BLACK RUSSEL. 



the mirth of the neighbouring topers, which he- 

 louder the more deeply they drank, had begun to annoy 

 the congregation. Mr Russel was standing beside the 

 tent. At every fresh burst of sound he would raise him- 

 self on tiptoe, look first with a portentous expression of 

 countenance towards the alehouse, and then at the clergy- 

 man, who, at length concluding his part of the service, 

 yielded him his place. He laid aside the book, and, 

 without psalm or prayer, or any of the usual prelimin- 

 aries, launched at once into a powerful extempore address 

 directed over the heads of the people at the alehouse. 

 My uncle has often assured me he never in his life heard 

 anything half so energetic. His ears absolutely tingled, 

 as the preacher thundered out, in a voice almost super- 

 human, his solemn and terrible denunciations. Every 

 sound of revelry ceased in a moment ; and the bac- 

 chanals, half-drunk, as most of them were, were so 

 thoroughly cowed as to be fain to steal out through a 

 back window. Mr Russel, before his death, which took 

 place about twenty years ago, was one of the ministers 

 of Stirling. A Cromarty man, a soldier in a Highland 

 regiment, when stationed in the castle of that place, had 

 got involved one day in some street quarrel, and was 

 swearing furiously, when a tall, gaunt old man in black 

 came and pulled him out of the crowd. "Wretched 

 creature that ye are," said the old man ; " come along 

 with me." He drew him into a quiet corner, and began 

 to expostulate with him on his profanity in a style, to 

 which the soldier, an intelligent, though by no means a 

 steady man, could not but listen. Mr Russel, for it was 

 no other than he, seemed much pleased with the atten- 

 tion he paid him ; and, on learning where he had come 

 from, and the name of his parents, exclaimed, with much 

 feeling, " Waes me that your father's sou should be a 



