Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush

Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush, by
Ian Maclaren

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Title: Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush
Author: Ian Maclaren

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BESIDE THE BONNIE BRIER BUSH
By IAN MACLAREN

TO MY WIFE

'There grows a bonnie brier bush in our kail-yard, And white are the
blossoms on't in our kail-yard.'

CONTENTS
I. DOMSIE.
1. A LAD O' PAIRTS,
2. HOW WE CARRIED THE NEWS TO WHINNIE KNOWE

3. IN MARGET'S GARDEN
4. A SCHOLAR'S FUNERAL
II. A HIGHLAND MYSTIC.
1. WHAT EYE HATH NOT SEEN,
2. AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS,
III. HIS MOTHER'S SERMON,
IV. THE TRANSFORMATION OF LACHLAN CAMPBELL.
1. A GRAND INQUISITOR,
2. HIS BITTER SHAME,
3. LIKE AS A FATHER,
4. AS A LITTLE CHILD,
V. THE CUNNING SPEECH OF DRUMTOCHTY
VI. A WISE WOMAN.
1. OUR SERMON TASTER
2. THE COLLAPSE OF MRS. MACFADYEN
VII. A DOCTOR OF THE OLD SCHOOL
1. A GENERAL PRACTITIONER
2. THROUGH THE FLOOD
3. A FIGHT WITH DEATH
4. THE DOCTOR'S LAST JOURNEY

5. THE MOURNING OF THE GLEN

DOMSIE

I
A LAD O' PAIRTS
The Revolution reached our parish years ago, and Drumtochty has a
School Board, with a chairman and a clerk, besides a treasurer and an
officer. Young Hillocks, who had two years in a lawyer's office, is
clerk, and summons meetings by post, although he sees every member
at the market or the kirk. Minutes are read with much solemnity, and
motions to expend ten shillings upon a coal-cellar door passed, on the
motion of Hillocks, seconded by Drumsheugh, who are both severely
prompted for the occasion, and move uneasily before speaking.
Drumsheugh was at first greatly exalted by his poll, and referred freely
on market days to his "plumpers," but as time went on the irony of the
situation laid hold upon him.
"Think o' you and me, Hillocks, veesitin' the schule and sittin' wi' bukes
in oor hands watchin' the Inspector. Keep's a', it's eneuch to mak' the
auld Dominie turn in his grave. Twa meenisters cam' in his time, and
Domsie put Geordie Hoo or some ither gleg laddie, that was makin' for
college, thro' his facin's, and maybe some bit lassie brocht her
copybuke. Syne they had their dinner, and Domsie tae, wi' the Doctor.
Man, a've often thocht it was the prospeck o' the Schule Board and its
weary bit rules that feenished Domsie. He wasna maybe sae shairp at
the elements as this pirjinct body we hae noo, but a'body kent he was a
terrible scholar and a credit tae the parish. Drumtochty was a name in
thae days wi' the lads he sent tae college. It was maybe juist as weel he
slippit awa' when he did, for he wud hae taen ill with thae new fikes,
and nae college lad to warm his hert."

The present school-house stands in an open place beside the main road
to Muirtown, treeless and comfortless, built of red, staring stone, with a
playground for the boys and another for the girls, and a trim,
smug-looking teacher's house, all very neat and symmetrical, and well
regulated. The local paper had a paragraph headed "Drumtochty,"
written by the Muirtown architect, describing the whole premises in
technical language that seemed to compensate the ratepayers for the
cost, mentioning the contractor's name, and concluding that "this
handsome building of the Scoto-Grecian style was one of the finest
works that had ever come from the accomplished architect's hands." It
has pitch-pine benches and