atitude for the manner
in which he had achieved the important task intrusted to him in his
family.

His lordship had privately purchased from the Mowbray family the
patronage or advowson of the living of St. Ronan's, then held by a very
old incumbent, who died shortly afterwards; so that upon arriving in
England Cargill found himself named to the vacant living. So
indifferent, however, did he feel himself towards this preferment, that
he might possibly not have taken the trouble to go through the necessary
steps previous to his ordination, had it not been on account of his
mother, now a widow, and unprovided for, unless by the support which he
afforded her. He visited her in her small retreat in the suburbs of
Marchthorn, heard her pour out her gratitude to Heaven, that she should
have been granted life long enough to witness her son's promotion to a
charge, which in her eyes was more honourable and desirable than an
Episcopal see--heard her chalk out the life which they were to lead
together in the humble independence which had thus fallen on him--he
heard all this, and had no power to crush her hopes and her triumph by
the indulgence of his own romantic feelings. He passed almost
mechanically through the usual forms, and was inducted into the living
of St. Ronan's.

Although fanciful and romantic, it was not in Josiah Cargill's nature to
yield to unavailing melancholy; yet he sought relief, not in society,
but in solitary study. His seclusion was the more complete, that his
mother, whose education had been as much confined as her fortunes, felt
awkward under her new dignities, and willingly acquiesced in her son's
secession from society, and spent her whole time in superintending the
little household, and in her way providing for all emergencies, the
occurrence of which might call Josiah out of his favourite book-room. As
old age rendered her inactive, she began to regret the incapacity of her
son to superintend his own household, and talked something of matrimony,
and the mysteries of the muckle wheel. To these admonitions Mr. Cargill
returned only slight and evasive answers; and when the old lady slept in
the village churchyard, at a reverend old age, there was no one to
perform the office of superintendent in the minister's family. Neither
did Josiah Cargill seek for any, but patiently submitted to all the
evils with which a bachelor estate is attended, and which were at least
equal to those which beset the renow