_CLEMENTINA STIRLING GRAHAM._

I now beg to "convey," as Pistol delicately calls it, or as we on our
side the Border would say, to "lift," enough of this unique volume to
make my readers hunger for the whole.

MRS. RAMSAY SPELDIN.

Another evening Miss Guthrie requested me to introduce my old
lady to Captain Alexander Lindsay, a son of the late Laird of
Kinblethmont, and brother to the present Mr. Lindsay Carnegie,
and Mr. Sandford, the late Sir Daniel Sandford.

She came as a Mrs. Ramsay Speldin, an old sweetheart of the
laird's, and was welcomed by Mrs. Guthrie as a friend of the
family. The young people hailed her as a perfectly delightful
old lady, and an original of the pure Scottish character, and to
the laird she was endeared by a thousand pleasing recollections.

He placed her beside himself on the sofa, and they talked of the
days gone by--before the green parks of Craigie were redeemed
from the muir of Gotterston, and ere there was a tree planted
between the auld house of Craigie and the Castle of Claypotts.

She spoke of the "gude auld times, when the laird of Fintry
widna gie his youngest dochter to Abercairney, but tell'd him to
tak them as God had gien them to him, or want."

"And do you mind," she continued, "the grand ploys we had at the
Middleton; and hoo Mrs. Scott of Gilhorn used to grind lilts out
o' an auld kist to wauken her visitors i' the mornin'.

"And some o' them didna like it sair, tho' nane o' them had
courage to tell her sae, but Anny Graham o' Duntrune.

"'Lord forgie ye,' said Mrs. Scott, 'ye'll no gae to heaven, if
ye dinna like music;' but Anny was never at a loss for an
answer, and she said, 'Mrs. Scott--heaven's no the place I tak
it to be, if there be auld wives in 't playing on hand-organs.'"

Many a story did Mrs. Ramsay tell. The party drew their chairs
close to the sofa, and many a joke she related, till the room
rung again with the merriment, and the laird, in ecstasy, caught
her round the waist, exclaiming "Oh! ye are a canty wifie."

The strangers seemed to think so too; they absolutely hung upon
her, and she danced reels, first with the one, and then with the
other, till the entrance o