puir Geordie's coffin. He gie'd ae bitter
groan, an' wad' hae fa'n to the earth had'na a kind neebor supported
him. His mind wandered frae that hour; he was aye harmless, but the
light o' reason never cam' back to his tortured mind. Sometimes he wad
sit for hours by Geordie's grave, an' fancy that he talked wi' him. On
these occasions nothing wad induce him to leave the grave till some
ither fancy attracted his mind. As I hae before said he was never
outrageous, but seemed most o' the time, when silent, to be in deep
thought; but his reason was quite gone, and the doctors allowed that his
case was beyond cure. Many questioned them as to whether it were safe to
allow him his liberty, lest he might do some deed o' violence; but they
gave it as their opinion that his disease was'na at a' likely to tak'
that turn wi' him, an' so he was left to wander on. He never bided verra
lang in a place, but wandered frae house to house through a' the
country-side: and every one treated him wi' kindness. The sight o' a
bonny fair-haired boy aye gave him muckle pleasure, an' he wad whiles
hae the idea that Geordie had cam' back to him. From the day o'
Geordie's death to that o' his ain', which took place a month sine, he
was ne'er kenned to taste strong drink; he could'na bear even the sight
o' it. He lived to a verra great age, an' for many years they who did'na
ken the story o' his early life ha'e ca'd him Wanderin' Davy. I hae noo
tell'd you his story," said Mr. C. addressing me; "an' I hope it may
prove a warnin' to you an' ithers o' the awfu' evils o' intemperance;
an' I think it's high time my story was finished, for I see by the clock
that it's growin' unco late." When the evening psalm had been sung, Mr.
C. read a portion of the Scriptures and offered the usual nightly
prayer, and soon after we all sought repose; but it was long ere I
slept. The story I had listened to still floated through my mind, and
when sleep at length closed my eyes it was to dream of "Wandering Davy,"
and the poor drowned boy.

LOOKING ON THE DARK SIDE.

It is an old but true saying, that "troubles come soon enough without
meeting them half way." But I think my friend Mrs. Talbot had never
chanced to hear this saying, old as it is; for she was extremely prone
at all times to look only upon the dark side, and this habit was a
source of much trouble to herself as well as her family. Mr. Talbot
might properly have been called a well-to-do farmer. Th