552 ftfngs of tbe 1Rot>, IRffle, an& (Bun 



Russel blazed away quite unconscious of the trick played 

 on him, never expecting to hit anything, and therefore 

 neither surprised nor disappointed to see the birds fly 

 away unscathed. 



On the other hand, he was a very keen and skilful 

 curler, and also took a lively interest in cricket, though I 

 do not know that he was anything of a player. In his 

 latter days, when he lived much in the country at his 

 house on Tweedside, he delighted to patronise cricket 

 matches in the neighbourhood and have the young 

 cricketers up to supper. For he was as happy among 

 boys as among men, and had a wonderful power of 

 kindling enthusiasm in the young. In his own family 

 he was the most affectionate of fathers, and his children 

 were devoted to him, though there were strange stories 

 current of the very remarkable anathemas against Dr. 

 Candlish, the famous Moderator of the Free Church, 

 which Russel taught his bairns to utter at his dinner- 

 table when they were too young to know the meaning of 

 the phrases which they repeated like parrots. 



In 1859 Russel's admirers presented him with a 

 magnificent service of plate, which cost ,1,770, as a 

 recognition of his services to the Liberal party and of 

 the high position he had made for The Scotsman as an 

 independent journal. It was on this occasion that when 

 asked what his coat-of-arms was, he replied, " My shirt- 

 sleeves." 



But the highest mark of honour bestowed upon 

 him and the one which he himself prized most was his 

 election in 1875 as an honorary member of the Reform 

 Club "for distinguished public services." 



