The Ayrshire Legatees

When Miss Isabella Tod had read the letter, there was a solemn pause for

some time--all present knew something, more or less, of the fair writer;

but a carriage, a carpet like the best at Eglintoun, a Hussar officer,

and two footmen in livery, were phantoms of such high import, that no one

could distinctly express the feelings with which the intelligence

affected them. It was, however, unanimously agreed, that the Doctor's

legacy had every symptom of being equal to what it was at first expected

to be, namely, twenty thousand pounds;--a sum which, by some occult or

recondite moral influence of the Lottery, is the common maximum, in

popular estimation, of any extraordinary and indefinite windfall of

fortune. Miss Becky Glibbans, from the purest motives of charity,

devoutly wished that poor Rachel might be able to carry her full cup with

a steady hand; and the Rev. Mr. Snodgrass, that so commendable an

expression might not lose its edifying effect by any lighter talk,

requested Mr. Micklewham to read his letter from the Doctor.

LETTER IX

The Rev. Z. Pringle, D.D., to Mr. Micklewham, Schoolmaster and

Session-Clerk of Garnock

LONDON.

DEAR SIR--I have written by the post that will take this to hand, a

letter to Banker M---y, at Irvine, concerning some small matters of money

that I may stand in need of his opinion anent; and as there is a prospect

now of a settlement of the legacy business, I wish you to take a step

over to the banker, and he will give you ten pounds, which you will

administer to the poor, by putting a twenty-shilling note in the plate on

Sunday, as a public testimony from me of thankfulness for the hope that

is before us; the other nine pounds you will quietly, and in your own

canny way, divide after the following manner, letting none of the

partakers thereof know from what other hand than the Lord's the help

comes, for, indeed, from whom but HIS does any good befall us!

You will give to auld Mizy Eccles ten shillings. She's a careful

creature, and it will go as far with her thrift as twenty will do with

Effy Hopkirk; so you will give Effy twenty. Mrs. Binnacle, who lost her

husband, the sailor, last winter, is, I am sure, with her two sickly

bairns, very ill off; I would therefore like if you will lend her a note,

and ye may put half-a-crown in the hand of each of the poor weans for a

playock, for she's a proud spirit, and will bear much before she

complain. Thomas Dowy has been long unable to do a turn of work, so you

may give him a note too. I promised that donsie body, Willy Shachle, the

betherel, that when I got my legacy, he should get a guinea, which would

be more to him than if the colonel had died at home, and he had had the

howking of his grave; you may therefore, in the meantime, give Willy a

crown, and be sure to warn him well no to get fou with it, for I'll be

very angry if he does. But what in this matter will need all your skill,

is the giving of the remaining five pounds to auld Miss Betty Peerie;

being a gentlewoman both by blood and education, she's a very slimmer

affair to handle in a doing of this kind. But I am persuaded she's in as

great necessity as many that seem far poorer, especially since the muslin

flowering has gone so down. Her bits of brats are sairly worn, though

she keeps out an apparition of gentility. Now, for all this trouble, I

will give you an account of what we have been doing since my last.