DAVID WILLSON MEETING-HOUSE. 107 



of my tour, and place of residence, two men who accompanied 

 him enquired anxiously about Scotland, and the state of the 

 working classes there. On entering the building we took off 

 our hats, placing them on a table, and were told we might 

 walk round the house. 



The building is of wood, painted white externally, seventy 

 feet high, and consists of three stories. The first is sixty feet 

 square, with a door in the centre of each side, and three large 

 windows on each side of the door. On two sides there is a 

 representation of the setting sun, and the word &quot; Armageddon * 

 inscribed below. The second story is twenty-seven feet square, 

 with three windows on each side ; and the third story nine 

 feet square, with one window on each side. The corners of 

 each of the stories are terminated by square lanterns, with 

 gilded mountings, and the termination of the building is a 

 gilded ball of considerable size. The interior was filled with 

 wooden chairs placed round sixteen pillars, in the centre of 

 which is a square cabinet of black walnut, with a door and 

 windows on each side. There was a table in the centre of the 

 cabinet covered with black velvet, hung with crimson merino 

 and fringe, on which was deposited a Bible. On the four 

 centre pillars were painted the words &quot; Faith, Hope, Charity, 

 and Love;&quot; and on the twelve others, I believe, the names of 

 the Apostles. The centre pillars seemed to support the 

 second story, and at the foot of each was a table covered 

 with green cloth. The house was without ornament, being 

 painted fawn, green, and white, and had not a pulpit or place 

 for addressing an audience. It is occupied only once in a 

 month for collecting charity, contains 2952 panes of glass, 

 and is lighted once a-year with 116 candles. 



There was a cold suspicious reserve in Mr Willson s manner, 

 which prevented me at first engaging him in conversation. 

 After fruitless attempts I remarked the temple was a hand 

 some building, and he muttered in satirical sounds, &quot; we 

 did not wish to raise a temple, it is only a meeting-house.&quot; 

 I said the interior of the building was tastefully finished, and 

 asked if the design was his own, when he repulsively replied, 

 ;&amp;lt; Did you ever see one like it ?&quot; On answering in the nega 

 tive, he said, with a great deal of self-complacency, &quot; That is 

 the work of the mind.&quot; I had now a key to his good graces, 



