SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR S LIFE. 



prize of his heart, a sewed copy of the said " Burns' 

 Poems." Home he went, for the fair had no further 

 charms for him. Into the heart of a blackberry bush, 

 that flourished with a kind of arbour shape in his 

 father's garden, he tumbled, and, with a bright dis- 

 dain, left the showman-spoutings, the busy hum, the 

 gaudy, touting, holiday enticements, to those who 

 cared for them. 



The village of Bowden was not far off. A line 

 from Clapperton, an old Scotch poet, " at Bowden, 

 on black Monanday," shews that the village had re- 

 ceived poetic mention. In addition to being the 

 birth place of Thomas Aird, the imperfect fulfiller of 

 great poetic promise, it takes credit for fostering the 

 nativity of Andrew Scott, the author of the quaint 

 but classic piece of dialogue rhythm " Symon and 

 Janet," beginning, 



Surroundit wi' bent, an' wi' heather, 

 Where muircocks an' plivers are rife, 



For mony lang towmond thegether, 

 There lived an auld man an' his wife. 



To Andrew, John made up and was received with 

 kindliness. In return, John rendered homage as to 

 genius, and a friendship was formed, lasting till the 

 old barnman flung down the flail never to uplift it. 



