Looking Back Now On That Life Of Toil, I Can Not But Feel Thankful
That It Formed Such A Material Part Of My Early Education;
And, Were It Possible, I Should Like To Begin Life Over Again
In The Same Lowly Style, And To Pass Through The Same Hardy Training.
Time and travel have not effaced the feelings of respect I imbibed
for the humble inhabitants of my native village.
For morality, honesty,
and intelligence, they were, in general, good specimens of the Scottish poor.
In a population of more than two thousand souls, we had, of course,
a variety of character. In addition to the common run of men,
there were some characters of sterling worth and ability,
who exerted a most beneficial influence on the children and youth of the place
by imparting gratuitous religious instruction.* Much intelligent interest
was felt by the villagers in all public questions, and they furnished a proof
that the possession of the means of education did not render them
an unsafe portion of the population. They felt kindly toward each other,
and much respected those of the neighboring gentry who,
like the late Lord Douglas, placed some confidence in their sense of honor.
Through the kindness of that nobleman, the poorest among us
could stroll at pleasure over the ancient domains of Bothwell,
and other spots hallowed by the venerable associations of which
our school-books and local traditions made us well aware;
and few of us could view the dear memorials of the past
without feeling that these carefully kept monuments were our own.
The masses of the working-people of Scotland have read history,
and are no revolutionary levelers.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 28 of 1070
Words from 8711 to 8989
of 306638
