ghbourhood,
who, interested by the boy's precocity, often sent for him to read to
her. This kind-hearted individual was Mrs Baillie, widow of the Rev. Dr
Baillie of Hamilton, who was then resident at Longcalderwood, and whose
celebrated daughter, Joanna Baillie, afterwards took a warm interest in
the fame and fortunes of her mother's _protege_. From the age of eight
to fourteen, young Struthers was engaged as a cowherd and in general
work about a farm; he then apprenticed himself to a shoemaker. On the
completion of his indenture, he practised his craft several years in his
native village till September 1801, when he sought a wider field of
business in Glasgow. In 1804, he produced his first and most celebrated
poem, "The Poor Man's Sabbath," which, printed at his own risk, was well
received, and rapidly passed through two editions. On the recommendation
of Sir Walter Scott, to whom the poem was made known by Joanna Baillie,
Constable published a third edition in 1808, handing the author thirty
pounds for the copyright. Actively employed in his trade, Struthers
continued to devote his leisure hours to composition. In 1816 he
published a pamphlet "On the State of the Labouring Poor." A more
ambitious literary effort was carried out in 1819; he edited a
collection of the national songs, which was published at Glasgow, under
the title of "The Harp of Caledonia," in three vols. 18mo. To this work
Joanna Baillie, Mrs John Hunter, and Mr William Smyth of Cambridge
contributed songs, while Scott and others permitted the re-publication
of such of their lyrics as the author chose to select.

Struthers married early in life. About the year 1818 his wife and two of
his children were snatched from him by death, and these bereavements so
affected him, as to render him unable to prosecute his labours as a
tradesman. He now procured employment as a corrector of the press, in
the printing-office of Khull, Blackie, & Co. During his connexion with
this establishment he assisted in preparing an edition of "Wodrow's
History," and produced a "History of Scotland" from the political Union
in 1707 to the year 1827, the date of its publication. These works--the
latter extending to two octavo volumes--were published by his employers.
On a dissolution of their co-partnership, in 1827, Struthers was thrown
out of employment till his appointment, in 1832, to the Keepership of
Stirling's Library, a respectable institution in Glasgow. This
situation