, faithfully, yours,

A. PRINGLE.

"It appears to us," said Mr. Snodgrass, as he folded up the letter to
return it to his pocket, "that the Londoners, with all their advantages
of information, are neither purer nor better than their fellow-subjects
in the country." "As to their betterness," replied Miss Mally, "I have a
notion that they are far waur; and I hope you do not think that earthly
knowledge of any sort has a tendency to make mankind, or womankind
either, any better; for was not Solomon, who had more of it than any
other man, a type and testification, that knowledge without grace is but
vanity?" The young clergyman was somewhat startled at this application
of a remark on which he laid no particular stress, and was thankful in
his heart that Mrs. Glibbans was not present. He was not aware that Miss
Mally had an orthodox corn, or bunyan, that could as little bear a touch
from the royne-slippers of philosophy, as the inflamed gout of polemical
controversy, which had gumfiated every mental joint and member of that
zealous prop of the Relief Kirk. This was indeed the tender point of
Miss Mally's character; for she was left unplucked on the stalk of single
blessedness, owing entirely to a conversation on this very subject with
the only lover she ever had, Mr. Dalgliesh, formerly helper in the
neighbouring parish of Dintonknow. He happened incidentally to observe,
that education was requisite to promote the interests of religion. But
Miss Mally, on that occasion, jocularly maintained, that education had
only a tendency to promote the sale of books. This, Mr. Dalgliesh
thought, was a sneer at himself, he having some time before unfortunately
published a short tract, entitled, "The moral union of our temporal and
eternal interests considered, with respect to the establishment of
parochial seminaries," and which fell still-born from the press. He
therefore retorted with some acrimony, until, from less to more, Miss
Mally ordered him to keep his distance; upon which he bounced out of the
room, and they were never afterwards on speaking terms. Saving, however,
and excepting this particular dogma, Miss Mally was on all other topics
as liberal and beneficent as could be expected from a maiden lady, who
was obliged to eke out her stinted income with a nimble needle and a
close-clipping economy. The conversation with Mr. Snodgrass was not,
however, length