6 
THE AUTHOR’S NATIVE VILLAGE. 
Introd. 
after sentence as I passed at my work; I thus kept up a pretty 
constant study undisturbed by the roar of the machinery. To 
this part of my education I owe my present power of completely 
abstracting the mind from surrounding noises, so as to read and 
write with perfect comfort amidst the play of children or near the 
dancing and songs of- savages. The toil of cotton-spinning, to 
wliich I was promoted in my nineteenth year, was excessively 
severe on a slim loose-jointed lad, but it was well paid for; and 
it enabled me to support myself while attending medical and 
Greek classes in Glasgow in winter, as also the divinity lectures 
of Dr. Wardlaw, by working with my hands in summer. I never 
received a farthing of aid from any one, and should have accom¬ 
plished my project of going to China as a medical missionary in 
the course of time by my own efforts, had not some ffiends 
advised my joining the London Missionary Society on account of 
its perfectly unsectarian character. It sends neither episcopacy, 
nor Presbyterianism, nor independency, but the gospel of Clirist 
to the heathen.” Tliis exactly agreed with my ideas of what a 
Missionary Society ought to do; but it was not without a pang 
that I offered myself, for it was not quite agreeable to one accus¬ 
tomed to work liis own way to become in a measure dependent 
on others. And I would not have been much put about, though 
my offer had been rejected. 
Looking back now on that life of toil, I cannot but feel thank¬ 
ful that it formed such a material part of my early education; 
and, were it possible, I should like to begin life over again in the 
same lowly style, and to pass through the same hardy training. 
Time and travel have not effaced the feelings of respect I 
imbibed for the humble inhabitants of my native village. For 
morality, honesty, and intelligence, they were in general good 
specimens of the Scottish poor. In a population of more than 
two thousand souls we had, of course, a variety of character. In 
addition to the common run of men, there were some characters 
of sterling worth and ability, who exerted a most beneficial 
influence on the children and youth of the place by imparting 
gratuitous religious instruction.* Much intelligent interest was 
* The reader will pardon my mentioning the names of two of these most 
worthy men—David Hogg, who addressed me on his death-bed with the words, 
“ Now, lad! make religion the every-day business of your life, and not a 
