Kirkcudbright could quite well distinguish the name from the reality; and
long after they were Christian men they would tell with reverence and
with love when, and from whom, they took their first and
never-to-be-forgotten impressions. It was, they would say to their
children, from that woman of such rare godliness as well as public
spirit, Marion M'Naught.

It was all this, and nothing other and nothing less than all this, that
made Marion M'Naught Rutherford's favourite correspondent. Her mind and
her heart together early and often drew her across the country to
Rutherford's preaching. Marion M'Naught had a good minister of her own
at home; but Rutherford was Rutherford, and he made Anwoth Anwoth. I
think I can understand something of her delight on Communion forenoons,
when his text was Christ Dying, in John xii. 32, or the Syro-Phoenician
woman, in Matt. xv. 28. And then the feasts on the fast-days at
Kirkcudbright, over the cloud of witnesses, in Heb. xii. 1, and all tears
wiped away, in Rev. xxi. 4, and the marriage of the Lamb, in xix. 7. And
then, on the other hand, Rutherford is not surely to be blamed for loving
such a hearer. His Master loved a Mary also of His day, for that also
among other good reasons. If a good hearer likes a good preacher, why
should a good preacher not like a good hearer? Take a holiday, and give
us another day soon of such and such a preacher, our people sometimes say
to us. And why should that preacher not also say to us, Give me a day
soon again of your good hearers? As a matter of fact, our good preaching
friends do say that to us. And why not? Fine hearers, deep hearers,
thoroughly well-prepared hearers, hearers of genius are almost as scarce
as fine, deep, thoroughly well-prepared preachers and preachers of
genius. And who shall blame Rutherford for liking to see Marion M'Naught
coming into the church on a Sabbath morning as well as she liked to see
him coming into the pulpit? 'I go to Anwoth so often,' she said,