286 The Buchanites and Crocketford. 



royalty within two hours." The news was wafted over the 

 town Hke a welcome breeze. The many were in ecstasies, 

 and betook themselves forthwith in the direction of the 

 banished woman's lodging with the proud-glancing eye of 

 gratified malignity. At last, at long last, the town would be 

 finally delivered from this vile witch-woman with her 

 cantrips ; and the spells which she had cast over the Relief 

 minister — to say nothing of that Muthill crowd and some of 

 their own kinsfolk — would be broken. But a few there were 

 to whom the news was most unwelcome. Was their " Friend 

 Mother " to be driven forth? Then of a surety they could 

 not remain behind. Let her but lead them forth to the New 

 Jerusalem, and neither home nor friends should keep them 

 from her side. The die was cast : it was decided that they 

 all would go. Haste, therefore, haste, was the call. And 

 so, as Burns writes, they assembled " with such precipitation 

 that many of them never shut their doors behind them ; one 

 left a washing on the green, another a cow bellowing at the 

 crib without food or anybody to mind her." 



Accordingly, when the magistrates and constables at 

 length appeared to conduct Luckie Buchan in safety outside 

 the burgh, they were very much surprised to find that they 

 had not merely one woman but a whole company of men, 

 women, and children to take charge of. They were, of 

 course, by no means able to oifer adequate protection to 

 so large and unexpected a company, but they did the best 

 they could. At the head of the little procession cheerfully 

 walked " Friend Mother in the Lord " herself, dolefully sup- 

 ported on the one hand by her ministerial henchman, the Rev. 

 Hugh White, and on the other by her future treasurer, John 

 Gibson. The eviction was a veritable trial by ordeal. 

 Tongue and hand were freely used against the exiles as they 

 moved with difficulty through the crowded streets. But 

 what were jeers and violence to folk who were leaving a City 

 of Destruction in the sure hope of an early ascent into the 

 heavens? So they patiently bore all, with singings and 

 shoutings that they were on the way to the New Jerusalem. 

 And in due time they painfully emerged from the persecuting 

 crowds into the open country, where the magistrates took 



