A painful scene took place at Knowe Park next day, when Mrs. Barrie told of her father’s trial at the law, the fine, and how it not only drained his purse, but broke his heart.
Colonel Gordon now understood why his brother had written to him so urgently from his dying-bed to be kind to the Gordons of the Granaries, if ever he had the opportunity. He did all that he now could do to atone for the grievous wrong his brother had done to her father, by handing over at once a considerable portion of his means to the family at Knowe Park.
The Colonel died a few years after this, and in his will, all that he was possessed of was bequeathed to Mrs. Barrie and her family, burdened with an annuity of fifty pounds a year to Daniel Corbett, and some trifling legacies.
“WHAT WILL HE DO WITH IT?”
From the day that Dan had told the smuggling adventure, Colonel Gordon had been kind to him, and every now and again the banker sent a request to Dan to call at the bank for money. Not even going to church put Dan more about than going to the bank; the stanchels of the windows kept his solitary eye busy, and as soon as he put his cross to the receipt, he slunk out, and took a by-road home.
Where to put the money exercised his mind sadly. He thought everybody knew he had it. At length he put it under one of the rough flags of the floor, where “Burke” lay, wrapping it well with old paper, and stuffing it thereafter into an old game-bag. The money contributed little to his personal comfort, but he occasionally helped his poorer neighbours. Bell tried to get something for the missionary cause. His answer was barely civil: “Send siller to the niggers! no’ very likely!” Dan’s nature was a secretive one; few could make anything of him, none much to boast of, for on all emotional subjects he was “cabined, cribbed, confined.”
The Free Church of Blinkbonny heard with mingled feelings, chiefly, I must confess, composed of deep regret, that the “Wishart” church in Edinburgh had resolved to call Mr. Barrie to be their pastor. Many of us knew that he was highly appreciated in places where he occasionally preached, and that his appearances in the synods and assemblies had brought him into favourable notice; and although we had been gratified to hear strangers express themselves as astonished that he should be allowed to remain in Blinkbonny, the idea of his really leaving us was never seriously entertained.
Colonel Gordon’s unexpected gift had added very materially to Mr. Barrie’s comfort, in as far as it enabled him to do more for the education of his children than the “equal dividend” of the Free Church alone could admit of; and he had tried to prevent a call from coming out in his favour.
He was, however, overborne by the urgent solicitations, not only of the Wishart congregation, but even more so by fathers and brethren in the ministry, who pressed him very closely to accept of the call to Edinburgh. Mrs. Barrie, on whose judgment he relied more implicitly than on all others put together, declined to express any opinion on this subject. She was pleased to see that her husband’s gifts were appreciated, and felt that benefits to the Church, as well as to her family, were likely to result from his going to Edinburgh. But she liked Blinkbonny, and she had heard of the heavy calls and frequent worries of a city charge; and as she could not make up her mind which she would prefer, she remained neutral, although not at all taciturn.
PRO AND CON.