the place, expressed his astonishment at the amount
of private charity distributed. If a poor man met with any accident, every
kind assistance was given him by his wealthier neighbours. If a small
tradesman suffered a loss, or a carter his horse, or a widow's cow died, a
subscription was set on foot, and the accident often turned out a gain,
rather than a loss.

The old Castle of Dreel, another ancient seat of the Anstruther family,
stood on the east side of the Dreel Burn, at its entrance into the sea.
Several curious traditions are in circulation respecting this old baronial
residence and its proprietors. The castle has entirely disappeared, and its
site is now partly occupied by fish-curing premises, and partly by a large
antiquated tenement called Wightman's house. Some eminent men have been
born in Anstruther, among whom may be mentioned Drs Chalmers and Tennant,
and Professor Goodsir.

Such is a brief description of Anstruther at the time of which we write.
It is unnecessary to give a particular account of it at the present day,
because its trade and commerce, its fishing, farming, and shipping
interests--its new buildings and projected undertakings--its Sunday
schools and provident societies, and savings' banks and subscription
libraries, are familiar to the most of my readers.

Captain Cunningham, the chief magistrate of Anstruther, was a wealthy and
respectable shipowner, and his family consisted of a son about twenty, and
a daughter about seventeen years of age, besides some younger children. Mr
Gordon, their guest, then in his twenty-fifth year, was a light-hearted and
rising young officer. He was, at first, a little impatient of the delay
occasioned by the repairs of the vessel, the superintendence of which fell
to be his duty; but circumstances soon occurred which checked this
impatience, and more than reconciled him to his present quarters.

As Christina Cunningham is destined to occupy no unimportant position in
this narrative, some description of her will therefore be necessary.

Let us endeavour to draw her portrait.

She was not only beautiful, but full of life and animation, her smiling
face being the true index of a cheerful, happy disposition. Gentle,
amiable, affectionate, good-natured, she was beloved by all who knew her;
although, from a maidenly modesty and a natural reserve, she was really
known by few. With the figure of a sylph, and the face of a Hebe, she had
luxuriant hair of the darke