New-York daily tribune., 1856-08-01

style; took tes abvut fve spent some hours in hi.
study at nine had family worship, ut which be was
delighted TO see the friends Of any Of his sous;
aiIer which the whole party sat down 10 the roasted
hens, the soblets of wine, and his powerful talk
Here was mode Of alluring young men into the
paths Of pious peasantness. Those days are now
passed. but the figure, and the voice, the thoughts
and the hind and cheerful msbliness, Of Sir II .ry
as disclosed at those Sunday evenings will be re-
mtmbered with gratitude by some the bes. intel
lects in Scotland.
Among the social magnates Of that day were
several whose names are well known in literature
aid public hfe, Of whom the of.hand portrait. BY
the author form q most interesting portion Of his
volume. We give a few Of the most prominent
personages:
ROBERTSON, THE HISTORIAN.
Principal Robertson and his family were very inti-
mate with the family of my father: The Principal
drned in our house very often, and lived for the last
two years of his life ve'y near Us, 10 the house of
GiaI ge, where he died in 1923. Many a happy sum
m,r Gay bad bis g,anoson John Russell and 10 that
house. The Doctor used TO assist Us IN devisng
ach, mes TO prevent the escape Of our rabbits; aud
sometmes, but this rarely, and with strict inj
tors 10 us TO observe that moderation which Mrs.
Rob, rtson could never make himself practice be per-
He was a pleasant. looking old man; with eye Of
gr at vivacity and intelligence, o large projecting
q in a small hearing trumpet fastened by black
nbbon to buitonboe OF his coat and rsther large
Wiz. powoereo and curled. He struck Us boys, even
hon The side table. being evidently foad Of goo
dipner; at which be sat with his chin his plate,
intent upon the real business Of the occasion. This
eupearaIce. however, must have been produced
psitv by BIZ deafness because, when his eye told
him II at there something Interesting it was de-
bgb.ful to OBJ erve the animation WI h which he in
staniy applied his trumpet, when, having caught the
seeIt be followed It up, and was the leader of the
! pack.
ADAM FERGUSON.
Our neghbor the east was old Adam Ferguson,
the historian of Rome and Stewar.'s predecessor in
opr u,oIsl chaiI-a singular appartOn In his young
or years he handsome aud resolute man. Being
chaplain 10 the Black waoch, he could not be induced
even by the poritive orders of his commanding officer
to remain his proper place in The rear during an a.
tion, bot persisted III beng engaged IN front. Iine
apo liners however, had been alns with bim, and
| when ! first knew him, he was spectacle well worth
| bebodiDg His hair was SILKY and white; hi, eyes
arin.ateo ard lght blue his cheeks slrnkled with
| bIoken I'D, hike sutumnal apples, but fresh and
BE- altby Biz hps thin, aud the under one curied.
severe paraytic attack had reduced hs auimal vital
ity though 1t left no external appearance, ana he re
qred consid. rable aitncal at Ills rainen t1ere
| tDre consisted of haf-boOts hGed With fur, c.otn
hreecbes a long cloth wals coat With capacI,as po:k-
| ets siI GLE breasted coat, cloth grcatcoat aso
lined with fur and felt hat commonly It'd by rib
this xcepton the whole coverings, ncludiog the IT.
were Of a Quaker.gray color, or Of whitish brown;
and he generally wore the furred grea'coat even
within doors. When he walked forth, he used tall
! staff which he commonly held at arms length out
toward the right sioe; ana his two coats, each but
to1ed by only The upper button, flowed open below,
and exposed the whole OF his curloos ana venerable
| figure. IIis gait and air were noble; nus gesture
| slow; bis ook full of dignity and composed hce. he
| looked ike philosopher from Lapant hi, palsy
ought to have Blt Lin i'll his hf etl year; but rigid
care enabled him to hve un,rpP ed, either 10 body or
nind, Deaily fifty years more Wune and animal food
bts0ught his appetite IN vain; bat huge messes OF
milk and vegetables disappeared before him, always
! in the never.iairg cloth and fur never heard of
| bis ching out, except at his relation DIR. joseph
Black's where his SIR Adam the friend of ,o,t
ueo 10 say it was delightful TO see the two philO-O
pliers riOtibg over boiled turnip. Dome.tcaly be
war kn d. but anxious and peppery. His temperature
y8s regulated BY Fabrenhe and often, when sitting
quite cOmfo taby, he would start up and pat hs wife
ard daughters into commotion because his eye had
fallen on the instrument and discovered that he
oegree too bot or too cold. He al ways locked the
door of his study when he left IT, and took the key 10
his pscket; ano no housemsid got n till tho accumu-
laion dust and rubbish mace it Impossible to put
the evil day o any longer; and then woe on the fam
ily lie shook hands With Us boys one day IN Summer
1893 on setrg of in strange sort Of cauiige, and
with 10 companion except his servant tmes, to vst
Italy for a new edition of his hi-tory. He was then
about seventy.two, and had TO pass through good
deaf Of war; but returned in about year younger
| than ever.
DR.. BLACK.
Dr. Joseph Black had, at one time a house near US
| to the west. lie was striking and beautiful pevon
TALL very tbin and cadaverously pale; his har care
fully powdered, though there was little Of il except
what was collected into long Il in queue; his eyes
dark, clear and large, like deep pooE of pare water
He wore black speckless Clothes elk stockings, silver
buckles, and either sim green silk umbrella, or q
! etItee brown cane The general frame ald ar were
i, eble and rlender The widest boy respected Black
No lad coul be irrevereIt toward man 80 pale, 30
| .le and sO a u,
Ike tpirit through our rather mischevous sportve'
pess uhbaI mel. He died seated, wtha bowl OF milk
on is knee of which bis ceasing to live did not spill
d,op; departure which it seemed, after the event
haIpentd might have been foretod oi this attcnuated
phO, optical gentleman.
DR. MACKNIGHr.
! Dr. Thomas mcknight, the colleague OF Or. Henry,
sno the Harmobst he suppos eel Of the -Four Cos
p.Is lived iu NicolsOn street. but crePt round tho
Meadows almost every day. thlLk zee his large,
SQUARE bony vizoge bis enormous white wi glrdled
by many tiers Of cuIs, his old snufy black clothes,
biz br, ad fiat feet and his thteaobare bue greafcoat
His .tudies being very nocturnal hs IN f9ins wai.,
be AZ about two in the afternoon and he rarely rAked
WITHOUT resoing. HIS elbows were stuck, immovsoy,
10 biz baunch.s on which they rested as on brackets
and enabled his arms 20 form desk for MS book. In
thl attitude he shued forward at the rate OF hah an
inch each step moving his rigid angular bulk straight
forward without giving pace To any person or thng,
or berg indeed that there was anything IN tne
woro except himself and his volume Ho lied IN 1900
! He was one Of the Moderate chiefs of his DAY, and
| bows stared at him for his queerness.
The old Scotch ladies of those days must have
been q singular generation They are described as
"a delightful set; strong headed, warm-hearted,
and high spirited; the fire of their tempers not
always latent; merry even in solitude; very reso-
Int: pdf. rent about the modes and habits OF the
modern world; and adhering to their own ways so
i 1, ttua he ah Il