BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. li 



as without hope. The fibre of his mind was of a nature too fine and wholesome for the weak 

 indulgence of perpetual grief, and he sought, and successfully, in the ardour with which he 

 pursued his investigations, solace from his regrets, and bore his part in the world's battle with 

 unclouded front. He was the heir of an ancient house, and his second brother was not married ; 

 and so after more than two years' widowhood, in October 1873 he married Julia, the second 

 daughter of Keith Stewart Mackenzie, of Seaforth, who survives him ; and three years later, by 

 the death, full of years and honour, of his venerable father, he succeeded to the Marquisate, and 

 came into possession of Yester and of the family estates. The moment he succeeded he set about 

 the execution of large schemes of progress, not in any sense reproachful to the memory of a father 

 who had, till the advance of years enfeebled his body, led the van in the march of all agricultural 

 improvements, but in another direction. He was then in his fifty-second year ; he had apparently 

 a long career of usefulness before him, for now he had the power, as he always had the will, to 

 labour for the good of those around him, and to turn the gifts of fortune to the best account in 

 promoting the happiness of his dependents. But it was fated that the tranquil and happy life, 

 in the latter part of which he said he had at last found " the full measure of contentment, which 

 most men might grasp if they would think of what they had, and not of what they had not," 

 should be brought to a premature close. But, after all, 



" That life is long which answers life's great end." 



And with him that was usefulness. He went about the improvement of the minds of the people 

 on his estate ; he turned his thoughts to the amelioration of the persomiel of the peasantry and 

 of the human beings committed to his care, whilst he was not indiiferent to fat cattle, swedes, 

 and mangold. One of his first acts was to provide a medical officer at a fixed salary for the poor, 

 and to visit the ministers of both churches, to assure them of his readiness to give relief to the 

 poor and sick of their fiocks, an assurance amply justified ; and, in the words of Dr. Gray, " his 

 large heart was ever devising plans to promote the elevation, improvement, and enjoyment of all 

 around him, and especially to pour oil and wine into the wounded hearts of the sorrowful and 

 suffering." To the village of Yester outside the park gate he presented a library and reading- 

 room, which he opened in person, and by his presence he encouraged the villagers to attend the 

 lectures he founded. The schools on the estate were visited and animated by his solicitude 

 and superintendence ; and he instituted singing-classes, the good eff'ects of which are abidin». 



At the same time, as one of the many local papers which contained obituary notices of him 

 observed, he proved most emphatically, the veiy year of his death, that he was keenly alive to the 

 value of his father's material improvements in agriculture ; and in the June of 1878 he directed 

 the attention of the Highland Society to the article on " Farm Machinery " in the Report of 



