534 ftfnas of tbe 1Rofc, IRtfle, anfc 6un 



the Law," and possibly Russel pere may have intended 

 his son for the legal profession, but he died whilst the 

 lad was yet a child, and the widow, in reduced circum- 

 stances, was glad of the opportunity of apprenticing 

 Alec to a printer. The boy's father, however, had lived 

 long enough to imbue his son with a deep love of 

 country scenes and sports, and above all with a strong 

 passion for angling. For the elder Russel was an 

 accomplished fisherman. Thus "Sandy" was intro- 

 duced in his childhood to the mysteries of the " gentle 

 craft," became familiar with the charming waters of 

 St. Mary's Loch, and had sat at the feet of the " Ettrick 

 Shepherd" as the poet talked of "fush" and " fushin'" 

 over his toddy. As he grew older he set out on fishing 

 expeditions up among the Pentlands, on the banks of 

 the Almond and the waters of Leith, where the streams, 

 now an eye-sorrow to anglers, ran pure, and full of 

 trout. These were in the days when he was yet a 

 schoolboy at the Classical Academy of the Rev. Ross 

 Kennedy in St. James's Square. Then came his 

 apprenticeship to the printer, which was brightened 

 by the comradeship of his fellow-apprentice John 

 Johnstone, afterwards editor of The Inverness Courier. 

 Johnstone was destined, through his wife, to have a 

 considerable influence over Russel's future career, for 

 that lady had a large share in Tail's Magazine, the 

 pages of which were thus thrown open to young 

 Alexander's literary contributions. 



In the year 1839, when he was four-and-twenty, 

 Alexander Russel had his first experience as an editor 

 on T/ie Berwick Advertiser. His salary was 70 a 



