WEIRD SISTERS. 281 



believed implicitly in Almighty power ruling all the 

 powers of darkness, she yet had a lingering belief that 

 "gude practices could do nae harm." So when my 

 first child was born I found that she had laid a Bible 

 under the cradle pillow, and had fastened the bed- 

 curtains with pins set in the form of a cross. 



These were old observances which were supposed to 

 protect mother and child from Trow-interference. 



Aged as she had now become, and conservative in 

 habits as she had always been, Mam-Willa was right 

 willing to receive new teaching at all times, and the 

 young doctor, my husband, being a pupil of Sir James 

 Simpson's, could give her some advanced instruction 

 in her profession. She eagerly studied his books and 

 " sat at his feet," but I heard her once ask our father, 

 " What do ye think 0' yon chloroform, sir ? The young 

 doctor is a' for it, but I wad like to ken your opinion. 

 Ye see the young folk are a' for the new-fangled ways ; 

 and I'm no saying but the new ways are gude ways. 

 Still a body canna' tak a' thing withoot muckle con- 

 sideration." 



Mam-Willa lived to celebrate her centenary, I 

 believe, and was possessed of all her faculties (except 

 hearing) to the last. 



Although she had been " Mam " to most of the 

 people in the island, we looked upon her as a sort of 

 family relic of our own, and when some of the youthful 

 members were visiting the old home they were taken 

 to see her. " And noo," she said as she received and 

 blessed the little ones, " I've seen seven generations 0' 



