Balwhidder, my first wife; she was grievously burnt by looting over
a candle. Her mutch, which was of the high structure then in vogue,
took fire, and being fastened with corking-pins to a great toupee,
it could not be got off until she had sustained a deadly injury, of
which, after lingering long, she was kindly eased by her removal
from trouble. This sore accident was to me a matter of deep concern
and cogitation; but as it happened in Tarbolton, and no in our
parish, I have only alluded to it to show, that when my people were
chastised by the hand of Providence, their pastor was not spared,
but had a drop from the same vial.



CHAPTER XIX YEAR 1778



This year was as the shadow of the bygane: there was less actual
suffering, but what we came through cast a gloom among us, and we
did not get up our spirits till the spring was far advanced; the
corn was in the ear, and the sun far towards midsummer height,
before there was any regular show of gladness in the parish.

It was clear to me that the wars were not to be soon over; for I
noticed, in the course of this year, that there was a greater
christening of lad bairns than had ever been in any year during my
incumbency; and grave and wise persons, observant of the signs of
the times, said, that it had been long held as a sure
prognostication of war, when the births of male children outnumbered
that of females.