282 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



your bluid ; frae auld Mrs. Archbald, Lord bless her 

 soul ! to this bairn ; may Heaven's hand be about it ! " 

 When I bade Mam-Willa good-bye some years before 

 her death, she let me know she did not expect we 

 should meet again, for her parting words were solemn 

 and impressiva '•' Fare weel, my dear, till the resur- 

 rection o' the just ! " . 



CHAPTER II. 



Another wise-woman was Kirsty Thomson. Her 

 mother had been a Dame, reputed sage and witchy, and 

 a portion of her mantle was supposed to have fallen 

 upon her daughters, who right willingly allowed the 

 statement to pass uncontradicted. I think they 

 honestly believed it themselves — at least Kirsty did. 

 She never denied that she had doings with " them that 

 must na be named," and her imagination was so vivid, 

 her earnestness so active, that I am sure she was quite 

 unaware that her own natural shrewdness, acquaintance 

 with the characters and habits of her neighbours, and 

 coincidence, as well as obvious consequence of certain 

 actions, were responsible for that which she attributed 

 to the influence of Trows and spells. 



Kirsty was learned in the mysteries of " saining," 

 and knew many incantations ; but it was not till the 

 prime of her days was past, and the active out-of-door 

 life in which she delighted was no longer possible, that 

 she took up the trade of sick-nurse, and she was never 

 a proficient in it. Her nature was too rapid and im- 



