Transactions, 103 



placing the less distinguished at the bottom of the class. The best 

 man having picked out the bride, it next became her turn to throw 

 the handkerchief to whomsoever she chose. The happy swain 

 knelt as she stooped. The fiddlers shrieked a minuendo, and the 

 last kiss that ever alien lips should secure was wrested from the 

 bride. 



Funerals were well attended, and the custom of having a 

 service prevailed, and only began to thin out after I entered the 

 parish. I was told by a well-wisher to get acquainted with the 

 people, and to attend all the sheep shearings and funerals to 

 which I was invited. The attendance at funerals is diminish- 

 ing, and generally a few gigs now pick up all the mourners. 

 The exodus of young men and daughters into the large towns 

 reacts on provincial simplicity. I witnessed wreaths of flowers 

 heaped on the coffin of an old Cameronian, whose opinion, I am 

 certain, had never been taken on the matter. The humblest 

 family must have a memorial stone. 



I shall pass over gatherings in connection with sheep, killing 

 pigs, (fee, and remark that the kirn, or harvest home, is no longer 

 celebrited. St. Valentine's Day is forgotten, and the Candlemas 

 bleeze has given way to a Christmas present. Even the 

 Hallowe'en described by Burns — the turnip lantern and the 

 pulling of kail stocks — is away, the only survival being that 

 on Hallowe'en mummers with false face.3 enter your kitchen 

 expecting an obolus, and highly gratified when you are puzzled 

 and unable to guess their names or even their sex. 



The gradual decrease in our rural population, consequent on 

 the increase of factories in towns, and the turning of Britain into a 

 manufacturing centre for the whole world, is evident in Tynron. 



In 1801 the pop. was . . 563 



., 1831 „ „ ... 493 



,, 1841 ,, ., ... 474 



,, 1861 ,, „ ... 446 



In 1871 the pop. was ... 381 

 ,. 1881 ,, ,, .. 416 



„ 1891 ,, ,, ... 359 



That is, at last census, the reduction in population compared 

 to 1801 was 204 persons. The former considerable population 

 has left on our hills and dales some traces of itself in a few stones 

 of former bourocks overgrown with nettles, and here and there a 

 few wild gooseberries and some plants, such as monks' rhubarb 

 and masterwort, of no use now, but formerly used in poor people's 

 broth. On the liills also, 200 ft. above any arable ground, there 

 are at present to be noticed the furrows once caused by the 

 ploughshare. Dividing the results of the last four decennial 



