ALEXANDER WILSON. 
XV 
extending to six verses, curious as the first specimen, and remarkable 
for its truisms, the characteristic of his later poems. 
The ready quickness, and mild disposition of the boy, now induced 
his father to hope that some profession higher than that of an 
operative would be more suitable to the character of his son; and the 
laudable pride shewn by a great part of the Scottish peasantry, that 
one of their offspring, at least, should embrace a learned profession, 
medicine or the church, confirmed his parents in deciding upon the 
latter as his future avocation, and he was placed under the charge 
of Mr Barlas, then a student of divinity, to whom, I believe, many 
of the youth of Paisley have been since indebted for scientific 
acquirements. We are not informed how long Wilson enjoyed 
the tuition of this divine ; it could not, however, be for any great 
period, as at the age of ten he suffered the loss of a kind and 
affectionate mother; and to this melancholy bereavement may, 
perhaps, be traced the whole bent and inclinations of his varied 
life. His father, feeling the care of conducting his household 
and young family, and, at the same time, of attending to his 
different occupations, too great a burden without assistance, 
again married. His family still increasing, the funds sufficient to 
defray the expenses of an education suited for a learned pro- 
fession were found too limited, and Wilson, upon the recommen- 
dation of his relatives, but much against his own wishes, was, at 
the age of thirteen, bound an apprentice to Mr William Duncan, 
a respectable operative weaver in Paisley. 
While he remained with Mr Duncan, every attention was paid 
to his business and tasks, apparently from an honourable motive, 
though an opportunity was never let slip in which he could gratify 
his taste for reading, or indulge his romantic fancy in wandering 
about the beautiful vicinity of his native town. 
His perhaps otherwise dormant mind had been roused during 
his short acquaintance with Mr Barlas, and the stealthy snatches 
which he now obtained of his favourite authors served only to 
inflame his desire for information. At the conclusion of his appren- 
ticeship he wrote the following quaint lines upon his indenture, 
shewing distaste for his business, and the reluctance with which he 
filled up his time ; — 
