90 REMINISCENCES OF 



saddlebags and come and stay a night or two. All 

 visitors came for a night or two, either offering to 

 come or by invitation, but company dinners were 

 unknown. The old Colonel and the sisters often 

 came over from Coates, and we went there. 



"We used to go to visit for a couple of days 

 in the county, for, as there were no railroads, few 

 strangers came amongst us. My father and aunt 

 and my brothers (when on leave) were very much 

 with us, and Blair Adam was another home to the 

 children in later days. In 1810 we spent a winter 

 at my father's in London, when Eleanor was a year 

 old, and after that I was never out of Scotland for 

 thirteen years. We used to visit in E. Lothian and 

 in Perthshire, and I think I have slept in most 

 houses in Fife. 



" Sometimes these visits were stupid enough, 

 but sometimes very pleasant — Dunikier, Balbirnie, 

 Birkhill, Mount Melville, were the most frequent, 

 and, nearer home, Largo, Kilconquhar, Gilston, 

 but not much at Balcarres. Mr. Lindsay and 

 John's father did not suit each other, but Mrs. L. 

 and I visited. 



" In early days Sir Robert was the only inmate 

 at Balcaskie, and a three o'clock dinner was rather 

 a penitence — another three o'clock dinner at Inner- 

 gellie. Mrs. Lumsden was our aunt, a dear kind 

 old lady, but the laird was a very rough old soldier. 



" As the children grew up, of course, more of 

 my time was occupied with them. They had their 

 fixed hours with the governess, some of them rode. 



