Soulis had been
ower-lang at the college. He was careful and troubled for mony things
besides the ae thing needful. He had a feck o' books wi' him--mair than
had ever been seen before in a' that presbytery; and a sair wark the
carrier had wi' them, for they were a' like to have smoored in the
Deil's Hag between this and Kilmackerlie. They were books o' divinity,
to be sure, or so they ca'd them; but the serious were o' opinion there
was little service for sae mony, when the hail o' God's Word would gang
in the neuk of a plaid. Then he wad sit half the day and half the nicht
forby, which was scant decent--writin', nae less; and first they were
feard he wad read his sermons; and syne it proved he was writin' a
book himsel', which was surely no fittin' for ane of his years an' sma'
experience.
Onyway, it behooved him to get an auld, decent wife to keep the manse
for him an' see to his bit denners; and he was recommended to an auld
limmer,--Janet M'Clour, they ca'd her,--and sae far left to himsel' as
to be ower-persuaded. There was mony advised him to the contrar', for
Janet was mair than suspeckit by the best folk in Ba'weary.
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