30 ACCOUNT OF A BOY 



if hopeless of his father's return, became sorrowful even to 

 tears *." 



The 



* Soon after this memoir was read, I informed Mr Glennie of the difference 

 "in the accounts given by Mr Macparlane and by Dr Gordon, of young Mit- 

 chell's behaviour on the day of his father's funeral. In a letter with which he 

 has lately favoured me (dated May 10. 1812,) there is a passage transcribed 

 from a letter of Mr Macfarlaxe's (dated May 7.) which I think it proper to> 

 subjoin to the foregoing details, as an important document with respect to this 

 interesting point ; — the only point of any consequence in which the two paper* 

 do not perfectly agree. 



" In the account which I transmitted to you of James Mitchell, I mentioned 

 that he seemed much afflicted and very sorrowful the day of his father's funeral ; 

 and I now beg leave explicitly and positively to state, that when the coffin 

 which enclosed his father's corpse was brought from the house, and placed upon 

 chairs in the court before the manse, previous to the interment, I approached to 

 the coffin, and soon after saw James Mitchell come from the house in consi- 

 derable agitation. He turned about his head rapidly, and snuffed very much, 

 evidently guiding himself by the sense of smell. He directly approached the cof- 

 fin, smelled it most eagerly for several seconds ; then laid himself down upon 

 the lid, on his face, and embraced the coffin, while his countenance discovered 

 marks of the most lively sorrow. I stood close by him, and after a short time r 

 patted his head once or twice ; upon which he rose, and returned into the house. 

 This occurred immediately upon the coffin being brought out, and about twenty 

 minutes before it was lifted, in order to be carried to the church-yard. As the 

 accuracy of my information on this subject has been doubted, I purposely delay- 

 ed writing to you, till I should have an opportunity of conversing with the Re- 

 verend Pryse Campbell, minister of Ardersier, brother-in-law to Mrs Mit- 

 chell, who was present at the funeral, and by whose direction every thing w r as 

 conducted. I fell in with this gentleman on Tuesday se'ennight, at the meeting 

 of our Provincial Synod. I took an opportunity there of asking him, if he ob- 

 served any marks of sorrow about James Mitchell on the day of his father's 

 funeral. He replied, that he did observe the most unequivocal marks of grief 

 in his countenance ; and added a circumstance which escaped my notice, that 



whea 



