disposition led her, however, into conduct and habits that
deprived her of the respect and help of her friends; and necessity at
length appears to have constrained her to act the part of a
fortune-teller, which she is known to have practised with success more
than half a century.

Adam Donald, the prophet of Bethelnie, a contemporary of Lizzie
M'Gill, stood high in Aberdeenshire as a seer. From his peculiar
appearance in early life, grave doubts existed as to whether he was
actually the offspring of his reputed parents, or whether he had not
been substituted by the fairies for a lovely boy, the son of a worthy
pair who believed not in the existence of witches or fairies.

One day the mother went out, leaving the child well in his cradle, and
on returning, about an hour afterwards, she found a cold, marble-like
infant, that never throve, never smiled, but, on the contrary, cried
from morning to night, and from night till morning. On hearing of the
changed infant, people flocked to witness the sudden alteration which
had taken place in Mr. and Mrs. Donald's child. One knowing dame
thought she understood the whole matter. The fairies were the wicked
beings that had done all the mischief; and that they were permitted to
do so, arose entirely through the parents' carelessness or ignorance.
"Would it be believed," said the dame when speaking of the
extraordinary circumstance, "that the simple mother went out, leaving
her child alone, uncrossed, without a charm about its person, and
without a horse-shoe being nailed on the threshold or behind the door,
or a piece of rowan-tree at the door or window or in the cradle?" The
friend to whom the reflections were made shook her head, while she
replied, "Ay, ay, unbelieving generation; they will be burning the
Bible some day soon."

Adam grew up, and became a wonderful being. From his ability to tell
secrets past and future, and his power to effect cures, he became
known as the "prophet of Bethelnie." Owing to a distorted state of
body, he could not engage in robust employment to obtain a
subsistence. He therefore, to amuse himself, read such books as his
parents' stinted means could afford. Though it was supposed he could
scarcely read English, he carefully collected many curious books in
French, Latin, Greek, Italian, and Spanish. He often retired to an old
churchyard and church in ruins, near his residence, to hold converse
(so he said) with spirits of the dead, which informed h