The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-23
THE LITTLE FAIR MAN.
Copyright. 1900. BY s. r.. Crockett.


bed handwriting on ancient paper. very
much creased az the folds. and bearing the
marks OF diligCnt perusai Ia days past.
My father could not read these. but had
great reverence for them because Of tho
great names which could be deciphered
here and there. such as Mr.. d. Dickson
mir G.. Gillespie" and Ia special "Air
Samuel Rutherford"
How these came into possession OF my
fathers forbears have no information.
They were always known In the family
as "Pedon's papers" though so FAR as ]
can now make out that celebrated Cow
enanter had nothing to do with them-or a {
least, Is never mentioned Ia them. On tho
other hand. md from the family Bible.
written as a note over against tho entry
Of my great-grandmother's death "Aprile
tho seventeene. 1871. the words "Cozin 10
Mr.. Patrick Walker. chapman. OF Bristo
port. Edinburgh"
The letters and narratives are IN many
hands and vary considerably IN date.
some being as early as the great hey
days OF Presbytery. about i63s. whilst 9th
ers, In a palmer hand. have manlfcstly
been copied or rewritten IN the early years
OF the last century.
Now. after / came from college and be-
fore my marriage. I had sometimes long
forenights with little TO do. 50. having
got some insight into ancient handwriting
from my friend. Mr.. James Robb OF the
College OF st. Mary. an expert in the same.
a good golfer also and "A better fellow I
set me 90 work TO decipher these manu-
scripts. both for my own satisfaction and
for the pleasure of reading them 90 my
father on Saturday nights. when l was
IN the habit OF driving over 10 see my
mother at Drumquhat on my way from
visiting my patients In the Glen Of Kells
That which follows Is from the FIRST OF
these documents which I read TO my faith
er. He was so much taken by IL that he
begged me to publish Il. at he said. "as
corrective OF the sinful compliance and
shameless OBJECTIONS OF the times" And
though ] am little sanguine OF any good
n may do from high ecclesiastic point
Of view. the facts are interesting enough
in themselves. The manuscript Is clearly
written out in tall dopybook OF stout.
blush paper. without ruled lines, and f.
bound In a kind Of gray sheepskn. The
name Harry Wedderburn." Is upon the
cover here and there, and within Is a defin-
tive title in fioreated capitals, very or.
nately describod).
''The Story OF the Turning OF Me. Harry
Wedderburn. From Darkness 20 Light
by the Means and instrument OF MIR.
Samuel Rutherford of Anwoth. Servant
OF God"
The Lsorth hath spared mo. Harry Wed
derburn. these many years. delaying tho
setting of my sun till one more the grass
grown green where once / saw the blood
lie red, and / wait In patience 20 lay my
Old head beneath The sod OF a quiet land
This ~ my story. writ at the instance
Of good Mr.. Patrick Walker. and 20 be
ready ne his next coming into our parta
The slack between hay and harvest OF
the year OF deliverance 16S9 Is the time
Of writing.
1, Harry wedderburn OF Black Craig
OF Dee. acknowledging the mercies OF Goa
and repeniing OF my sins. set these things
down In my own hand OF write Sorrow
and shame are In my heart that my sun
was 50 high In the heavens before turn
ed me from evil 90 seek after good.
We were a wild and forward set in those
DAYS I'm the backlands OF the Kells. II was
not long since the coming OF a law strong
er than that OF the Strong Hand. our
fathers had driven the cattle from che
English border-yea. even out OF the IA.
fields OF Niddisdae and over the flower
OF Solway. And II a man offended another
he went his straghtest way home AMI
took gun and whinger 70 lie IN wait Cor
his enemy. or he met him foot to foot
with quarterstaff on the highway n h.
were Of ungente heart and possessed
neither pistol nor musketoon.
I mind well that year 1896 more than
nifty years bygone. / being then IN the
I'd year OF my age. a runnagate cast
away loon. without God and without
hope In the world My father had been
in his day douce sober man. yet he
could do little 60 restrain myself OF my
brother John, who was. they said "ten
waurs" than !. For there was a wild
set I'm the C4en Keis in those days Lid
derbale OF Slogarie and Roaming Raft OF
kirkchrist being enough TO poison par
ish. We four used to foregather 10 drink
the dark ont and the light In two or three
times IN the week at the change house OF
tho Clschan. Blspeth Vogle keeped H.
and no good name ~ got among those
well-affected to rcligion-aye or Elspeth.
either. a bouncing buxom piece as ever
eouPed good liquor into a pint-tass or
give a man a clour on the head for
chucking her under the plump chin.
But these ore vain thoughts and have
had OF long season no pleasure in them.
Yet do not deny that Elspeth Vogie
though sore left 10 herself. was heart
come quean, and well favored of her per-
son.
10 ~ EdHTttnS some nttf~slpEfu OF W
were drinking the hay-winning and the
corn-chearing. For hairst was late that
year, and the weather mostly backward
and dour. There had come. however,
with the advent OF the month a warm
drowsy spell OF MINDLESS days. the sun
shining from morn TO even through
kind of unwholcsome mist. and the corn
standing on the knowes with as little
motion rs the gray whlnstanc and granite
cairns on the hilltaps. The farmers and
cotters looked az their scanty roods OF
powland and prayed for rouslng wind
from the Lord 10 winnow away the still
DEAD easierly mist and gar the corn rees-
ue ear against ear. 50 that Il might on
and ripen for the ingathcring.
But we that were hand-fasted 70 sin
and bonded 10 iniquity. young plants OF
wrath, ili-doers and forlorn OF grace.
cared as little for the backward year
90 we did for the sad state OF Scotland
ana the strifes that were fast coming
npon that land So long as our pint
sioup was filled aud pack rattle on pack
IN the pouch. sorrow the crack OF the
numb we cared for harvest or sheep
shearing. king or bishop. Bible or incense
pot.
To us sitting thus on the Sabbath morn
ing when Il had better set us 10 have
been sleeping In our naked bedO there
came IN one Rab Aitken OF Auchongask.
Hkeminded with US. Rab was seeking
his morning" or eye-opcning draft OF
French brandy, and 20 Us blcared and