The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

184 WAVERLEY N OVELS.
localities, teinds, and overtures in that session of the General Assembly, to
which, unfortunately for his auditors, he chanced one year to act as moderator, was nevertheless a good man, in the old Scottish presbyterian phrase,
God-ward and man-wart No divine was more attentive in visiting the
sick and afflicted, in catechizing the youth, in instructing the ignorant, and
in reproving the erring. And hence, notwithstanding impatience of his
prolixity and prejudices, personal or professional, and notwithstanding,
moreover, a certain habitual contempt for his understanding, especially on
affairs of genius and taste, on which Blattergowl was apt to be diffuse, from
his hope of one day fighting his way to a chair of rhetoric or belles lettres,
- notwithstanding, I say, all' the prejudices excited against him by these
circumstances, our friend the Antiquary looked with great regard and
respect on the said Blattergowl, though I own he could seldom, even by his
sense of decency and the remonstrances of his womankind, be hounded out,
as he called it, to hear him preach. But he regularly took shame to himself for his absence when Blattergowl came to Monkbains to dinner, to
which he was always invited of a Sunday, a mode of testifying his respect
which the proprietor probably thought fully as agreeable to the clergyman,
and rather more congenial to his own habits.
To return from a digression which can only serve to introduce the honest
clergyman more particularly to our readers, Mr. Blattergowl had no sooner
entered the hut, and received the mute and melancholy salutations of the
company whom it contained, than he edged himself towards the unfortunate father, and seemed to endeavour to slide in a few words of condolence
or of consolation. But the old man was incapable as yet of receiving
either; he nodded, however, gruffly, and shook the clergyman's hand in
acknowledgment of his good intentions, but was either unable or unwilling
to make any verbal reply.
The minister next passed to the mother, moving along the floor as slowly,
silently, and gradually, as if-he had been afraid that the ground would,
like unsafe ice, break beneath his feet, or that the first echo of a footstep
was to dissolve some magic spell, and plunge the hut, with all its inmates,
into a subterranean abyss. The tenor of what he had said to the poor
woman could only be judged by her answers, as, half-stifled by sobs illrepressed, and by the covering which she still kept over her countenance,
she faintly answered at each pause in his speech-" Yes, sir, yes!-Ye're
very gude - ye're very gude! - Nae doubt, nae doubt! - It's our duty to
submnit! - But, O dear, my poor Steenie! the pride o' my very heart, that
was sae handsome and comely, and a help to his family, and a comfort to
us a', and a pleasure to a' that lookit on him! -O my bairn! my bairn!
my bairn! what. for is thou lying there i - and eh! what for am I left to
greet for ye!"
There was no contending with this burst of sorrow and natural affection.
Oldbuck had repeated recourse to his snuff-box to conceal the tears which,
despite his shrewd and caustic temper, were apt to start on such occasions.
The female assistants whimpered, the men held their bonnets to their faces,
and spoke apart with each other. The clergyman, meantime, addressed his
glhostl'y consolation to the aged grandmother. At first she listened, or
seemed to listen, to what he said, with the apathy of her usual unconsciousYess. But as, in pressing this theme, he approached so near to her ear
that the sense of his words became distinctly intelligible to her, though
unheard by those who stood more distant, her countenance at once assumed
that stern and expressive cast which characterized her intervals of-intelligence. She drew up her head and body, shook her head in a manner that
showed at least impatience, if not scorn of his counsel, and waved her
hand slightly, but with a gesture so expressive, as to indicate to all who
witnessed it a marked and disdainful rejection of the ghostly consolation
proffered to her. The minister stepped back as if repulsed, and, by lifting