382 NETHER LOCHABER. 



often-quoted Latin phrase terra firma : words which rarely fail to 

 make us smile in their connection with an anecdote current in St. 

 Andrews in our early college days. It was to this effect: The 

 driver of a two-horse coach that ran at that time between St. 

 Andrews and Newport was a George Braid, a respectable old man, 

 familiarly known to everybody, and notably to the University 

 students, as " Geordie," a liberty with his Christian name which 

 Mr. Braid in nowise resented, for he was intelligent and shrewd, and 

 knew that he was thus spoken of and addressed out of goodwill and 

 kindly regard rather than otherwise. Frequently patronised on his 

 route by learned professors and lively students, Geordie had picked 

 up many big words and learned phrases, which he was fond of 

 using in his family, and, as the Catechism says, amongst his 

 " inferiors and equals." In connection with frequent storm and 

 shipwreck on the wild east coast, it was the most natural thing in 

 the world that Geordie should often have heard from the lips of 

 some of his learned " fare " the words terra firma, with which he 

 associated a general idea of protection, comfort, and safety. One 

 terrible night of snow and storm, having driven a large coachful 

 from Newport to the city, Geordie, when he had duly seen to his 

 cattle, and paid a short visit to the bar of the " Cross Keys " hostelry, 

 wended his way by the West Port to his home, which lay beyond the 

 old city walls. His wife, a brisk and eident bit body, had a roaring 

 fire and a cheery welcome for her goodman on his entrance, while 

 his children gathered round him to help him off with caps, coats, 

 leggings, and all the other belongings of the outer man of a driver 

 in the good old coaching days. Keduced at last to something like 

 his natural dimensions, Geordie, having sufficiently rubbed his 

 purple hands before the fire, looked benignantly around and ex- 

 claimed, " Ah ! Meg, my woman, you and the bairns hae muckle 

 cause to be thankful to your Maker that ye hae terrra firma abune 

 your heads this night ! Its just awfu' out yonder by the Guard 



