commanded Thomas to follow him, and left the house. The case was
this--the gable of the byre had been blown down, which, as it was of his
own building, was not of the most durable nature.

In due time the joyful father had his first-born son laid in his arms:
his joy knew no bounds. The _bicker_ was now sent round with
increasing rapidity; and Thomas, then in his fourteenth year, was
carried to his bed, to use his own words, "between the late and the
early, in a gude way, for the first time."--Such was the birth-night
of the poet.

How long Thomas Reid remained in the service of William Burns does not
appear. It is certain, however, that he was with him when Robert first
went to plough, as Thomas has repeatedly told, as an instance of Burns's
early addiction to reading, that he has seen him go to, and return from
plough, with a book in his hand, and at meal-times "_supping his
parritch_" with one hand and holding the book in the other.

It would appear that he had, in process of time, got better acquainted
with his sweetheart at Maybole Fair, for he married her. It was on this
occasion that he rented the Shanter farm, which, with the assistance of
his father-in-law, he stocked and furnished. But fortune went against
him:

"His cattle died, and blighted was his corn;"


and an unfortunate friend, for whom he had become security for
150_l._, failed. Under such a load of ill, he, like many others,
sought for consolation in the "yill cups;" and any errand which served