The Ayrshire Legatees

The impression which this letter made on the auditors of Mr. Micklewham

was highly favourable to the Doctor--all bore testimony to his

benevolence and piety; and Mrs. Glibbans expressed, in very loquacious

terms, her satisfaction at the neglect to which prelacy was consigned.

The only person who seemed to be affected by other than the most sedate

feelings on the occasion was the Rev. Mr. Snodgrass, who was observed to

smile in a very unbecoming manner at some parts of the Doctor's account

of his reception at St. Paul's. Indeed, it was apparently with the

utmost difficulty that the young clergyman could restrain himself from

giving liberty to his risible faculties. It is really surprising how

differently the same thing affects different people. "The Doctor and

Mrs. Pringle giving a guinea at the door of St. Paul's for the poor need

not make folk laugh," said Mrs. Glibbans; "for is it not written, that

whosoever giveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord?" "True, my dear

madam," replied Mr. Snodgrass, "but the Lord to whom our friends in this

case gave their money is the Lord Bishop of London; all the collection

made at the doors of St. Paul's Cathedral is, I understand, a perquisite

of the Bishop's." In this the reverend gentleman was not very correctly

informed, for, in the first place, it is not a collection, but an

exaction; and, in the second place, it is only sanctioned by the Bishop,

who allows the inferior clergy to share the gains among themselves. Mrs.

Glibbans, however, on hearing his explanation, exclaimed, "Gude be about

us!" and pushing back her chair with a bounce, streaking down her gown at

the same time with both her hands, added, "No wonder that a judgment is

upon the land, when we hear of money-changers in the temple." Miss Mally

Glencairn, to appease her gathering wrath and holy indignation, said

facetiously, "Na, na, Mrs. Glibbans, ye forget, there was nae changing of

money there. The man took the whole guineas. But not to make a

controversy on the subject, Mr. Snodgrass will now let us hear what

Andrew Pringle, 'my son,' has said to him":--And the reverend gentleman

read the following letter with due circumspection, and in his best

manner:-

LETTER X

Andrew Pringle, Esq., to the Reverend Charles Snodgrass MY DEAR FRIEND--I have heard it alleged, as the observation of a great

traveller, that the manners of the higher classes of society throughout

Christendom are so much alike, that national peculiarities among them are

scarcely perceptible. This is not correct; the differences between those

of London and Edinburgh are to me very striking. It is not that they

talk and perform the little etiquettes of social intercourse differently;

for, in these respects, they are apparently as similar as it is possible

for imitation to make them; but the difference to which I refer is an

indescribable something, which can only be compared to peculiarities of

accent. They both speak the same language; perhaps in classical purity

of phraseology the fashionable Scotchman is even superior to the

Englishman; but there is a flatness of tone in his accent--a lack of what

the musicians call expression, which gives a local and provincial effect

to his conversation, however, in other respects, learned and intelligent.

It is so with his manners; he conducts himself with equal ease,

self-possession, and discernment, but the flavour of the metropolitan

style is wanting.