Passages in the Life of a Ploughboy

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1857 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI. Our auld gudeman delights to view His sheep and kye thrive bonnie, O; But I'm as blythe that bauds his plough, And has nae care but Nannie, O.--Burns. On a subject so important to us all as happiness, we should listen with pleasure to any man's experience or experiments, even though he were but a ploughboy, who cannot be supposed to have ploughed very deep into such an intractable soil as that of human pains and pleasures, or to have conducted his researches upon any very enlightened principles.--The English OpiumEater. The character of Geordie Archer formed, in almost every way, a contrast with that of the young ploughmen with whom his bothy life compelled him in some measure to associate. Geordie is verging towards middle life, and is still unmarried--a rare conjunction of facts in a ploughman's history. By his bothy companions he is always styled Father; and certainly, when in their thinking moods, they entertain, in some measure, towards him a feeling of respect, though, generally, they rather treat him as one who lives to be laughed at, or to afford sport to those around him. There is much simplicity of mind about Geordie; and he has the happy faculty of being blind and oblivious to all attempts made to ridicule him. Often has his brose-meal been doubly or trebly salted by his young and mischief-loving companions; and this without the idea ever entering his mind that any hand besides his own had conveyed salt to his brose-cap, though he has often innocently remarked, I canna understand how my brose is sae saut the night. With all his simplicity and liability to be imposed on, Geordie is well versed in Scripture doctrine, and can appreciate the merits of a sermon above many of his rank. He has even been known to aid in conducting the dev...