HUGH MILLER 21 



own Reminiscences, Carlyle has added to our acquaint- 

 ance with these men through his sketch of his own 

 father and others, who are, says Professor Blackie, the 

 natural outcome of the republican form of our Scottish 

 Church government, and of the national system of 

 education so early developed by Knox and the first 

 Reformers. 



The elder of the two brothers, James, was a harness- 

 maker in steady employment in the surrounding agri- 

 cultural district, so that from six in the morning till 

 ten at night his time would be fully occupied, thus 

 leaving him but scanty leisure. But, in the long even- 

 ings, he would fix his bench by the hearth, and listen 

 while his nephew or his own younger brother or some 

 neighbour would read. In the summer, he would 

 occupy his spare hours upon his journeys to and from 

 his rural rounds of labour in visiting every scene of 

 legend and story far and near, and so keen were his 

 powers of perception and ready expression in matters 

 of a historical and antiquarian nature, that his nephew 

 regrets he had not become a writer of books. Some 

 part of this information, however, he has attempted to 

 preserve in his Scenes and Legends. 



To the younger brother, Alexander, he seems to have 

 been even more indebted. If to the one he owed his 

 gift of ready and natural expression, it was to the other 

 that he was indebted for his powers of observation. 

 Originally educated as a cart-wright, he had served for 

 seven years in the navy, sailing with Nelson, witnessing 



