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are employed, and their abstract nature is largely got rid of, by a reference to a well-known and well-understood standard. Thus, instead of, or in addition to, the exact absolute dimensions, the child learns numerical values by way of comparison, thus,—that Snowdon is ten times as high as St Paul's; that the longest river of Europe, the Volga, is ten times as long as the Thames; and that its greatest Lake is the size of Yorkshire; that Italy is as large as the United Kingdom; and that France has a population onethird greater; and that the population of the entire British Empire is onefifth of that of the whole world. How much this kind of comparison facilitates comprehension, and assists the memory, it is needless to dwell upon. The Geography for Beginners is intended to be to the larger work-the School Geography-what the Grammar for Beginners has been to the School Grammar: and the Author can only hope that it may serve the purpose as well. With some children in elementary schools it may be the only book made use of; but it is meant to be an INTRODUCTION to the Author's School Geography, to which constant references are made for a treatment of the subject wider in its range than the plan of this little work admits of."

ECCLESIASTICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Presentation. The Queen has presented the Rev. Adam Inch Ritchie, to the church and parish of Fettercairn, Kincardine.

Presentation. Mr Oswald, of Auchencruive, has presented the Rev. Archibald Charteris, M.A., to the parish of St Quivox, as assistant and successor to the present incumbent.

Presentation. We understand that the Rev. Thomas Andrews, at present missionary in connection with St Matthew's Church, Glasgow, has been presented to the church of St Luke's, Young Street, Edinburgh.

Induction.-On Thursday the Presbytery of Perth inducted the Rev. Mr Graham, late of Abernyte, to the pastoral charge of the parish of Errol, vacant by the removal of the Rev. Mr Caird to Glasgow.

Appointment.-At a meeting of the congregations of Dunoon and Kilmun, the Rev. J. W. Heburn was unanimously elected to be assistant minister in this united parish.

New Parish.-At a meeting of the Presbytery of Hamilton, the official documents were produced for the disjunction from Old Monkland, and the erection into a separate parish, of Gartsherrie Chapel, which were unanimously sustained, and the Rev. Bryce Johnston Bell took his seat as a member of Presbytery.

Parish of Dun.-The Rev. C. S. M'Lean of St Luke's Church, Glasgow, has intimated his acceptance of the call to the church and parish of Dun, vacant by the death of the Rev. John Eadie.

The Earl of Mansfield.-The Gazette announces that the Queen has appointed the Earl of Mansfield to be her Majesty's High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

University Degrees.—The Senatus Academicus of the University of Edinburgh, at their meeting of the 10th April, conferred the degree of D.D. on the Rev. John Taylor, Professor of Divinity in the Presbyterian College of Canada; and the degree of LL.D. on J. F. Ferrier, Esq., Professor of Moral Philosophy in the University of St Andrews.

University of Glasgow.-Principal Barclay has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University by his Grace the Duke of Montrose.

Died, on the 1st inst., at the manse of Fyvie, the Rev. James Cruickshank, D.D., minister of the parish.

Died, at Catherine Bank, on the 5th inst., the Rev. Alexander Davidson, minister of North Leith.

MACPHAIL'S

EDINBURGH ECCLESIASTICAL JOURNAL.

No. CXLIX.

JUNE 1858.

our

OUR PARISH.

CHAPTER I.

We love our parish, with its old name, Woodlands, suggestive of rural peace and beauty. Almost all our recollections and associations are connected with it. We have lived, are living, and will probably finish days within its-bounds. Our father was parish doctor, we were reared in a cottage in one of the pleasantest of Woodlands' pleasant nooks. We were whipped in the parish school by the parish schoolmaster. When we played truant, we birdnested in the parish hedgerows caught minnows in the parish burns-when jackets and flip-flaps gave place to shooting-coats and stick-ups-we were bound apprentice to the parish lawyer-became ditto afterwards ourselves—were married by the parish minister-we sit in the parish kirk—and now live by the parish, attending to parish business. So far our present and past in respect of said division of earth's surface, but our future too, seems linked with it; for our son will likely step into our shoes, and the parish churchyard will claim our bones, and the parish sexton cover us in.

So you see we are of the parish parochial, and are entitled to speak authoratively about its affairs. In fact, we know everything about every man, women, and child, farm, factory, and workshop in it. We love its interests, and are proud of it, though not so proud as we were a year ago, for reasons to be hereinafter mentioned. Something about Woodlands we are going to write, and, O reader, you must pardon our egotism; and thinking as you read of your own homeparish, pardon too, an old man, if he thurst his story upon you, and

VOL. XXV.

R

sometimes be as gossipy as the gossiping looms, telling his tale as it comes into memory, here a bit, there a bit—but all of it true and trustworthy as the old vane of the grey parish spire, which never has failed these fifty years to tell old Sandy the beadle, which way the wind blew in the morning.

The old minister was a man made to be minister of such a place. In it he had been for forty years. When he came, he was a brighteyed, earnest youth, people said, not very ministerial looking, and in consequence, a few kept aloof from him for a time; but when he was known, he was loved by all, old and young, rich and poor, so good and so faithful was he. He worked for the Master and not for himself. None were too poor to be called brother by him, and he was a match for the best in manners and bearing. The people came to understand that they had found a treasure, for a real treasure to them he was. His benignant countenance, as he grew older, came ever like the sun's light to gladden. Whether he stood among the glad marriage or christening party, or came to the sadder assembly of funeral mourners, there was the gladening influence. Into the gay circle he brought more gladness, and in sorrow half the shadow fled as he entered.

Nature smiled on one so good. His wife was a help meet for him; and there was not a prettier nor a happier home in the country than Woodlands' Manse. It was a pleasant sight indeed, to see its neatly kept shrubberies and flower beds, its hospitable porch and comfortable interior. It was a happy home,—such a dwelling as they only who have known a Scottish Manse can picture. But the charm of that dwelling of peace was the minister, verily we would not have exchanged him for your Chalmers, or Thompson, or your great guns of any kind. They might beat him in preaching, but none of them all could equal our minister at home and among his people of Woodlands. He was there, counsellor of the old, the father to the young,—the comforter of the poor and unbefriended. Nay, there was none unbefriended; for he was the friend of all. Faithful Dr. P. Our schoolmaster, honest dominie, though a bit of a pedant, was a fair specimen of his class, and though his Latin sometimes limped in its metres when it should have walked straight, and walked straight when it should have limped, yet he contrived to bring his senior Latin class on to Virgil fairly. We till lately thought a good deal of our dominie, in spite of the deal he thought of himself,-for said we to ourselves, this failing is not a predicate, peculiar to Woodlands schoolmaster, but peculiar to the whole class of society to which he belongs. We will, therefore, only lay at his door the same proportion of dominical conceit which he bears to the sum of his class. The fellow handled his birch well, taught his three R's well, and really the rising generation of Woodlands had no cause of complaint.

The doctor who succeeded my father, was a rough specimen of a country M.D., fonder of aqua, (not in the hydropathic sense) than need be; by way of medicine and in virtue of cold night riding of course. The laird was a fine fellow residing on his estate. The farmers were of sorts, like gardeners' packets of annuals; while the many headed,

consisting of agricultural labourers, weavers, &c., numbered by last census about 400.

We lived very happily together for forty long years. Few quarrels there were among us, and these few I contrived to solder up pretty well, by recommending the expenditure of a few six and eightpences on the part of the heads of the opposing factions,-which operation seemed like the letting of blood to a fever patient. It cooled down the litigious Woodlanders very soon. The parish was a very peaceable one. There was perhaps less backbiting, and less scandal in it, than in most places of its size. Dissenters then were few, and they were worthy bodies, the most peaceful of the peaceful. Appearances were in favour of a continued calm. Alas! how little did we appreciate the deceitfulness of outward appearances in those days. Little did we dream of the potency of the undeveloped elements withinlittle did we think of what might be. We had never estimated (for we had no need) the possibilities of things in Woodlands; and therefore was it that almost like a hurricane came down on us, what did One occurrence, and the elapse of three months, and Woodlands was transformed from a rural paradise into a bear garden; friends into foes; good fellowship into wrath, nigh unto cursing. You never saw such a change. It was complete as that from negative to positive in philosophy; from day to night in physics; from love to hate in ethics; from peace to war in politics; yea, from perfect harmony to most disorganic discord. Now, what do you think was the occasion of this fearful transmutation-this startling change? It was none other than the death of our old minister. It seemed as though all things lovely were centred in him, and taken away with him. It was like the taking of the sun from the landscape,-darkness and clouds were left. Though we little imagined we should ever have to apply such a simile to our parishioners, it was like taking away the keeper of a cage of wild things. While the keeper was there, all was quiet. When away, discord broke out at once, and all manner of biting and worrying.

come.

Our old minister died! He fell ill when it was high summer, and lingered till autumn was waning. Before he died, there seemed a shade creeping slowly over all his people. They were sad,—they could not help it. Each one that passed by the house, unwittingly stepped lightly and spoke not. Each felt that a friend was going to the silence, and when on a strange, fitfully bright, autumn day, it was whispered, "He is dead," the sadness crept over all. The village was stiller than wont. Old folk stood in groups, and spoke of the kindness and merit of him who had gone. Young folks did not play, but slunk about silently. They could not romp, and gambol, and shout as they used to do. They felt the sad influence; even they, careless prattlers. The old minister was dead! He who used to smile over them as they played on the common! He that taught them at Sabbath school and laid his hand on them, and blessed them at home! He was dead! Woodlands had lost a friend that day; and the people were sad for a

season!

On the day of his funeral, it seemed as though nature herself were sorry; for scuds of rain came down like tears, passion dashed, and the wind made a mournful wailing among the old elms round the churchyard, as it brought down showers of leaves from their knotty branches. Had you seen the mournful crowd round the grave that autumn day, you would have thought that some great family had lost a father, and were laying him in the tomb. There were mournful tears and sad faces, and a very solemn awe. The feeling of sadness continued till after the following Sunday, when an old friend and tried, preached a funeral sermon. Then it was over. The work of forgetting began. The people ceased to look back, and began to look forward. They began to think of the succession, and wondered who they would get in place of the dead.

CHAPTER II.

On the day when the church was declared vacant, two of the most respectable parishioners were walking home from church. Jas. Parker and Wm. Simpson their names, respectively weaver and cobbler in Woodlands feus. As they walked they fell into conversation.

Jas." Atweel, our minister's dead an buried, and we'll be gettin a new hand someday sune."

Wm. "There's nae doubt o' that, and he'll no hae an easy job, to fill the shoon o' the auld man."

Jas. "I'm thinking we'll aiblins hae ain o' the stickit kind. That's maist aye the gait it gangs when the government's the pawtron. They dinna ken naething about the parish, an what's mair, they dinna gie a pipe stapple for wha they pit in. They jist gie the place till the first big man's freen that casts up. I'll warrant they'll play huz the aud plisky, an we'll aither get some gimgrack o' a gentleman, or some muckle sumph that's gude for naething; and sud hae been the maister o' a side schule."

Wm. "An they'll be thinkin we'll tak' ony body they're likin ta send, but we're no just sae saft as a that comes to yet. We'll no be dune that way. I'll tell ye what, Jamie. Ma gude sister's cusin was ower bye frae the Hillend, yont in Farfur, yestreen, an' he telt me how that whan the croon was pawtron-the folk aye got a hantle chaps ta hear, and pickit out their ain man frae amang them. Noo we man hae some chaps this way. I'm thinking they ca' them a leet."

Jas.-"Faith an yer richt. In thir days o' popple-arity—if we dinna stick in for our richts, we'll ne'er get them. And I'd just like ta ken wha hae as muckle concern wi choisin a minister as oursels. I hae't noo; I'll gang up this vara nicht to the schule hoose and speak to the maister, and we'll get up a peeteetion, and we'll hae our ain man spite o' their teeth. And I'll tell ye what,-ma gude dochter's sister's son is a probationer, I'll warrant we'll pit him in, for I hear that he's a clever birkie, and can speak wantin the paper like a pyet or an anctioneer."

Wm.-"Aweel! aweel! we'll see we'll hae a leet ony way. An ma wife says, she heard a cheel yont bye at Wastford-last preachin, (she was

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