truly I was rejoiced at the condition of the hearts of my people.
There was a universal sympathy among them; and it was soon ordered
that, what with one and another, her decay should be provided for.
But it was not ordained that she should be long heavy on their good-
will. On the Monday the school was given up, and there was nothing
but wailing among the bit lassies, the scholars, for getting the
vacance, as the poor things said, because the mistress was going to
lie down to dee. And, indeed, so it came to pass; for she took to
her bed the same afternoon, and, in the course of the week, dwindled
away, and slipped out of this howling wilderness into the kingdom of
heaven, on the Sabbath following, as quietly as a blessed saint
could do. And here I should mention, that the Lady Macadam, when I
told her of Nanse Banks's case, enquired if she was a snuffer, and,
being answered by me that she was, her ladyship sent her a pretty
French enamel box full of macabaw, a fine snuff that she had in a
bottle; and, among the macabaw, was found a guinea, at the bottom of
the box, after Nanse Banks had departed this life, which was a kind
thing of Lady Macadam to do.

About the close of this year there was a great sough of old
prophecies, foretelling mutations and adversities, chiefly on
account of the canal that was spoken of to join the rivers of the
Clyde and the Forth, it being thought an impossible thing to be
done; and the Adam and Eve pear-tree, in our garden, budded out in
an awful manner, and had divers flourishes on it at Yule, which was
thought an ominous thing, especially as the second Mrs Balwhidder
was at the downlying with my eldest son Gilbert, that is, the
merchant in Glasgow; but nothing came o't, and the howdie said she
had an easy time when the child came into the world, which was on
the very last day of the year, to the great satisfaction of me, and