The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1817-05-05
giro,

GREETED by an wHo Knew him Free
from the peevish attendants OF Did age,
he possessed iberality OF sentiment
TAR beyond many of the present day
Truly religious, without the raost dis
,ant shadow of hypocriticai bigotry--he
enjoyed lie unmixed with the leas,
tinciure of mortal alloy, the dread of
approaching dissolution. He was cheer
iul and happy beyond example, and pos
sessed all that gaiety of spirit to the
last, which was SO conspicuous in his
iIe An unfeigped believer in the sa>
cred doctrines of Christianity, his most
rctentiYc memory was stored with eve
fy truth valuable te religious mind
Tins was the genuine source Of tina,
.blissIul uniformity Of character through
lille, and that most valuable of all human
at,ainments, happiness at the APP
p-oach OF death that was hardly evci
Witnessed. He was striking proof
that true religion does not ALWAYS dwell
with the pharisaital sclt-righteous, no,
With the croaking, cankerous bane OF
society, the surly, austcre viIitier of the
human character This man was ne
detTimeDIsl TO any otthe human race.
He never heard a word 10 the prciu-
dice of mis- neighbor that ne did not en-
deavor 10 extenUate, and siway recom>
mended to judge charitably and love
mercy Except his sight dimmed by
age, all his faculties were wonderfully
.cute; he had ar uncommonly fine ear,
and consequent Partially for music -
\ we'll played fiddle seemed TO COM
muulcate new life TO his naturally live
Nv disposition, and even since he attain.
cd his hundredth year, has oft brought
ham On his feet to dance, and when he
had danced till unable to- stand, he could
not refrain beating time, swapping his
Il ger In unison with the time, or 10
some shape shelving the strong impress
sion mind inspired by conscious rec
titude was alone capable of receiving
The company OF the sensible, whether
old or young, gave him peculiar de
light He always encouraged, never
attempted 10 check, he innocent mer-
riment Of youth catered che1rGully
INTO their conversations and amuse
nents, sung an old song, or ScoIch
air, with graccfuIness and taste. He
was particularly glad with children;
hey were dlstractedly fond of him
Unless when more seriously engaged,
ne could never be happy without SONS
Of theM generally seated on his knee
" Then cresting up his braid blue
bonnet.
Would Stag hem Der ain auld
Scotch sonnet"
This was his amusement lust before
his fatal fall. With child on each
knee, a hand On the far shoulder Of
each
"fiis bennett Iike girdle braid,
Z" His hair Ike CTaighope snaw,)'
Set up in front and falling back upon
his shoulders. he had in that way beer
diverting the children, and amusing
almseit for some time, he concluded
with the following verse
Gin ye'll go to Drumochie,
will treat You rarely,
a glass o. wine in il!sa hand,
To drink health to Charlie.
Turn ye, turn ye, bony lassie,
Turn ye, ayes babe ye;
Turn ye right and round about,
And kiss TIE ploughmaa laddie.
Upon finishing this ne put the children
off mis- knees, and rose from his seat,
with an intention Of going to his oy7n
room, when he fell, and injured his
right thigh bone. which occasioned his
death. At the zine of the accident he
was III good health, with cheerful open
counienance complexion of which
the ruddiness of youth had never de-
serted. Nor wrinkle in his fun fore.
head, nor furrow in his cheek. A stran
ger would have taken him for healthy
man of liule above seventy years of age,
Yet from source that cannot be doub,.
ed, this ;rulygo man WAS born at Bin
end BurDtisland parish, tie IA.h March
1915; where he, with three other bro
Tiers, continued TO live with their mo-
Their. some time after The dcalh Of their
9atber,tiIl the marriage Of .he older bro
Their to whom the lease Of the farm de-
volyed.--The three remaining brothers
Of whom Peter was the oldest, left Bin
end, and took farm from Mr.. Fergb-
sou, of Raith (Cormie hin,) carving
with them iheir aged mother. NJ Bin.
end s. Cormie hall these brothers lived
tor nearly 90 years; and such vas the
M.H