Dunfermline, 2 79 



could swim), and bore each other up until finally Lady 

 Paton got between her husband and son, with one hand 

 on the shoulder of each, and thus they struggled grandly 

 to shore. Where is another trio that could do that, 

 think you ? I tell you, who don't know Dunfermline, 

 that these Patons were always a marked family, and 

 have had genius hovering about their pretty home for 

 generations, and now and then touching the heads and 

 hearts of father, sons, and daughters with its creative 

 wand. There is a great deal in blood, no doubt, but the 

 blood from an honest weaver or shoemaker is, as a rule, 

 a much better article, something to be much prouder of, 

 than you find from nobles whose rise came from such 

 conduct as should make their descendants ashamed to 

 talk of descent. It's a God's mercy we are all from 

 honest w^eavers ; let us pity those who haven't ancestors 

 of whom they can be proud, dukes or duchesses though 

 they be. 



Dunfermline, July 27-28, 

 Put all the fifty days of our journey together, and 

 we would have exchanged them all for rainy ones if we 

 could have been assured a bright day for this occasion. 

 It came, a magnificent day. The sun shone forth as if 

 glad to shine upon this the most memorable day of my 

 mother's life or of mine, as far as days can be rendered 

 memorable by the actions of our fellow-men. We left 

 Edinburgh and reached Queensferry in time for the noon 



