COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 303 



thought about it, and I never spoke for ten minutes 

 in my life except on convivial occasions. I had been 

 out hunting in Northamptonshire in the morning on 

 Monday and travelled down during the night, and 

 on arriving at Cupar found myself in for this business. 

 I was not fit for it either bodily or mentally. I had 

 to cram Acts of Parliament from daylight till dark. 

 However, I have nothing to regret in it, but I have 

 little hopes of the future. 



" As to the Kilmany Free Church, it was a case 

 of aggression on their part. There was one member 

 of their congregation in the village of Kilmany, ninety 

 in the village of Gauldry, and ninety in the village of 

 Logie, where the Free Church is situated. They 

 wished to pull down the church at Logie and put it 

 up near Kilmany, so that 180 would have to walk 

 one and a half miles to meet the one member. I 

 offered them a site at Gauldry, but that would not 

 suit them. Any impartial person can judge how 

 reasonable their request was. 



"As to your question about influence : Mrs. 

 Durham, right, very (Durham of Largo) ; Simson, 

 a very kind letter saying he would not vote against 

 me (of Pitcorthie) ; Lindsay, no answer, as far as I 

 know (Balcarres) ; Bethune, I should think against me 

 (Kilconquhar); Douglas Irvine, right (Grangemuir) ; 

 Stewart (St. Fort), right, but his son very active on 

 the other side. Most of the tenants, therefore, would 

 not vote. 



" Now that this M.P. business is over, the nego- 

 tiations about M.F.H, for Pytchley have recom- 



