so the honour of being read--for I never
offered it for publication--by one who felt much interest in the
characters and plot--Professor Wilson's lady--who, alas! went too early
to where he himself also now is; lost, though not to fond recollection,
yet to love and life below. I contributed some papers to the _Clydesdale
Magazine_, and I sent a sort of poetic tale to the editor, telling him
to do with it whatever he might think proper. He published it
anonymously, and it was sold about Clydesdale.

"My intention had been to qualify myself for the University, and,
perhaps in regard to Latin and Greek acquirements, I might have
proceeded thither earlier than I ventured to do; but having now made
myself master of my more immediate tasks, I took more liberty. A
gentleman, who, on coming home after having made his fortune abroad,
took up his residence at Biggar. I had, in these days, an aversion to
coming into contact with rich strangers, and although he lived with a
family which I was accustomed to visit, I bore aloof from being
introduced to him. But he came to me one day on the hill of
Bizzie-berry, and frankly told me that he wished to be acquainted with
me, and therefore had taken the liberty of introducing himself. I found
excuse for not dining with him on that day, but not so the next, nor for
many days afterwards. He was intellectual--and his intelligence was only
surpassed by his generosity. He gave me to understand that his horse was
as much at my service as his own; and one learned, by and by, to keep
all wishes and wants as much out of view as possible, in case that they
should be attended to when you yourself had forgotten them. When he
began to rally me about my limited knowledge of the world, I knew that
some excursion was in contemplation. We, on one occasion, rode down the
Clyde, finding out, so far as we might, all things, both natural and
artificial, worthy of being seen; and when at Greenock, he was anxious
that we should have gone into the Highlands, but I resisted; for
although not so much as a shade of the expenses was allowed to fall on
me, I felt only the more ashamed of the extent of them.

"I had become acquainted with a number of people whom I delighted to
visit occasionally; one family in particular, who lived amid the beauty
of 'the wild glen sae green.' The song now widely known by this name I
wrote for a member of this delightful family, who at that time herded
one of the _hirsels_ of his fat