VISIT TO EUROPE: RESIDENCE IN EDINBURGH. 191 



Inquiry discovered her humble condition, but did not abate 

 the virtuous feelings which she had excited, and doubtless 

 they were confirmed by personal interviews. She was in 

 due time favored with educational training, and having 

 native dignity and good sense, it may be presumed that she 

 honored her station not less than it honored her. Many 

 years passed away ; the tales of childhood faded into 

 glimmering recollections ; and this story would doubtless 

 have been remembered no more, had it not been revived 

 by an accidental occurrence. Being invited to dine at the 

 house of one of our friends, a clergyman, I was informed 

 that I should there meet an American lady. I accepted 

 the invitation, and was introduced to Sir John Stirling and 

 lady and daughter. They were sensible and agreeable 

 people, intelligent and courteous, and, withal, dignified 

 without formality. Sir John might have been fifty-six, and 

 his wife fifty-three. Conversation, of course, turned on 

 America, and Lady Stirling and myself were drawn a little 

 nearer in interest, as we could speak of a common country. 

 The course of conversation soon discovered that New Eng 

 land and Connecticut was our native land, and I avowed 

 myself Connecticut born. It appeared that the lady had 

 left the land of her nativity thirty years or more ago ; and 

 when I took the liberty to inquire still farther for her native 

 town, she named Stratford, and I responded that it was 

 also my native town, although that portion of it where I 

 was born now bore the name of Trumbull. The next 

 town, Fairfield, was the abode of my family, but my mother 

 was driven into exile by the British invasion along our 

 coast, and I was born away from home. In an instant the 

 tales of childhood were summoned afresh from their long 

 repose in my memory, and I felt no doubt that the once 

 young and beautiful Miss Folsom was now before me as 

 Lady Stirling, a grave matron, and the ardent and 

 gallant young Scotchman was the veritable Sir John Stir 

 ling, a grave knight. I pursued my inquiries no further; 



