might set her cap to another sort of object. But he's of a

respectit family, and the young lad himself is no to be despisid;
howsomever, I never likit officir-men of any description, and yet

the thing that makes me look down on the captain is all owing to the
cornal, who was an officer of the native poors of India, where the

pay must indeed have been extraordinar, for who ever heard either of
a cornal, or any officer whomsoever, making a hundred thousand

pounds in our regiments? no that I say the cornal has left so meikle
to us.

Tell Mrs. Glibbans that I have not heard of no sound preacher as yet
in London--the want of which is no doubt the great cause of the

crying sins of the place. What would she think to hear of
newspapers selling by tout of horn on the Lord's day? and on the

Sabbath night, the change-houses are more throng than on the
Saturday! I am told, but as yet I cannot say that I have seen the

evil myself with my own eyes, that in the summer time there are tea-
gardens, where the tradesmen go to smoke their pipes of tobacco, and

to entertain their wives and children, which can be nothing less
than a bringing of them to an untimely end. But you will be

surprised to hear, that no such thing as whusky is to be had in the
public-houses, where they drink only a dead sort of beer; and that a

bottle of true jennyinn London porter is rarely to be seen in the
whole town--all kinds of piple getting their porter in pewter cans,

and a laddie calls for in the morning to take away what has been
yoused over night. But what I most miss is the want of creem. The

milk here is just skimm, and I doot not, likewise well watered--as
for the water, a drink of clear wholesome good water is not within

the bounds of London; and truly, now may I say, that I have learnt
what the blessing of a cup of cold water is.

Tell Miss Nanny Eydent, that the day of the burial is now settled,
when we are going to Windsor Castle to see the precesson--and that,

by the end of the wick, she may expect the fashions from me, with
all the particulars. Till then, I am, my dear Miss Mally, your

friend and well-wisher,
JANET PRINGLE.

NOTO BENY.--Give my kind compliments to Mrs. Glibbans, and let her
know, that I will, after Sunday, give her an account of the state of

the Gospel in London.
Miss Mally paused when she had read the letter, and it was

unanimously agreed, that Mrs. Pringle gave a more full account of
London than either father, son, or daughter.

By this time the night was far advanced, and Mrs. Glibbans was
rising to go away, apprehensive, as she observed, that they were

going to bring "the carts" into the room. Upon Miss Mally, however,
assuring her that no such transgression was meditated, but that she

intended to treat them with a bit nice Highland mutton ham, and
eggs, of her own laying, that worthypillar of the Relief Kirk

consented to remain.
It was past eleven o'clock when the party broke up; Mr. Snodgrass

and Mr. Micklewham walked home together, and as they were crossing
the Red Burn Bridge, at the entrance of Eglintoun Wood,--a place

well noted from ancient times for preternatural appearances, Mr.
Micklewham declared that he thought he heard something purring among

the bushes; upon which Mr. Snodgrass made a jocose observation,
stating, that it could be nothing but the effect of Lord North's

strong ale in his head; and we should add, by way of explanation,
that the Lord North here spoken of was Willy Grieve, celebrated in

Irvine for the strength and flavour of his brewing, and that, in
addition to a plentiful supply of his best, Miss Mally had

entertained them with tamarind punch, constituting a natural cause
adequate to produce all the preternatural purring that terrified the

dominie.
CHAPTER V--THE ROYAL FUNERAL

Tam Glen having, in consequence of the exhortations of Mr.
Micklewham, and the earnest entreaties of Mr. Daff, backed by the

pious animadversions of the rigidlyrighteous Mr. Craig, confessed a
fault, and acknowledged an irregular marriage with Meg Milliken,

their child was admitted to church privileges. But before the day
of baptism, Mr. Daff, who thought Tam had given but sullen symptoms

of penitence, said, to put him in better humour with his fate,--
"Noo, Tam, since ye hae beguiled us of the infare, we maun mak up

for't at the christening; so I'll speak to Mr. Snodgrass to bid the
Doctor's friens and acquaintance to the ploy, that we may get as

meikle amang us as will pay for the bairn's baptismal frock."
Mr. Craig, who was present, and who never lost an opportunity of

testifying, as he said, his "discountenance of the crying iniquity,"
remonstrated with Mr. Daff on the unchristian nature of the

proposal, stigmatising it with good emphasis "as a sinful nourishing
of carnality in his day and generation." Mr. Micklewham, however,

interfered, and said, "It was a matter of weight and concernment,
and therefore it behoves you to consult Mr. Snodgrass on the fitness

of the thing. For if the thing itself is not fit and proper, it
cannot expect his countenance; and, on that account, before we

reckon on his compliance with what Mr. Daff has propounded, we
should first learn whether he approves of it at all." Whereupon the

two elders and the session-clerk adjourned to the manse, in which
Mr. Snodgrass, during the absence of the incumbent, had taken up his

abode.
The heads of the previous conversation were recapitulated by Mr.

Micklewham, with as much brevity as was consistent with perspicuity;
and the matter being duly digested by Mr. Snodgrass, that orthodox

young man--as Mrs. Glibbans denominated him, on hearing him for the
first time--declared that the notion of a pay-christening was a

benevolent and kind thought: "For, is not the order to increase and
multiply one of the first commands in the Scriptures of truth?" said

Mr. Snodgrass, addressing himself to Mr. Craig. "Surely, then, when
children are brought into the world, a great law of our nature has

been fulfilled, and there is cause for rejoicing and gladness! And
is it not an obligation imposed upon all Christians, to welcome the

stranger, and to feed the hungry, and to clothe the naked; and what
greater stranger can there be than a helpless babe? Who more in

need of sustenance than the infant, that knows not the way even to
its mother's bosom? And whom shall we clothe, if we do not the

wailing innocent, that the hand of Providence places in poverty and
nakedness before us, to try, as it were, the depth of our Christian

principles, and to awaken the sympathy of our humane feelings?"
Mr. Craig replied, "It's a' very true and sound what Mr. Snodgrass

has observed; but Tam Glen's wean is neither a stranger, nor hungry,
nor naked, but a sturdy brat, that has been rinning its lane for

mair than sax weeks." "Ah!" said Mr. Snodgrass familiarly, "I fear,
Mr. Craig, ye're a Malthusian in your heart." The sanctimonious

elder was thunderstruck at the word. Of many a various shade and
modification of sectarianism he had heard, but the Malthusian heresy

was new to his ears, and awful to his conscience, and he begged Mr.
Snodgrass to tell him in what it chiefly consisted, protesting his

innocence of that, and of every erroneous doctrine.
Mr. Snodgrass happened to regard the opinions of Malthus on

Population as equallycontrary to religion and nature, and not at
all founded in truth. "It is evident, that the reproductive

principle in the earth and vegetables, and all things and animals
which constitute the means of subsistence, is much more vigorous

than in man. It may be therefore affirmed, that the multiplication
of the means of subsistence is an effect of the multiplication of

population, for the one is augmented in quantity, by the skill and
care of the other," said Mr. Snodgrass, seizing with avidity this

opportunity of stating what he thought on the subject, although his
auditors were but the session-clerk, and two elders of a country

parish. We cannot pursue the train of his argument, but we should
do injustice to the philosophy of Malthus, if we suppressed the

observation which Mr. Daff made at the conclusion. "Gude safe's!"
said the good-natured elder, "if it's true that we breed faster than

the Lord provides for us, we maun drown the poor folks' weans like
kittlings." "Na, na!" exclaimed Mr. Craig, "ye're a' out,

neighbour; I see now the utility of church-censures." "True!" said
Mr. Micklewham; "and the ordination of the stool of repentance, the

horrors of which, in the opinion of the fifteen Lords at Edinburgh,
palliated child-murder, is doubtless a Malthusian institution." But

Mr. Snodgrass put an end to the controversy, by fixing a day for the
christening, and telling he would do his best to procure a good

collection, according to the benevolentsuggestion of Mr. Daff. To
this cause we are indebted for the next series of the Pringle

correspondence; for, on the day appointed, Miss Mally Glencairn,