To-morrow, God willing, we embark in a smack at Leith, so that you will
not hear from me again till it please Him to take us in the hollow of His
hand to London. In the meantime, I have only to add, that, when the
Session meets, I wish you would speak to the elders, particularly to Mr.
Craig, no to be overly hard on that poor donsie thing, Meg Milliken,
about her bairn; and tell Tam Glen, the father o't, from me, that it
would have been a sore heart to that pious woman, his mother, had she
been living, to have witnessed such a thing; and therefore I hope and
trust, he will yet confess a fault, and own Meg for his wife, though she
is but something of a tawpie. However, you need not diminish her to Tam.
I hope Mr. Snodgrass will give as much satisfaction to the parish as can
reasonably be expected in my absence; and I remain, dear sir, your friend
and pastor, ZACHARIAH PRINGLE.
Mr. Micklewham received the Doctor's letter about an hour before the
Session met on the case of Tam Glen and Meg Milliken, and took it with
him to the session-house, to read it to the elders before going into the
investigation. Such a long and particular letter from the Doctor was, as
they all justly remarked, kind and dutiful to his people, and a great
pleasure to them.
Mr. Daff observed, "Truly the Doctor's a vera funny man, and wonderfu'
jocose about the toddy-bowl." But Mr. Craig said, that "sic a thing on
the Lord's night gi'es me no pleasure; and I am for setting my face
against Waverley's History of the Rebellion, whilk I hae heard spoken
of among the ungodly, both at Kilwinning and Dalry; and if it has no
respect to Protestant principles, I doubt it's but another dose o' the
radical poison in a new guise." Mr. Icenor, however, thought that "the
observe on the great Doctor Drystour was very edifying; and that they
should see about getting him to help at the summer Occasion."
{1} While they were thus reviewing, in their way, the first epistle of the
Doctor, the betherel came in to say that Meg and Tam were at the door.
"Oh, man," said Mr. Daff, slyly, "ye shouldna hae left them at the door
by themselves." Mr. Craig looked at him austerely, and muttered
something about the growing immorality of this backsliding age; but
before the smoke of his indignation had kindled into eloquence, the
delinquents were admitted. However, as we have nothing to do with the
business, we shall leave them to their own deliberations.