Chapter II: Preface: To the Third Edition

The author gladly avails himself of the opportunity _you_ afford him, to express his gratification at the warm reception which Bell and her friends at Blinkbonny have met with on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as to make a few verbal corrections.

“The cleanest corn that e’er was dicht
May ha’e some pyles o’ caff in.”

_July 1882._

CONTENTS.

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CHAPTER I.

_THE MANSE._

PAGE
The Artist and his Bits—Blinkbonny—The Author and his Relations—The
Good Folks at Greenknowe—The Manse—Once thinking of getting
married—The Interrupted Call—Mr. and Mrs. Barrie—Bell of the
Manse—Wee Nellie—Her Illness, Death, and Grave—“A Butterfly
on a Grave” (_Mrs. Sigourney_), 1

CHAPTER II.

_A QUIET EVENING AT THE MANSE._

Bell’s Sliding Scale—Her Pattens—The Hospitality of the Manse—Be
judeecious—James and his Skates—Mrs. Barrie’s Experiences—Mr.
Barrie’s Illness—The Good Samaritan—A Startling Proposal, 22

CHAPTER III.

_THE MARRIAGE AND THE HOME-COMING._

“The Books”—P.P.C.—Marriage Presents—“The Confession of
Faith”—Toasts—“The Frostit Corn”—“The Country Rockin’”—Auntie
Mattie—“The Farmer’s Ingle”—Peggy Ritchie on the Churchyard—A
Lamb Leg and a Berry Tart—Mathieson’s Heid, 41

CHAPTER IV.

_THE TWO SIDES OF THE CHURCH QUESTION._

Coming Events—Bell and the Seed Potatoes—Her Idea of the
Government—Knowe Park—Spunks—The Town-Clerk of Ephesus—Bell’s
summing up—Daisy—The Eve of Battle—Sir John McLelland’s
Opinions on the “Evangelicals”—Patronage—Preaching
Competitions—Little Gab—Non-Intrusion and Voting, 58

CHAPTER V.

_BLINKBONNY AND THE DISRUPTION._

Bell’s Opinion of Knowe Park—Mr. Barrie’s Return—The Deputation’s
Visit to the Manse—Mr. Barrie’s Statement—Mr. Taylor’s
Views—George Brown on the Crisis—His Covenanting Relics, 85

CHAPTER VI.

_THE DISRUPTION AND BLINKBONNY._

The Meeting in Beltane Hall—The End of the Ten Years’ Conflict—
George Brown’s Exercises—The Bellman’s Difficulty—Sabbath
Services at the Annie Green—“Thae Cath’lics”—The Secession
Church—Mr. Barrie’s Successor—Bell and Smoking—“Hillend” on
Doctors and Ministers—A Man amang Sheep, 99

CHAPTER VII.

_OUT OF THE OLD HOME AND INTO THE NEW._

Leaving the Manse—Dr. Guthrie and the Children—Nellie’s Tibby—Well
settled—Bell’s Experiment with the Hens—Dan Corbett—Braid Nebs
—Babbie’s Mill, 126

CHAPTER VIII.

_BLINKBONNY FREE CHURCH._

The Disruption of 1843—Hardships—Scotch Villages and Church
Matters—The New Church—The Session and Deacons—The Beadle,
Walter Dalgleish—The Precentorship—Psalms and Hymns—Mr.
Barrie’s New Life—Foreign Missions—The Assembly’s Decision—
The Living Child—Saxpence—“Gude Siller gaun oot o’ the
Country”—Reminiscences of Dr. Duff, 154

CHAPTER IX.

_BELL AT HOME IN KNOWE PARK._

The Three Ministers of Blinkbonny—Mr. Walker—The Ten Virgins—The
finest o’ the Wheat—Bell’s Fee—Alloa Yarn—Bell’s Cooking—
Sheep’s-head—Mr. Kirkwood and the Potato-Soup—Dan in the
Kitchen—Mr. Gordon o’ the Granaries and the Smugglers—Dan at
Nellie’s Grave—Mr. Barrie’s Visit to Dan, 177

CHAPTER X.

_INCIDENTS IN BLINKBONNY._

Miss Park on Dan—The Sweep’s dead—Mrs. Gray’s Elegy on her
Husband—The Coffin for naething—The New School-master—The
Roast Beef in the Lobby—The Examination Committee—“Hoo’ to get
there”—George Brown’s Death—Scripture References—Mrs. Barrie
and Mr. Corbett—Dan and the Pictures—Dan’s Bath—His Dream—Dan
at Church—His Visit to Babbie’s Mill—Colonel Gordon’s First
Visit—Sir John McLelland at the Soiree—“The Angel’s Whisper”
(_Samuel Lover_), 205

CHAPTER XI.

_CHANGES AT KNOWE PARK._

The Dorcas Society—The Morisonian Controversy—Colonel Gordon’s
Second Visit—A Real Scotch Dinner—Champagne—Dan an’ the Duke
o’ Gordon—The Smuggler’s Log-book—Colonel Gordon’s Will—Dan’s
Bank—The Call to Edinburgh—No-Popery Agitation—David Tait o’
Blackbrae—The Sow and the Corinthians—Bell woo’d—Mrs. Barrie
breaks the Ice—Bell won—Found out and congratulated, 230

CHAPTER XII.

_ANOTHER MARRIAGE AND HOME-COMING._

The Forms of Procedure—Reception of the News of Bell’s Marriage
by Mr. Taylor, and by Sir John McLelland—“Her Weight in
Gold”—Bell’s Presents—“Hook ma Back”—Mr. Walker’s Violin—Bell’s
Marriage and Home-coming—The Infar Cake—Creeling—Dan, “Burke,”
and the Noisy Convoy—The Vexing Pig—The “Kirkin’,” 259

CHAPTER XIII.

_CONCLUSION._

The Packing at Knowe Park—The Bachelor Umbrella—Nellie’s
Box—Dan and Rosie—Dan on Evangelical Effort—On “The Angel’s
Whisper”—Bell in Edinburgh—Home to Blackbrae—Andrew Taylor’s
Criticisms, 284

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

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The Artist’s Bit, _Frontispiece_.

Blinkbonny, _Page_ 6

Bell and “Daisy,” ” 70

Babbie’s Mill, ” 152

Dumbarton Castle, ” 197

Bell’s “Hoose o’ her Ain”—Blackbrae, ” 250

BITS FROM BLINKBONNY.

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