Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-05-31
MISCELL A N Y.
Tenderness and Affection OF DIR.
Chalm erS.

SHatakIAC
The simplicity and tenderness Of DR..
Chalmers character have never been bet
ter illustrated than in the details given Ill
the following passage from the Memoir by
DR.. Hanna :-"In the spring of lS45, DIR.
Chalmers visited his native village. 1t al
most looked as if he came to take farewell,
and as if that popularity of old age which
sends It back to the days of childhood for
its last earthly "reminiscences, had for time,
and prematurely, taken hold OF him. HIS
special object seemed to be to revive the
recollections of his boyhood-gatherIng
Johnry-Groats by the sea-beach OF the Bill
Iowness, and lilacs from an ancient hedge,
taking both away to be laid up in his re-
positories at Edinburg. Not place or per-
SON familiar to hun IN earlier years was
left unvisited. On his way to the church
ward, he went up the very road along which
he had gone of OLD to the parish school
Slipping into poor-looking dwelling by
the way, he said to his companion, DR..
williamson, Il would just like to see the
place where Llzzy Green's water-bucket
used to stand.'-the said water-bucket hav-
ing been favorite haunt oft over-heat-
ed ball players, and Lazy a great favorltc
for the free access she allowed TO 1t. He
called on two cotemporaries OF his ooyhood,
one of whom he had not seen for forty-fve,
the other for fiftv-two years, and took the
most bovish delight in recognising how the
mould of antiquity had gathered upon their
features and in recounting stories OF his
schoolbov days. James, said he to the
oldest of the two tailor, now upwards of
eighty, who in those days had astonished
the children, and himself among the num-
ber, with displays Of superior knowledge,
you were the first man that ever gave me
like a correct notion of the form
of the earth. knew that it was round,
but thought always that it was round like
a shilling, till you told me that it was round
like marble We'll, John, said he to
the other, whose face, like his own, had
suffered severely from small pox in his
childhood you and have had one advan-
tage over folks with finer faces-theirs have
been aye getting the waur, but ours have
been aye getting the better O. the waur J!
The dining-room of his grandfather's house
had Fireplace fitted up behind with Dutch
tiles, adorned with various quaint devices,
upon which he had used to feast his eyes
in boyish wonder and delight. These he
now sought out most diligently. but he was
grieved to find them all SO backened and
begrimed by the smoke of half century,
that not one of his old windmills or burgo-
masters was visible. To one apartment
he felt peculiar tie, as having been appro-
priated exclusively to his use in his college
days, when the love of solitary study was
at times a passion. But the most interest
ING visit of all was to Barnsmuir, place
few miles from Arstruther, on the way to
Grail. In his school-boy days it had been
occupied by Capt. R, whose eldest
daus hter rode in daily on little pony to
the school at Anstruther. DIR. Chalmers
was then a boy of fiom twelve to fourteen
years of age, but he was not too young for
an attachment of a singularly tenacious
hold. Miss R--wss married (I believe
while he was yet at college, to Mr.. F.,
and his opportunities of seeing her in af-
terlife were few, bul tha, ealy impression
never faded from his heart. AT the time
of his visit to Anstrutherin lS45, she had
been dead for many years but, at DR..
Chalmers particular request, her younger
sister met him at Barnsmur. Having made
the most affectionate inquiries about Mrs.
r and her family, he inquired par
ticularly about her DEATH RECEIVING with
deep emotion The intelligence that she had
died in the full Christian hope, and that
some of his own letters to her sister had
served 10 soothe and comfort her latest
hours. Mrs. w., said he eagerly.
lis there portraitpfyour sister anywhere
IN this house " Slctook him to a room,
and pointed to prsfe which hung upon
the wall. He planel himself before it,
gazed on it with ineise arnestness-took
down the picture, b& out his card, and
by two waters fxetiI firmly to the back of
The portrait, exaot!opposite to the face
Having replaced thlikeness, he stood be.
fore it and burst in flood of tears, ac-
companled by the armest expressions OF
attachment. Afteeaving the house, hr
,auntered in silenc round the garden, bu-
ried il old recolleons, heaving sigh oc-
casionally, and musring to himself--'More
than forty years az
b% A piece Of !. while melting in the
hand, always keePhe same coldness, be-
cause all the heat pIch it receives from
tbe hand, is empled to change it from
a SOLID 10 fluid Sc.
f.ced kehoods-6bs told bv-l