us stories and legends about Jedburgh, which had been a royal
residence in the olden time. She had a tame white and tawny-coloured
owl, which we fed every night, and sometimes brought into the
drawing-room. The Sunday evening never was gloomy, though properly
observed. We occasionally drank tea with acquaintances, and made visits
of a few days to the Rutherfurds of Edgerton and others; but I was
always glad to return to the manse.

My uncle, like other ministers of the Scottish Kirk, was allowed a
glebe, which he farmed himself. Besides horses, a cow was kept, which
supplied the family with cream and butter, and the skimmed milk was
given to the poor; but as the milk became scarce, one woman was
deprived, for the time, of her share. Soon after, the cow was taken ill,
and my uncle's ploughman, Will, came to him and said, "Sir, gin you
would give that carline Tibby Jones her soup o' milk again, the coo
would soon be weel eneugh." Will was by no means the only believer in
witchcraft at that time.

CHAPTER III.

EDINBURGH--YOUTHFUL STUDIES AND AMUSEMENTS--POLITICS--THE THEATRES OF
THE TIME.

[My mother's next visit was to the house of her uncle, William
Charters, in Edinburgh. From thence she was enabled to partake of
the advantages of a dancing-school of the period.]

* * * * *

They sent me to Strange's dancing school. Strange himself was exactly
like a figure on the stage; tall and thin, he wore a powdered wig, with
cannons at the ears, and a pigtail. Ruffles at the breast and wrists,
white waistcoat, black silk or velvet shorts, white silk stockings,
large silver buckles, and a pale blue coat completed his costume. He had
a little fiddle on which he played, called a kit. My first lesson was
how to walk and make a curtsey. "Young lady, if you visit the queen you
must make three curtsies, lower and lower and lower as you approach her.
So--o--o," leading me on and making me curtsey. "Now, if the queen were
to ask you to eat a bit of mutton with her, what would you say?" Every
Saturday afternoon all the scholars, both boys and girls, met to
practise in the public assembly rooms in George's Street. It was a
handsome large hall with benches rising like an amphitheatre. Some of
the elder girls were very pretty, and danced well, so these practisings
became a lounge for officers from the Castle, and other young men. We
used always to go in full evening dress. We learnt the _minue