AND NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE.
1885.
CONTENTS.
[The Covenanting Family, (John Mackay Wilson)]
[The Old Chronicler's Tales, (Alexander Leighton)]
[The Prince of Scotland]
[Retribution, (Alexander Campbell)]
[The Professor's Tales, (Professor Thomas Gillespie)]
[The Enthusiast]
[Trees and Burns]
[Kirkyards]
[Polwarth on the Green, (John Mackay Wilson)]
[The Festival, (John Mackay Wilson)]
[A Legend of Holyrood, (Alexander Leighton)]
[The Restored Son, (Oliver Richardson)]
[The Skean Dhu, (Alexander Campbell)]
[The Seven Years' Dearth, (John Howell)]
[The Order of the Garter. A Story of Wark Castle, (John Mackay Wilson)]
WILSON'S TALES OF THE BORDERS, AND OF SCOTLAND.
THE COVENANTING FAMILY.
Thirty years ago, there dwelt an old man named Simon Cockburn, who followed the avocations of parish teacher and precentor. Every Saturday afternoon, after he had washed his hands from the labours of the week, he went down to the public-house of the village in which he dwelt, and took his seat by the parlour window or fire (according as it was summer or winter), to read the newspaper, and see, as he said, "what country Bonaparte had conquered this week;" and, as Simon read of some new achievement of "the terrible Corsican," as he called him, he was wont to lay down the newspaper, take off his spectacles, and say unto himself aloud, "But if the chield should come owre to Britain, surely he will never be guilty o' the cruelty and folly o' doing onything to the parish schoolmasters. He owes so much to learning himsel, that he will certainly respect those who impart it to others."