262 NOVEMBER 



weather, and wanton mischief began to do their 

 work on it, until, by a happy disposition of lay 

 patronage, Dr. Duncan, the father of savings banks, 

 was appointed to the parish, and, having views 

 beyond the Shorter Catechism, rescued the frag- 

 ments, pieced them together, and set them up in the 

 manse garden. There the venerable cross stood till, 

 five or six years ago, some local antiquaries (may 

 their names for ever live in story !) concerned them- 

 selves to get the relic put under shelter, and collected 

 funds for the purpose. The result has been that 

 it now stands safely within the ugly little parish 

 church. Now, a sculptured cross, seventeen feet 

 high, set in a Presbyterian place of worship to be 

 honoured of all men, supplies a commentary on 

 Scottish ecclesiastical history almost as pungent as 

 did the recent restoration of one of the side chapels 

 in St. Giles' of Edinburgh in memory of Montrose. 



There remains to be told how, before all this 

 happened, the wise men interpreted the Runic in- 

 scription. Good Dr. Duncan made careful drawings 

 of the cross, which remain unto this day a monu- 

 ment of his fidelity, with only one slight, but preg- 

 nant exception. The worthy man, knowing nothing 

 about Runes, copied that part of the inscription 



