1840-41. STIRLING AND ITS ENVIRONS. 249 



formed to cut his way to the rapid eminence and brilliant 

 success, after which he eagerly panted. A totally different 

 path was marked out for him ; and in this contrast lies the 

 moral interest and pathos of his life." 



Stirling was the head-quarters of the cousins in their pedes- 

 trian tour, a much-valued friend being their hostess there. On 

 the 10th of September he writes home, " I should have written 

 yesterday had I not been away up in the country, spending the 

 night in a farm among the highland moors, about eight miles 

 above Stirling. Hitherto things have gone on most excellently 

 in all respects ; Mrs. M.'s children being in the country, she 

 has devoted her whole attention to making us happy, and we 

 have received every kindness from her. A brief record of 

 what we have been doing will best show you how we have been 

 occupied, and prove to you that we have not misspent our 

 time. Saturday was devoted to a nine miles' walk over the 

 carse of Stirling to Bamiockburn, to the site of the stone where 

 Bruce's standard was placed on the day of battle. With the 

 help of two gentlemen, I got a somewhat good idea of the forces 

 in the affair. 



" Then on Sunday, after hearing two tremendously long ser- 

 mons in the Established Kirk, it was proposed to walk out to 

 Bridge of Allan in the evening, and hear a third discourse. 

 We walked out, but as the sermon was in a wright's shed which 

 was crammed, James and I walked farther to learn if there was 

 evening service in the parish church of Lecropt, a beautiful 

 place on the Perth road. Singularly enough, there was no ser- 

 mon, and we had to occupy ourselves admiring and asking 

 questions of the myriads of bonnie bairns we saw about us. 

 Of these there were so many that I can conscientiously say that 

 Stirling and Perthshire beat all places hollow for beautiful 



children, and as sharp as beautiful I am out every day 



walking till nine o'clock. I tried last night to finish this letter, 

 but this is all the length I got. This morning I add that I was 

 away on Monday walking to Doune, which with the return 

 makes a distance of sixteen miles. Tuesday, as I have said, 

 we spent at a farm seven miles off, and now we are just starting 

 for a twenty miles' walk into Perthshire. We shall rest there 



