"Galt, John - The Ayrshire Legatees" - читать интересную книгу автора (Galt John)

were formerly held. I have heard a lawsuit compared to a country-
dance, in which, after a great bustle and regular confusion, the
parties stand still, all tired, just on the spot where they began;
but this is the first time that the judges of the land have been
called on to decide when a dance may begin.

We arrived too late for the steam-boat, and are obliged to wait till
Monday morning; but to-morrow we shall go to church, where I expect
to see what sort of creatures the beaux are. The Greenock ladies
have a great name for beauty, but those that I have seen are perfect
frights. Such of the gentlemen as I have observed passing the
windows of the inn may do, but I declare the ladies have nothing of
which any woman ought to be proud. Had we known that we ran a risk
of not getting a steam-boat, my mother would have provided an
introductory letter or two from some of her Irvine friends; but here
we are almost entire strangers: my father, however, is acquainted
with one of the magistrates, and has gone to see him. I hope he
will be civil enough to ask us to his house, for an inn is a
shocking place to live in, and my mother is terrified at the
expense. My brother, however, has great confidence in our
prospects, and orders and directs with a high hand. But my paper is
full, and I am compelled to conclude with scarcely room to say how
affectionately I am yours,

RACHEL PRINGLE.


LETTER III


The Rev. Dr Pringle to Mr. Micklewham, Schoolmaster and Session-
Clerk, Garnock--EDINBURGH.

Dear Sir--We have got this length through many difficulties, both in
the travel by land to, and by sea and land from Greenock, where we
were obligated, by reason of no conveyance, to stop the Sabbath, but
not without edification; for we went to hear Dr. Drystour in the
forenoon, who had a most weighty sermon on the tenth chapter of
Nehemiah. He is surely a great orthodox divine, but rather costive
in his delivery. In the afternoon we heard a correct moral lecture
on good works, in another church, from Dr. Eastlight--a plain man,
with a genteel congregation. The same night we took supper with a
wealthy family, where we had much pleasant communion together,
although the bringing in of the toddy-bowl after supper is a fashion
that has a tendency to lengthen the sederunt to unseasonable hours.

On the following morning, by the break of day, we took shipping in
the steam-boat for Glasgow. I had misgivings about the engine,
which is really a thing of great docility; but saving my concern for
the boiler, we all found the place surprising comfortable. The day