whole town. When Charles had seen his mother, and his sister Effie,
with that douce and well-mannered lad William, his brother--for of
their meeting I cannot speak, not being present--he then came with
his friend to see me at the manse, and was most jocose with me, and,
in a way of great pleasance, got Mrs Balwhidder to ask his friend to
sleep at the manse. In short, we had just a ploy the whole two days
they stayed with us, and I got leave from Lord Eaglesham's steward
to let them shoot on my lord's land; and I believe every laddie wean
in the parish attended them to the field. As for old Lady Macadam,
Charles being, as she said, a near relation, and she having likewise
some knowledge of his comrade's family, she was just in her element
with them, though they were but youths; for she a woman naturally of
a fantastical, and, as I have narrated, given to comical devices,
and pranks to a degree. She made for them a ball, to which she
invited all the bonniest lassies, far and near, in the parish, and
was out of the body with mirth, and had a fiddler from Irville; and
it was thought by those that were there, that had she not been
crippled with the rheumatics, she would have danced herself. But I
was concerned to hear both Charles and his friend, like hungry
hawks, rejoicing at the prospect of the war, hoping thereby, as soon
as their midship term was out, to be made lieutenants; saving this,
there was no allay in the happiness they brought with them to the
parish, and it was a delight to see how auld and young of all
degrees made of Charles; for we were proud of him, and none more
than myself, though he began to take liberties with me, calling me
old governor; it was, however, in a warm-hearted manner, only I did
not like it when any of the elders heard. As for his mother, she
deported herself like a saint on the occasion. There was a
temperance in the pleasure of her heart, and in her thankfulness,
that is past the compass of words to describe. Even Lady Macadam,