The Humours of Scottish Life. By the Very Rev. John
Gillespie, LL.D. (W. Blackwood and Sons. 3s. 641.)—Of the rather too numerous books which have followed in the wake of the cele- brated " Reminiscences" of Dean Ramsay, and some of which have been imitations rather than sequels, this is one of the freshest. The author, who is minister of an important country parish in connection with the Church of Scotland, and filled two years ago the office of Moderator of its Assembly, is no mere collector of " good stories." He has naturally, and, so to say, in the course of business, come into close contact with many varieties of his countrymen, and has studied their humour—and humours—at first hand. These come out most clearly in anecdotes of the Deau Ramsayish variety, and so the bulk of Dr. Gillespie's book is taken up less with "characteristics "—such as dissertations on Scottish pawkiness and Scottish drink—than other books of the same order. Every story speaks for itself, and as each bears a title, the book is one that can be read at odd moments. Some of Dr. Gillespie's stories stress us as rather too familiar. Thus there is one of Professor Blackie and his pupils in the Greek class in Edinburgh University which has been told a hundred times. But very many—perhaps a majority—of the anecdotes in this volume are told about inhabitants of Dr. Gillespie's own county of Dumfriesshire, and have a special flavour. Here, for example, is one of a navvy who married an excellent woman of the name of Henderson. She proved a good wife, but objected to his not infrequent drinking bouts. "On one occasion when he had a wee drappie o't,' he was asked to sign a petition to Parliament against the Deceased Wife's Sister Bill, which had recently been before the country for the first time. His reply was an entirely disinterested one: 'No, I don't put my hand to paper, but I'll give ye my word on't I'll never marry another daughter of Henderson's.' Parliament might pass the Bill, but he would not take advantage of it" The book is full to overflowing of that curious combination of humour and piety which is a special feature of Scottish life, and of life in no other country. It may be added that while there is some whisky in the anecdotes, they do not quite reek of it.
A MANCHESTER EDUCATIONIST.
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