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A ne c d ote s and R e m i n i s c e nce s ld D u n ee . b A. Do na Pozt rait fro m Pho t o . y , d G e o rge G ilfill an

A nec d o t e s and R e m in isc e nc e s

Davi d M acr ae

“ Au t ho r of A merican s at Home

George Harrington & c .

A m a n f ta ar t ai t and t r ue o s lw f h , 1? We l a id him in a Ch r ist ian g rave ;

B u t n o r m t e co m e him Odi , Th , igh w l 1 ( 7 r T o t he Va lh all a o f t h e b ave .

S e c o n d E d i t i o n .

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M o r i s o n B r o t h e r s

1 8 9 1

C O N T E N T S .

P AG E

P F C AN D C O N O LOG C L OU T LI N E to 1 R E A E H R I A , 7 5

L F LLA m P U LP 1 G I I N THE IT , 7 n 4 5

T HE P L FO M O 6 AT R O RAT R , 4 n 59

T HE L E A E U 60 86 I TT R T R ,

T HE K N G —E N O F T O LO G C L FO M 8 1 12 I HT R RA T HE I A RE R , 7

HO M L F A N D P S O N L S C S 1 1 1 E I E ER A C HA RA C TER I TI , 3 5 7

P r e fa c e .

R re rt ant u c se r ces a ar r m his m n st er a O t h e im po p bli vi , p t f o i i i l

o r eo r e G ilfillan e ser e s t o be e in rat e u w k, G g d v h ld g f l re m e m b rance .

T h c n r ut o n h e m a e t o t erat ure e fi rst i s the val uabl e o t ib i d Li , — bo th in p ro se and p o et ry if o ne m ay use t h e se t erm s t o d is ” t i nguish the blan k v e rse in his Nigh t fro m t he p r o se t hat so “ o te n as i n h is ar s o f the e s ee t e s t o et c ee n f , B d Bibl , h wi h p i f li g, bo ili ng and flashi ng al o ng at t im e s wi t h the i m pet uo s i t y and

’ ’ t un er o f Anac re o n s war-so n s G ilfill an s m o st a ua e h d g . v l bl “ te rar o r w as e o n o u t his a e r o f t erar li y w k , b y d d b , G ll y Li y ” r o f i r en a o rt a ts . 0 o o t s t m e m o e t o u c e s ec P i N b k i did q i k , p i lly in o un c o t c m en the o e o f te rat u re and O e n t e r e e s y g S h , l v li , p h i y t o t he o r o f e e Wo r s wo rt ro n and e en t e r o w n gl y Sh ll y , d h , By , v h i

urn a e — B s . I h v o fte n wo nd e re d t h at t h e se e ssay s the fi ne st

’ ru t s o f G il fillan s en us and as asc nat n t o d a as e n f i g i , f i i g y wh — fi rst p ubli sh e d h ave n e v e r be en re p ro d uce d in any o f o ur — ch eap se ri e s o f c l ass i c aut h o rs se ri e s t hat i ncl ude so m e wo rks o f e ss e rm ane nt n re s an u l p i te t d v al e .

Ano t h e r t hi ng fo r whi c h G il fillan deserv e s to be rem e m be re d is t he w arm a nd m agnani m o u s sym pat hy h e fe l t wi t h y o ut hfu l as rat o n and was e e r rea t o e te n to o ut u e n us pi i , v dy x d y hf l g i s t ruggli ng wi t h po ve rty o r in dange r o f be i ng l o s t t h ro ugh

s co u ra T t se earnest and as ri n di gem e nt o r neglec t . o h e pi g s u an I t was o l s G eo rge G ilfillan was the M ae ce nas o f S co t l d . his st ro ng and ge nero us hand th at cl e are d t he way fo r Al e xand e r “ S m t and ne o e ! and fo r t at ur a ar t o n as i h Syd y D b l , h l id pp i i (

R o e rt uc anan ca s him bu nu ne o et S t an an . b B h ll ) t ge i p , y Bigg

T o e o r e ac o na in hi s ear a s t o a e G e ra G g M d ld ly d y , B il y , ld

as se ane t am t o n e an e r n e rso n an d m an o t e rs M y , ! H il , Al x d A d , y h ,

G il fill an was p ro m pt i n his app rec i at i o n and in his po werful

t e rar i t e ua rea ne ss he c e e re and e e fo r li y a d . Wi h q l di h d h lp d

ar m an o t e rs who t o u t e ne e r ro se t o am e et w d y h , , h gh h y v f , y fo und t h ro ugh h im t he co urage and t he o ppo r t un i t y t o give t he

o r r I n m an a o m e o f m o e st en us— in m an w ld t h e i be st . y h d g i y a h o m e o f h u m bl e a nd u nre co gn i s e d wo rt h in o ur o wn and o t h er — l and s G il fill an will l o ng be h e ld i n t end e r and grat e ful m e m o ry as th e o ne who s po ke the fi rs t s we et wo rd s o f e nco urage m ent

“ ’ a nd o ene h n o e M a G ilfill an s r a e p d t e wi d ws o f h o p . y g v

(B uch anan o nce w ro t e ) be so m e wh e re o n t he s l o p e s o f Par nassus o n fo r the sa e o f t o se o et s o m his ra se m a e , if ly k h p wh p i d

a and o m his an was e e r rea t o e o n h ppy , wh h d v dy h lp

T he t r t n fo r c G il fillan be re m e m e re and hi d hi g whi h will b d , — — d e serv es t o be h o no ured e s pec i ally in S co t l an d is t he se rvi ce

r s he did t o t he cause o f e nlight e ne d and p ro gress ive Ch i t i ani t y .

Fo r m any years he was th e fo re m o st pi o ne er o f libe rty and p ro g re ss in t he U ni te d P re sbyt e r i an Chu rc h t o whi ch he

e n e He was o ne o f t h e rst t o a ro use t he att e nt o n o f b lo g d . fi i t o u t u m en no o n in his o wn b ut in o t e r urc e s t o h gh f l , t ly h Ch h , t he aspersio n cast upo n the ch aract e r Of G o d by s uc h d o gm as a s t o se o f re ro at o n th e am nat o n o f n ant s and t he o o m h p b i , d i i f , d o f t he eat e n o u he ne er at t e m te c re e re o rm h h . Th gh v p d d f t ro u the urc o urt s e t his o and re e ut te rances h gh Ch h C , y by b ld f h e h e lpe d m any in t he Ch urch wh o se co ns c i e nces we re Op

re ss r o re t an p e d by suc h t enet s t o bre at he m o re f e e ly . M h o nce as we s al se e his an ua ro u t u o n him e c cles i , h l , l g ge b gh p ast ical n u s o n and c e nsur B ut in his s ec at th e i q i i t i e . pe h p re sent at i o n o f th e G ilfillan Te st im o ni al in 1877 h e d ecl are d t h e ca use o f t he o l o gi cal re fo rm t o be th e m o st i m po rt ant t o

h a r i ur n th e ast t wo ears o f whi ch e h d e ve l e nt his a d . D i g l y hi s e it o ccu e his t o u t s m o re t an an o t e r e s e c a lif pi d h gh h y h , p i lly wh e n the di scus s i o n o f t he do gm a o f e n dl e ss t o r m e nt w as c m n h ro ro h se r ce he o t o t e nt . art o e e r m t e i g f Ap , h w v , f vi rend ere d by drawi ng at t e nt i o n t o s pe c i al and o ut st andi ng erro rs

’ in the urc s c re e and at t ac n t e m in h is ec am at o r but Ch h d , ki g h d l y

o erfu and effe ct e wa il fill an had fo r ears ee n o ste r n p w l iv y, G y b f i g

n e e n ence o f u m e nt and t eac n t h e e o e t o r n al l i d p d j dg , hi g p pl b i g t radi t i o n t o t he bar o f co m m o n se nse and t he e nlight ene d Ch ri st i an co nsc n I n a m r e r h t m u at e t he re o rm n i e ce . a k d d eg e e e s i l d f i g

S ri t in c o an c e ar n t h e at and m a n it e as e r fo r pi S t l d, l i g p h , ki g i t o se w ho o o e He ast e ne in his o wn wa the t r um h f ll w d . h d y i ph

’ o f us t ce t rut and ert and en the st o r o f co t an s j i , h , lib y ; , wh hi y S l d

t eo o ca em anc at o n c o m e s t o be r t t e n o n t he ro h l gi l ip i w i , high ll o f he r e rato rs as e as o f h e r o rato rs and t t e rat e u rs lib , w ll li , will h s t an t e nam e o f e o r e G il fill an o f un e e . d G g , D d

’ \V e n I cam e t o un e in 18 at the ca o f G il fillan s h D d e 79, ll

’ co n re at o n a ear a t e r hi eat I o un G il fill an s nam e g g i , y f s d h , f d

e er e re a o use o o r and the m re ss o n h e had e t v ywh h h ld w d , i p i l f

e re e r I u po n t he m i n ds Of th e pe o pl e s t ro ng and vivid . W h v

se nce ust o ne t urn ed I se em e d t o be co nsc i o u s o f a g reat p re j g ,

and t o h e ar t he e ch o es o f a g reat vo i ce t h at had j ust pas se d

nt o n i s il e ce .

a n t o m an o f h is ri e n s and s t n so m an o f T lki g wi h s y f d , vi i i g y

his eo e s e t it was t o s e a o f him t o reca his p pl , who de ligh p k , ll

o r s and a s and t o re ta th e anec o t e s t at e re cu rre nt w d w y , il d h w a o ut him so m e o f t em ffi cu t t o e r bu t all o f t e m b ( h di l v ify, h

c arac ter st c o f the m an m re o us ac ua ntance t h i i ), y p vi q i wi h

Gilfillan m o st at a stance see m e t o e e e n nt o nt m ac , ly di , d d p i i i y ,

and h is st ro ng and vigo ro us p ers o nali ty becam e m o re and m o re

st n di i ct .

I t ho ught o f p ubli shi ng so m e o f t h e se reco rd s and i m p re ss i o ns

o f him at t he t me but e a e ear ear in t h e o e t at i , d l y d , y by y , h p h

a e o f Gilfillan c had e en un rt n his r en and Lif whi h b de ake by f i d , re at e m rri a e M r r n n r n u a ear and a . a e e so o l iv by g , F k H d , w ld pp , ren e r an suc u cat o n su e rfluo us o r at e ast co n ne it t o d y h p bli i p , l fi

s u c re m n sce nc s as re ers na and suc ust rat o ns o f h i i e we p o l , h ill i

’ “ ” G il fillan s c haracte r and ways as m igh t be o m i tt e d in t he

o ra bi g phy .

I n 1880 M r e n e rso n was ret urne t o ar am e nt o e e r . , h w v , H d d P li as o ne o f t he m em e rs fo r un e e and his ar am e nt ar ut es b D d , P li y d i , adde d t o re s po ns ibili t i e s in c o nne ct i o n wi t h his e xtens iv e b usi ness re e nt e him ro m e tt n t he ro o se e o f G il fillan , p v d f g i g p p d Lif

r t t I n 188 hi am ente ea t e rm nate all o e in w i e n. 9 s l d d th i d h p t at re c t o n h di i .

T wo o th e r i nt i m at e fri end s o f G il fillan (adm i rably qualifie d ‘ fo r t he wo r u e t er a e ee n n uce t o un e rta e it k, co ld i h h v b i d d d k ) had a s o — r W am R o ert so n f n n asse a a D . o r e a d l p d w y illi b , I vi ;

’

ro e s a m f o n o n . r M r so r W am ra o t e . e n e rs o n s P f illi G h , L d Af H d

eat i n 188 all t a o f a o ra o f Gil fillan ce ase and d h 9, lk bi g phy d ; t he ee n u c nt e re st c at the t m e o f his eat o u k p bli i whi h , i d h , w ld

a e a tt ac e a ue t o e e r eta o f his e had e o n h v h d v l v y d il lif , di d d w

t t he a wi h l p se o f y ears .

’ o u nt e res t re e in Gil fillan s o r s a o ra a Sh ld i viv w k , bi g phy m y

et a ear t o u it is o u t u a e uat e m ate r a r y pp , h gh d b f l if d q i l fo it no w

m e n e s t s . l xi I re m e m be r in 188 1 et i g M rs . G i fillan a fe w day s ’ “ a t er th a earance o f ar e s Re m n sce nce s e n the f e pp C lyl i i , wh

' st o rm o f wrath and retali at o ry ab use i n th e Lo ndo n pape rs was

i M rs G ilfillan t o m e she had e e n o se rv n at ts h e ight . . ld b b i g t s and be n re so e t at n o u c ro o cat o n fo r s m ar hi , i g lv d h p bli p v i i il a use o f he r us an s o u e e r be i en she had co m m tt e b h b d h ld v g v , i d t o t he flam e s a rea uant t o f his a e rs nc u n h is g t q i y p p , i l di g

o um no us ar 0 o ne can a t o re co n se t he t en e r and v l i di y . N f il g i d anx o us co ns e rat o n c t s act was ct at e but m an i id i by whi h hi di d , y

reat am e nt it art o f a o urna c G ilfill an e an will g ly l . P j l , whi h b g

t o r t e in 186 st e st s and it is sa be u s e . w i 3 , ill xi , will , id , p bli h d

But as I un e rst an n o art o f t s o urna re e rs t o a m o re if, d d , p hi j l f rece nt ate t an 18 0 it o m t s t he at e st and t eo o ca t he d h 7 , i l h l gi lly

’ m o st m o rt ant ears o f il fillan s e i p y G lif .

I n an e e nt a o urn e nt s and ane c o t e s y v , j al l acks t ho se i nc id d

’ c d o so m uc t o ust rat e a m an s c aract e r and s o him whi h h ill h , h w as he appeare d t o the peo ple am o ngst who m he liv e d and

n i s ra e m o ve d . U de r t h e se c i rcu m st ances I h ave t h o ugh t t de i bl to u s t he w il llan nc u n p bli h fo llo i ng re m i n i sc ence s o f G fi , i l di g al o ng wi th m y o wn t he b e st part o f t he m at e ri al c o ll e ct e d fro m

an his fri e nds and c o ngregat i o n s i nce I cam e t o D unde e . M y e en o f w il fillan be v t h o se ho we re m o s t i nt i m ate wi t h G , will glad t o h ave t he i r m e m o r i e s o f him re vive d and s u pple m e nte d

e m an m o re who ne hi an aut o r be a whil y o nly k w m as h , will gl d t o earn so m e t n i a m an l hi g o f h m s a .

I t is i m po rt ant at any ra t e t o put i nto pre se rvabl e fo rm re m i nisce nce s t at o u o t e r se fo r t he m o s t art so o n r t h w ld h wi , p , d if

e o n re ca o f a m an o se nam e fo r m o re t an a uart e r o f b y d ll , wh h q

ce ur w o s o o r in co t an a nd who e t e r a nt y as a h u e h ld w d S l d , , wh h re ar e as an aut o r r eac e r o r o rat o r was o ne o f the mo s t g d d h , p h , , b rilli ant S co t chm e n o f his t i m e . I t can readily be unde rs t o o d t hat wh e re i ncid e nt s and ane c

o t e s a e een co e ct e as t e se a e e e n ro m suc a d h v b ll d , h h v b , f h

reat ar e t o f e o e it m o ss e t o m a e ac no e e g v i y p pl , is i p ibl k k wl dg — m ent e x ce pt in t hi s ge neral w ay m o re e spec i ally as m an y o f

t he sto r es cam e t o m e in ffe re nt o rm s n o n o te n a i di f , i v lvi g f

go o d deal o f i nq u i ry in o rde r t o ge t diffe rent v e rsi o ns rect i fi ed

and ro u n o r n r I a e e e r t t a m o t o ne ano t e . o b gh i h y wi h h h v , h w v ,

nam e d m y aut h o r i t i e s wh e re t he sto ry se e m s t o re q u i re it and

wi sh furth e r t o e xp re s s m y i nde bt ed ne s s at se v eral po i nt s t o t h e

M em o ri a l V o l um e i ssue d by the D u nd ee Ad ver ti ser the w e e k

’ a t e r Gil fil lan s eat h t c o f G il fill an s u se uent f d h ; t e ske h , b q ly

’ u s e in P n R v n o f t he eo l e s Fr i e d the e . . nt o p bli h d p by P A ,

K il syt h as al so an i nt ere st i ng pa pe r o f p e rso nal re co ll e ct i o ns

’ re a M r o n e n e rso n o f un e e o ne o f G ilfillan s d by . ! h H d , D d (

e o e at a m e et n o f t he G ilfillan t erar ns t t ut e and p pl ), i g Li y I i ,

n ac m se r ce ki dly pl ed at y vi .

As t he m at e ri al s i n thi s v o l um e are arrange d no t c h ro no

o c a but ac co r n t o t e r n ar re at o n s t o o ne l gi lly , di g h i i w d l i hip

a no t e r th e re a e r m a find it c o n e n ent t o a e e o re him h , d y v i h v b f ,

’ fo r re erence the o o n c ro no o ca o u t ne o f G ilfill an s f , f ll wi g h l gi l li life and li t e rary wo rk

an ua ilfillan o rn at o m r e Pe it hshire (! ry G b C i , — his fat he r be i ng S e ce ss i o n m i n i st e r t h e re ; and

his m t e r R ac e ar as au t e r o f the o h , h l B l , d gh ' e c ss n st r at C rie fi and o t e n s o e n S e i o n m i i e , f p k “ ” o f a T h ar o f t he o rt o n acco unt o f s e S t N h ,

he e o r e G ilfill an was the e e ent r beaut y . G g l v h

o f t we lve child ren.

B egan his C o ll ege c o urse at Gl asgo w in his t hi rt ee nt h

e ar m o n st his ro e s so rs e re an o r y . A g P f w S df d “ re e uc anan o i c and ne (G k), B h ( L g Mil 13

m o n s hi - (M o ral Philo so phy) . A g t s fe ll o w s tu de nt s

r a t D r d D r e e rc s o . a e an . ann . w A hbi h p T i , E di H a

Gilfill an sa I a e o i His a er e . s f th di d id , h v l t n o ne ” r nd m c o o d ay my fat he a y hildh d .

o m m ence his eo o ca co urse in G a C d Th l gi l l sgo w .

o nt nue it in E n ur e re he o t e n C i d di b gh , wh f at t e nde d the C o llege Le ct ure s o f P ro fe sso r Wil so n “ ( Ch ri st o ph e r G ave p rivat e t eachi ng fo r his o wn s upp o rt and h ad c h arge fo r a t im e

o n in ro s aus a f a Ci ty M i ssi o C s C e w y.

ce ns E n ur re s t e r and Li e d by di b gh P by y, b e cam e a ” r ne c m r ro at o ne . ec a a t o o P b i D li d ll C i e .

(M arch O rdai ne d in D undee t o t he Offi ce o f t he m i n i st ry as past o r o f G e o rge Ch ape l (S c ho o l

W n Had ust co m e t e his t ent - t r y d) . j pl d w y hi d

ear y .

o e m er arr e ar aret V a e nt ne (N v b M i d M g l i ,

au r f rm r and acto r in the M am d ghte o a fa e f e s .

Fi rst publi cat i o n Fiv e D i s co u rs e s.

r a d u n ! Le ct ure s o n H ade s d e liv e e d n p bli sh e d . Ce

su re re s t e r and u cat o n s u re sse . d by P by y , p bli i pp d

” ’ r r e un in D u m r z es Her al Li te ary P o rt ai t s b g f d .

rs a r u s e in 18 e sta s n his Fi t g ll e y p bli h d 4 5 , bli hi g

n i t rat ure t he se co n in 18 re put at i o n li e ; d, 49 ; h and t e t r in 18 . hi d, 54

A Ch ai r o f E ngli s h Li t e rat ure Offere d him in

re an I l d .

“ ” ro e e r B ard s o f the Bibl e p ubli sh ed . P v d v y

f. Ha ne t ro u s ix e t o ns . ro p o p u l ar . s go h gh di i P Blacki e d e sc ribed t he c o ncl u di ng ch apt ers as o ne o f t he m o st s pl e ndid pi ec e s o f w ri t i ng h e ” h ad e ve r read . 14

“ 18 2 . art rs e ro es and ar s o f t h co tt s 5 M y , H , B d e S i h ” o enant u s C v p bli h e d .

’ o s t n f ’ N i ch ll E di i o o the B ri t i sh I o et s co m m e nce d .

n e - E di t e d by Gilfillan . E xt e d d t o fo rt y e ight h s o um e s . r u r T er e v l Six we e i ss e d yea ly . e i s was co m t e in 1 60 pl e d 8 .

“ ” at e r o o o f G o d u s e F h h d p bli h d .

” r f a M an u s e H i st o y o p bli h d .

“ ” Ch r i st i ani ty and o ur E ra publi shed . At tacke d

o f o u t o s him C arlyl e and o t h e r l eaders th gh . C t ’ S art o r s fri end ship .

P ubli sh e d two v o l um e s o f S e rm o ns o n S cr ipture “ d m ” t u e s e nt t e a an e a . S di , i l d Alph O g

“ ” o em in ne o o s u s N igh t ! a P Ni B k p bli h e d . ’ E m erso n regarded t hi s as Gilfillan s great e st

r wo k .

R em o t e r t ars a G a er o f U nce e rat e S , ll y l b d D i

ne s I n t s o o he e m a m e his re co ect o ns vi . hi b k b l d ll i

o f his o wn at er f h .

18 o ern r st an ero e s ro m e t o n 69 . M d Ch i i H (C w ll , M il ,

E rs ne Wes e W te e e n e a ki , l y, hi fi ld, App d d

e ct ure o n r o f o nsc ence ur n ree L Libe ty C i , gi g C d

R o s c ause a reat fl ut t e r i n o rt o o ef rm . Thi d g h d x

rc s ci le .

At ns t at o n o f E n ur res te r the un e i ig i di b gh P by y , D d e P re sbyt e ry deal t wi t h Gilfillan o n t he g ro und o f

allege d H e resy .

e o f S i r Wa te r co u s e Lif l S tt p bli h d .

f D r W e o am n erso n u e . Lif . illi A d p bli sh d I S

“ u cat o n o f his at o na u rns c o m m ence P bli i N i l B , d

in art s o u al l r t ten and re se t he p . Th gh w i vi d , p ubli cat i o n was no t co m pl e t e d t ill afte r his

eat d h .

r n e st m o n a o f r en s 1877. P ese t e d wi th T i i l by f i d

m r and ad i re s .

i u h s as erm o n . 18 8 . un a u st 1 1 reac e t 7 S d y, A g , p h d l S ’ ue s a u st 1 e in his ne e s o use T d y, A gu 3 , di d ph w h u i n at rec n. at ur a u ust 1 r e B hi S d y, A g 7, b i d l m t un e Ba a e e er e . g y C y, D d

V R DA I D MAC AE .

N D tem b r 1 8 1 . D U E E , S ep e , 9

G E 1 8 ORG E G I LFI LLAN . o r near Dundee but he went to pay his homage at

’ i s G lfi llan s shrine i n Parad i e . Delighted at the pros pect of meeting a countryman s o s n C s famou , I accompa ied Logan up on titution ’ a s was as t o G ilfi ll n s . b Road man e Our ti me rief, we h ad t o —an - rejoi n the deputation within half hour, but

—a s o f fi we got what we went for ight G il llan .

Ho w s s vividly, even after the lap e of thirty year , I — can recal l that brief interview the lordl ine s s and yet

Gilfill an e u s his gen ial warmth with which receiv d , s s s tri king phy ique , tall , traight , powerful the leonine countenance the florid complexion the mass ive brow ; the proud carriage of his head the o ld

s fa hioned neckcloth , white and ample ; and the keen

u s ss s y et k indly eyes that glanced at through his gla e . When i n the course o f o ur s hort but an i mated conver s Gilfill an o ut s ation , broke i nto a rou ing guffaw over s s s e a- ome joke , he made one think of a Nor e king in i h s banquet hal l .

The fi rs t ti me I heard Gilfill an preach I w as greatly

s N o as s n w as d i appointed . man ( I afterward fou d) more u nequal in power ; or more eas ily affected by

w as his s urroundings . He a great con Hear i ng tras t in thi s respect to some o f his notable Gil flll an contemporaries in the United Presby Pr — h . eac C . terian hurch men like Dr Eadie , Dr

f r h s o t e . George J effrey, and Dr J o eph Brown

fi r t t i s s me . men who never ro e to the height of

s eloquence ; but rarely , i f ever, ank to o f the level commonplace . T HE 1 GI LF ILLAN I N PU LP IT . 9

ilfill an w as s f With G it tri ki ngly di f erent . Every

o n his s his his thing depended ubject, mood , and

s his s s s s . S urrounding ometi me pirit ro e l ike the eagle , breasti ng t he s torm and s oaring aloft with strong and ' u nw e arie d w ing at other times it never seemed to get o ff the ground . That fi rs t tim e I heard him he happened t o be

his s w as s — s at wor t . I t in m id ummer the ummer,

o f s o f I think , the ame year, in the early part which I

s a was s s s fi rs t w him . I pending a few day at the hou e o f Y s M P fo r o n M r . eaman , afterward . Dundee ; and

s il l a His s o n S unday aid I would l ike t o hear G fi l n.

t o S William accordingly took me chool Wynd , to the

s w as s w as forenoon ervice . I t a ultry day ; the church

Gilfillan s his half empty, and never eemed to get heart

is his h . w as s as into work I truck , before , with com man di n g pre se nce ; and al so with the measured and i mpress ive style in which he read the ps alm s that were

s s n u s . to be sung . But the ermon di appoi ted both I t would have an s wered t o the accou nt given by an Old

w ho s n s woman , , when a ked what the m i i ter had ’ s he o o t preached about , aid , Weel , gie d a text , and he j is t wrocht There were s triking expre ss ions

and o r s s o f s here there , and one two fla he characteri tic

w as d is thought , but there a want of method i n the

s ss s cour e ; and no unity o f i mpre ion . We poke on the way out to o ne o f the elders whom you ng Yeaman

t o s knew . When we confided hi m our d i appointment

s s A has is t have rin he aid ympathetically y , he j been ” s the day . But headvi sed u to return i n the afternoon n when we would be s ure to get someth i g better. G E G EOR G I LFI LLAN .

s e as s i I t illu trat d , I afterward found , the variab lity ' His n of Gilfillan s preaching . mood m ight cha ge in a moment and he was affected in a remarkable degree even by the s i ze and appearance of

s I nfluence upon the congregation . A mal l audience Gil fll l an chilled him ; a crowded and sympath

Of nu ber s his s s m s etic audience arou ed enthu ia m ,

n u is s d at h o t h . a symp y . and brought power One of his elders told me that he heard

it s s hi m at B rechin , in a church crowded to utmo t

s capacity , preach a ermon which he had preached to a

n meagre audience i n Dundee the S u day before . The s w as s and ermon the ame , word for word ; yet i t s t ransfi u re s eemed g d . The throng in pi red hi m and the elder s aid the di fference w as l ike that between night and day.

his o w n G ilfill an I n church , i f ever expected a large

s o ne s audience and found a mal l , he took no pain to

is h . S conceal chagrin One unday forenoon when ,

t o was according i nti mation , he to preach on the s w as ubject of Balaam the church completely fil led . but i n the evening when he w as adverti s ed to d i scours e o n C oleridge he found before hi m , when he entered

e n s His the pulpit , a b ggarly array of empty be che . i rritation and d i s appointment were mani fes t during all

s s n s the opening exerci e , and found ve t when he ro e ” n s s s e hi . . to comm ce lecture I t ay little , he began , in “ s tone of thunder, for the intelligence of a peopl e when they come forth in crowd s to hear about

’ B al aam s ass [thi s with i nten s e s corn! ; and only appear in m i serable driblets to hear about a God - lik e man l ike S amuel Taylor Coleridge ! ” 2 1 GILFILLAN I N T HE PU LPIT .

Once a month in wi nter he gave s pecial S unday

s s s s s evening ermon , often choo ing ubject that were

s agitating the public mind at the time . On the e occas ions the church w as u s ually throng — Hi s ed to excess the crowd sometimes so Mont hl y great that it w as di fficult getting near

Ser on T he s and m s . the door. ve try the pulpit

s s o f being at oppo ite end the building,

Gil fill an ss s , unable to pre through the den e crowd

s s s his within , had , on uch occa ion , to put on hat and

s s go out into the treet in full canonical , to get round

s s s s to the pulpit . The nece s ity for thi eemed it el f to “ s is s tir hi m up . One of h people aid When he had to go round by the s treet he seemed to get a bapti s m of ” fi re on the way . S ome o f the s e monthly evening s ermon s were amongst the mos t memorable that G ilfill an ever

s s preached i n Dundee . The ubject were congen ial ; he appli e d him s e l f with exceptio nal care to prepara

his s ns r n tion ; and , with highly e itive o gan i zatio , the pres en ce of s ympatheti c crowd s had the effect of k indling his enthu s ias m and calling his bes t powers

His e n e e ss n his into action . loque c b came i mpa io ed ,

s his n e thought and la guage glow d with feeling , the building s eemed to s hake with the thunder o f his voice . His face before he had fi ni s hed s tre amed with pe rs pi r ation , and a Dundee friend told me that when on one of thes e occas io ns he had to s it high o n the pul pit s s ns tair owing to the de ity of the crowd , the foam

’ flying from Gilflllan s lips s ometimes flecked his face .

. s t he n ou r i er M r Nei h , of Du dee C , told me that he GEORGE G I LFI LLA N . once heard Gilfill an preach a s ermon of extraordinary eloquence o n the character and career o f the Apostle

as o n Paul . Picture followed picture , clear and vivid

s o f n e the creen a magic lantern , holding the audie c s - s s pell bound . M r . Nei h remembered e pecially the thrilli n g effect of the scene where Paul is s aved from his enem ies by being lowered in a bas k e t from the

s o f s s Gilfill an s as wall Dam a cu . , eager and ab orbed , i f

s b his s the cene were eing enacted before eye , bent over the low pulpit as i f watching the bas ket s lung dow n “ s — be ho w o u n and houted , Be careful careful y ha dle that rope the hope o f Western Europe is dan gli n g in

—it s it s C s the ai r future civilization , hri tianity, depend ” o n ho w — you handle that rope , repeating again “ ! ! ” excitedly , Take care take care I n the latter years o f his m ini stry his s trength and impress ive n es s

s his t he i ncrea ed , but external vehemence in pul pit

f N inew e lls s ne his . o di mini hed . O Of people (M r H ay ) told me that when G ilfill an fi rst came t o Dundee he n ever s eemed to thin k he w as doing his mess age j u s tice till he had his coat s leeves worked up t o the

t o s s . elbow . H e u ed ( aid M r H ay) thump the pulpit u n merci fully ; and at Lo ch e e he s ent the tattered

s s o f n . leave the Bible flyi g I n later year , though he

s s s s Often poke with tremendou force, he became le n excited and i ndulged in very little ges ticulatio .

Often in his s ermo ns Gilfill an referred to publ ic

s his w as event occurring at the ti me , and when heart s tirred and his imagination kindled by s ome great

d i s aster his picture s were vivid and terrible . A fter the 2 GI LFI LLAN I N TH E P U LPIT . 3 loss of the London he preached a memorable

s o n s ermon that event , in the cour e of B r oo k e which he gave a picture of the s cene t he that has never been forgotten by thos e

Tra edi an. . g who heard it Brooke , the tragedian ,

w as s s s n s i n s among t the pa e ger , and hi rt and trou sers worked at the pump s like a hero as long

ilfill an as hope remained . G in glowing language

o f who pictured the noble figure the actor, had played so s s w as many tragic character on the tage , but now

his s engaged in a real tragedy, playing valiantly la t

s s . part , the noble t and grande t of them all

Gilfillan w as s pecially powerful in giving expres s ion

n s n his to s corn . Nothi g could be more cathing tha language and his look s when denouncing what was

s w as so s s and mean or ba e . H e fearle ,

ul it ss s w as P p even reckle , i n peaking out what St or ms in his mi n d that he often kept his friend s

Br e i n . s s s w g in a tate of nervou apprehen ion . One o f the ladie s of the congregatio n told me

she n n was that knew when a y thi g d readful coming ,

s s t he any on laught or outbur t of i rritated feeling , from

s s s n s i p alm elected for i ging, and the tyle in wh ch it

w as s w as read ti ll more from the prayer , which

’ s alway a vivid reflection o f Gilfilla n s mind at the ti me . When thes e portents of s torm were becomi ng u n m is

’ takabl e s he u sed t o look to the m ini ster s pew to se e if the faces there showed equal con sciou s nes s of the

s an d s he coming explo ion , i f could gather from thei r

ss expre ion any idea of what it s nature was to be . 2 4 GEORG E GI LFI LLAN .

S s his s ometime feel ing , whether of admiration or

s s his s d i l ike , carried him away . A mong t pecial a bhorrences were Ru ss ia and Ru ss ian cruelty and

s ss de poti sm . The very name of Ru i a ’ Hat red of w as like a red rag waved in a bul l s face . Russi an A t the time o f the Crimean war an

De oti i as sp sm . admi rer of G lfillan took a lady who w vi s iting Dundee to hear o ne o f his

S s s s aw unday evening lecture . The ubject , he from ” s w as s adverti ement I nkermann , but he till hoped

il s that G fillan would s ay nothing outrageou . At the s Gilfillan im fi r t prayer, however, grew wrathful and “

ss . S pa ioned uddenly he cried , H ow long , O Lord . how long wilt thou bear with that des pot ? When

his s s s wilt thou rid the earth of pre ence by di ea e , by

s s s poi on , or by teel The lady put her hand to her

s ear and hurried from the church in horror .

F s F s o f s Dr . ergu ergu on Gla gow, told me

s C his that Thoma ooper , when in Dundee , went with

w as wi fe to hear Gilfillan preach . The text about

s ome monumental tomb , and in the

Hor rifles s s s s cour e of a trange ermon , peaking of

ho a o f ad he rin T m s the i mportance g , in monument

Co o er . s s s p bui lding , to worthy ubject , he uddenly broke out again st Edinburgh as a flagrant s s inner again s t thi s d ictate of wi s dom and good ta te . “ ” “ s s s Look , he aid , at the e monument i n George

F s s S . o u treet i r t y have that fool , Dunda ; then that

s F . traitor, Pitt ; then that cound rel , George the ourth ” has s s I t been wel l aid , he added , with tremendou

2 6 G EORG E GI LFI LLAN .

ss s s s ing Le conver ational than Norman M acleod , le

C n s fanci ful and homely than Guthrie , i nferior to ai r in moral power and metaphys ical acu

A s s men ; yet , in compre ed power of

Co ar i on . h in s s o f mp s t ought , nervou trength language ,

o f s r i n i n breadth de c iption , and rich

o f colouring imagination , he overtopped them all .

The breadth and catholicity o f his Chri stianity

t o his no t attracted preaching , only i n Dundee but

s s i n s s s el ewhere , many who felt no intere t rel igiou ect

s s s or theological y tem . H e opened the Hi s eye s o f young m e n t o the wonders Of

Cat ho icit . s s l y thi Divine un iver e , and to the grandeur

o f . s human l ife H e awoke a piration , he

s k indled great thoughts in their m ind s . He ought less to in struct them i n theology than i n greatness and nobility of character . H e always d i stingui shed Chri s tian ity as a l ife from

o Chri stianity as a mere system f doctrine . H e there fore feared nothing and hoped much from the progress o f s w as cience . One who fami liar from boyhood with

’ G ilfillan s preaching and w as wel l able t o judge o f it s

n s s character (M r . J ohn He der on , of Dundee) aid “ I t s con s picuou s feature s were bre adth and charity . Gilfill an delighted to proclai m the Fatherhood of God

t he o f n and brotherhood man , and de ounced the teaching of thos e who would s hut the gates o f Heaven again s t al l who rejected their own peculiar creed . H e did not fear but the way o f l i fe w as ope n not only to

s C s t o , tho e cal led hri tian but the J ew , the Mohammedan G I LFI LLAN I N T HE PU LPIT . 2 7

’ s w ho s C s s s s and al l other hared hri t pirit , and trove , by

- fo r n well doing here , to prepare a better li fe beyo d .

’ Gilfill an s bold fearless teaching and his broadening conception o f Chri stian ity told i n the cours e o f ye ars

s n upon the whole country , and pecially i n Du dee .

' S peaking to an o ld o ffice - bearer o f his Vas t s A congregation , I aid Looking back

’ ’ Bi o f G ilfillan s 0 got ry . now upon the whole work ” i n Dundee what would you say he d id ? ’ “ VVe e l s s , he aid , after a moment reflection , there ’ ’ was a vast o bigotry when he cam t o Dundee ! a vas t ’

ilfill an . O bigotry . G changed that

G ilfil lan had no sympathy with any faith that

s s no s d ivorced it el f from rea on , and ympathy with a

s merely emotional Chri stianity . The current form of Revivali s m he no t only denounced but

Robu t s s s f s rid iculed , ometime without u ficient

and Ra i l s His t ona di crimination . treatment of the Ch ri t i ani t s y . Moody and S ankey movement brought upon him severe critici s m and no l ittle

s abu e . A friend told me that o ne day when he w as

s ss ns s at the man e a letter came addre ed co picuou ly , “ " G M rs E V E E . . EORG E G ILFILLA N , D I L OF D U N D

’ G ilfillan (her hu s band s guardian ange l) s aid s he had to keep from him a great deal that would give

s s she him needle pain . Thereupon quietly put the

’ lett e r into the fire The Devil s Returned Letter

ffi as s l s s as O ce , thi friend called it . Keen y en itive G ilfillan was to abu se he was never deterred by it from 2 8 G EORG E G I LFI LLAN .

s R e s peak ing his hone st conviction s . He di liked vivalis m ; and what he had s een of it in Dundee led hi m t o have more faith i n s teady religiou s train ing “ ” than i n men bei n g converted straight away . S till less could he tolerate a pul ing and whining pie ty h t he m i s taken idea o f religion that in some ci rcles takes the s s ss o f s un hine and joyfulne out li fe . H e ought to

s C s develop a robu t and cheerful hri tianity, preaching

Chri s tian manhood and Chri stian womanhood . H e could not conceal his contempt for frivolou s women of fashion and for the dand ies who (as he s aid) arrayed them selves in al l the glories of S olomon without

s f s s a pi ring to any o hi s en e . Nor had he much more

s fo r o f s s s s re pect women the i ndolent and u ele ort , who resembled the lilies of the field (he s aid) only i n

s no t s . thi , that they toiled neither d id they pin

s s s Gilfillan w as no res pecter o f pers on o r clas e . H e

s s did not he itate , after the heavy and d i creditable failure o f a fi rm of merchant s who had made s e s s ss s om what o tentatiou profe ion of piety , to peak “ ” - of carriage d riving thieve s . He thundered alike

s s o f again t the vice the rich and of the poor , and

s earned the re pect of them all .

Gilfillan was s his an omnivorou reader , and wide acquaintance with literature s howed it sel f in his

o ld ss preaching . Like David of , who pre ed into the s ervice o f the Mos t H igh not only the a si on f r Z o f P s o harp of ion but the tru mpet war,

r ilfill a Po et y . G n brought tribute from every

— hilo so real m of thought from poetry , p G I LFILLAN I N TH E P U LP IT . 9

“

s S . e phy , hi tory and cience H e anoint d Literature and A rt with con secrated o il and s ent them forth as ” s the accredited messengers of Chri tianity.

is s s His own forte was imagination . H pa ion w as

e s s he t he poetry . He r velled i n the P alm gloried in

t o i magery o f the Prophet s . He del ighted lecture o n

s his s s the great poet , and often enriched ermon with

s o f s o f choice quotation . S ome the e he never wearied . He s eemed to be hi m self in s pire d by the sound o f

s o f his them . I have heard ome people recall the f thrilling ef ect he often produced when , i n deep

’ s ounding tones he quoted the line s from Byro n s Manfred

o nt anc is the m o nar c o f m o unta ns M Bl h i , Th e y c ro wne d him l o ng ag o

O n a t ro ne o f ro c s t a ro e o f c o u h k , wi h b l d ,

And a di ade m o f s no w .

His s s s s ermon were often pro e poem , and in the e x ube re nce o f his imagi n ation he would pour forth

w as s s torrent s o f imagery . I f there ometime gro

t e s u ene ss w as q and exaggeration , there

s s s is His alway vividne . I remember h “ Lan ua s o f as g g e . peak ing I ndia having her S cotland s of ju ngle lighted up by the ” s s as r s s eye of tiger with infe nal tar , and of her heat “ ” as s s s s . encompa ing the land like a ullen , leepy hell

n s s s s s He o ce de cribed erpent , with thei r gorgeou pri “

n s as s o f . w as matic ti t , rainbow hell A comet a “ s torm of fire - s now ; and the s tars of n ight were thos e unbanked rivers o f glory flowing through the ” n - u iverse . A well known literary man in Dundee 0 G G 3 EOR E G I LFI LLA N .

C . s (M r W . Honeyman) told me that the fir t thing that attracted hi m to Gilfillan w as a s ingle metaphor his eye l ighted upon when he happened to open a copy o f his s o ne Bard of the Bible . I t referred to of the “ s s s his s prophet of doom . H e trike lyre with finger ” ”

. see o ne s n dipped i n blood I could i n that ente ce, “ s s aid M r . Honeyman , the poet and the man of geniu .

s David Pae , the noveli t , a warm friend and admirer o f Gilfillan his , thought he weakened pulpit power by “ his o w as allowing i magination t run riot . There ” “ s t o o — often , he aid , much externality too much — glare o f language with someti me s too little of inward ” ’ s s G ilfill an s ub tance . H e ad mitted , however, that s pecial s ermon s were an exception t o thi s rule ; ’ and Gilfill an s congregation found far less o f thi s “ ” externality in his regular di s courses than a casual

s s . is hearer like M r. Pae might be led to uppo e I t al so beyond a doubt that the s plendour o f his language and the extraordinary vigou r o f his i magination were

s amongs t the s ecrets of hi popularity and power .

’ G ilfill an s — s - voice trong , deep rolling , and with a s s s s s trange , onorou rebound at emphatic yllable harmoni sed well with his rhetorical s tyle of thought

f w as and language . The ef ect height On hi s ened by his commanding form

d seem t o se i seal Thr one . Wh e re e v e ry g o did t h s

su r nc f T o giv e t he w o rld as a e o a m an .

sat When he in the pulpit after the benediction , s as s s urveying the crowd it began to di per e , he looked i l ike a monarch on h s throne . T HE I G I LFI LLAN PU LPIT . 3

At the time when Gilfill an w as s ettled in Du n dee ‘ mo s t people had a rooted ave rs io n t o the readi ng of “ ” s s— t o as w as — ermon the paper, it called and mi n i sters who d id use thei r manu Usi ng s cript s kept them as much o u t of

Th e a er . s as s s s P p ight po ible , fa tening them

G ilfillan neatly into the Bible . But ,

s his when he u ed paper, neither concealed nor

n o u t his attempted to co ceal it . H aving given text ,

s his s he would hut the Bible , take up manu cript , and sometimes even hold it up before his face t o se e it more clearly .

V - s s s n M r . Martin , ice Pre ident of the G la gow Ru ki — S ociety gave me the following rem ini s cence I n V S 18 Gilfill an V e st eptember , 75 , I heard preach i n a

s His was C . End We leyan hurch i n our city text , “ ” s s s He that increa eth knowledge increa eth orrow .

his s s s s He read di cour e clo ely , holding the manu cript

s o f t he in ight entire congregation . I can remember

s e s n well the fine head , the florid hand ome fac , the o or o u s voice and the s pi rit of hero - worship i n which he

s s s referred to Thoma Chal mer and Thoma Carlyle . As he fi ni shed each page o f his manu s cript he let it

s fall on the pulpit floor , bending down after the ervice

s s as to gather up the s cattered leaves . The di cour e w

so a bold one for any orthodox pulpit , remarkably

s ilfillan s . G for a Methodi t When fini hed , a good “ ” old female Methody s itting behind me (in s pired e vidently with more compas s ion than appreciatio n) ” his s ejaculated , M ay the Lord hae mercy on oul . I n the earlier years of his mini stry Gilfill an s imply 2 G 3 GEOR E GI LF ILLA N .

s s s s s his u ed note to a i t memory . I n after years all his s s s pecial ermon he wrote out and read verbatim .

. C s . s But , like Dr halmer and Dr William A nder on , of ” s Gilfill an hi s Gla gow , had a pith with paper. A nd s en s ible people no w - a- days seldom urge exception to “ ” the paper when they find that it is not interfering ’ s ss s s with a man naturalne and power, till eldomer i f

s s they fi nd that it ecure them a fuller , clearer, and

ss o f his F more effective expre ion thought . requently ,

his s s Gilfill an s however , at ordinary ervice , u ed no

s . s s s o ut his note at all On uch occa ion , after giving

b his s o n n text , he would egin with eye fi xed vaca cy “ as if reading from s ome invi s ible book before hi m s s ometi me , indeed , on getting fairly under way, he

s his s as t o s would clo e eye , if prevent any di traction o f hi s no t n his thought , and open them agai till

s di scours e w as fini hed .

s o d d S ometime an thought , uttered without pre

o f se t meditation , and without change tone , the “ o n congregation s uddenly the titter . I n lecturing week by w e ek through the Book of Od d K ings he came o ne day to the s tory S r o f . Rema ks . N aaman topping at the point wh ere N aam an in wrath d rives away ’ “ s s is o ff s from Eli ha door , H e hot with anger, aid “ il fill an s s G , clo ing the Bible , we hall give hi m a week to cool Forfar had long the reputation o f being o ne of the

Gilfill an w as wors t places in S cotland . When preach

ss and i ng on the Temptation i n the Wilderne , came to

E 3 4 G ORGE GI LFI LLAN .

ilfil l an s G , in bapti ing children , never mentioned the

’ w as c s . . hild name I t a principle with him When ,

s s however , on one occa ion , an applicant tated that he and his wife would like particularly that

. i i n h e s G ilfillan Bapt s g hould name thei r child ,

a Chi ld d id it . H e went through the bapti smal

and ivi n his s bu t g g ceremony i n u ual way , before a Douche pas s ing t o the next child he pau sed and “ t o t he s s o f art icu aid , The parent that chi ld p

n l arl s t o Par e t s . y wi h the congregation know that ” was they have called it Peter. There a no s s o f titter in the church , and more reque t the s is ame kind were ever made again . H objection to n am ing w as that he found so many people possessed w ith the idea that bapti s m w as i n stituted and main t aine s o f s d for the purpo e giving child ren name .

! Gilfill an fo r s s o f had a great love the P al m David , e specially those that abound mos t in s ublime d e scr ip

s o f o d . s tion . G and N ature The e (in the metrical

s s o f his o w n ver ion) he read in a fa hion , R ead ing more like chanting than ordinary read

t h e bu t ss ing, wonderful ly i mpre ive and

a s s s s Ps lms . in pi ring , and erving ometime to bring out the sen se and s pirit o f the

H ear the glo wi ng l anguage i n whi ch he speaks o f t h e m in his B ar r/r o t/re B i bl e Beaut u o t am e e tra n ! ho w a e e run o n f if l , h ly , l ss s i s h v y d w — t h ro ugh the age s i n whi ch system s and re ligio ns h ave pe rished firin t he o u o f o et n the o f c ren m o o t n the g s ls p s , kissi g lips hild , s hi g o o f the n ro u n t he arr o r t o ero c ra e and c a n nt o pill ws dyi g, si g w i h i g , l spi g i o ne the h ear ts and vo i ce s o f t ho usands o f asse m bled w o rshippe rs ; t i ngi ng m an a te rature and n n a o me i n m an a an an d t e e e m y li , fi di g h y l d ; s ill y s as o un and re and o er u as e e r ea re ar n fo r e en y g f sh p w f l v ; y , p p i g v m t e r t r um t an en o u r t ere c ant e . Br t a n erm an igh i i phs h wh y fi s w h d i i , G y , and Am eri ca no w si ng yo u ; but yo u are by and bye t o awak e the d um b m o n o f na and a an illi s Chi ! p . GI LFI LLAN I N TH E P ULPIT . 3 5

P s alm better than many a com mentary would have done .

His s s 1 6 th favourite P alm were the 4 5th , the 5 , and

h o f his s above all the l o 4 t . One member church aid the psalm - book in the pulpit s eemed to have acquired

o f l o th as a habit opening at the 4 , i f it had come to

ilfillan s know what G liked be t .

G ilfill an s o ld , however , had no ympathy with the

’ ’ ’ s D auvit s sawm s Dauvit s lady who aid , G i e me p and ” s u se o f s tune , and objected vehemently to the hymn ,

o r s s s even paraphra e . I n day when Hi s hymn - book s were novelties in S cot

H - ilfill an s n Boo . G ym k land , prepared a mall but unique collection fo r his own congre

at io n and s s g , included in it ome fine hymn that , for

s o f many year , found no place in any the orthodox

s— s S F S ir collection hymn by chiller, aber , Newman ,

S n . Walter cott , Byro , and Longfellow The book not only gave fres h evidence o f his literary taste and

i s s n his . d i crimi at on , but of broad and catholic pirit And seldom w as he heard to greater advantage than when readi n g in church some of the nobler o f the se

s s s s o f hymn , rolling forth ver e after ver e in tone full n gra deur .

G ilfillan was Though , like Paul , brought up in one “ o f s s s s o f his the traite t ect , the tendency m ind and his wide s tudies in literature led h im into broader

s s s His w as view and wider ympathie . mind more open to n ew impress ion s and new light than the mind s of 36 GEORGE GI LFI LLAN .

s o f his s w as s mo t brethren Thi early een , not only in

his s n e w attitude toward the theology , Th e Or gan but toward s the variou s i nn ovation s in

’ Gil fill an public wors hi p s o greatly dreaded and

f s o s s t he s Clean Da t . long re i ted i n all S cotti h

Presbyterian Churches .

o ne s o f his s G ilfill an I n of the earlier year m ini try ,

w as t when away preaching in England , en ranced with the organ voluntaries and accompaniments at the ‘ s s s s ervice . H e came back full of enthu ia m about it — ’ and though at that time the organ the deil s ki s t o — whi stles w as held by S cotti s h Pres byterian s in

n n s abhorrence , and ide tified in their m i d with Popery

Gilfillan no t ss his - and Prelacy, could repre new born

s o f s s ardour . I n the cour e the fi r t ermon he preached

his his after return , he told people that i n England he

had heard the organ played i n church , and had found

s s s o f i n i nan it mo t i n piring. U ndeterred by the look d g t am azement that began t o meet hi m wherever he

G ilfill an o n turned , put the climax it all by declaring

s s in a loud and excited voice , miting the de k at the s ame moment with the look o f a man who i s doing

s s i s e no t t o omething de perate , but determ in d flinch that he expected to se e the day when the majes tic

o f be his o n voice the organ would heard in w church . I t is difficult n o w to reali s e the effect o f s uch an utterance in a S cotti s h Presbyterian pulpit in those

s days . The excitement among t the people w as in

s as s f as ten e . Nothing el se w poken o they left the

a s church . One man declared s soon a he got o ut into “ ” the s treet that Gilfillan had gone clean daft ; and GI LFI LLAN I N TH E P U LPIT . 37 the mass of people were agreed that he had gone

s beyond all bound .

s s s Time , however, work wondrou change , and — Gilfill an l ived to see what he had predicted an organ

his his as in own church , and people delighted with it as s him el f. “ his I n poem N ight he went further . S peaking of the effect of mu s ic upon the heart when heard at

s s eventide , he ay Or o n a S abbat h t wilight in the S o u t h ’ Li st t o th e o rgan o r pi ano s s o u nd ” “ ” Di s co urs i ng m usi c sacre d ? s e cul ar ? Wh at h eart can ask wh en all aro un d se em s h eaven ;

And rut and e aut at u re G o d are One T h B y, N , ?

as s n G reatly he enjoyed the organ , and i gularly fine as his s s o f w as Gilfillan w as en e rhythm in poetry, no

s s mu ician and eemed t o have very little idea of tune . At prai s e in church he could be heard

No his his joining with al l heart and all lung,

Sin r s was s s ge . but at the clo e the effect ometime

s s s n ludicrou enough to tranger whe , the

’ s s G ilfil l an s congregation having ung the la t note , s was s s n s s tentorian voice heard till houti g, ometime on f a quite dif erent key.

Everything that i nterested or excited him in con ne ct io n with public affai rs made it s mark upon the

S s s o s s n s s unday ervice . S did the mo t triki g a pect of n s s s n s ature am id t the changes of the ea o . The genial s s s e s un hine , the torm , the gold n harve t , the moonlight , — the s parkling frosts all i n outward nature that 3 8 GEORG E GI LFI LLAN . i mpressed hi m at the time and kindled hi s i magination w as sure to make itself felt in the cours e

r s n I nfl uenced either o f his prayers o of the ermo .

’ ilfill an s s by Event s . G prayer i n church were — s ingularly full of power often far more

ss i s i mpre ive than h s preaching. E pecial ly did the warmth of his heart and the depth of his s ympathy reveal its elf in the tenderness and fervour of his

s fo r ss prayer the widow , the fatherle , the afflicted , and

s his the poor . One entence that often occurred i n

’ s s s prayer began with Burke famou l ine O , Thou Rememberer of the forgotten

S o much did his feelings at the moment fi nd utter ance i n prayer that his petition s were s ometimes o d d

s enough . Preaching at S altcoat at the time of the organ controversy he prayed that ” Od d the bless ing of common - sen s e might “ r s s s P ayers . de cend on the head of all the e

dotard theologian s . “ He s once began a prayer with the word , Oh , whole

— is as One , whole One , whole One which , Thou

s s s s knowe t , the true en e of the Hebrew term , tran ‘ ’ lated i n o ur vers ion Holy One I f the A lmighty

s o f did not need thi piece in formation , no doubt many in the congregation did , and m ight be helped better by it to enter into the s pirit of the petition s that followed . I t was therefore not trespass ing so much on H eavenly indulgence as did the Engli sh deacon

U s who, being put p to pray til l the belated m ini ter

s s s arrived , and having exhau ted al l the upplication he GI LFI LLAN I N T H E P U LPIT . 39 could think o f before there w as any word of the “ s s s s m ini ter, tapped a fre h upply by aying , And now , ”

0 n . Lord , I will relate an a ecdote

G ilfill an his s as his , in prayer i n preaching, never

was he s itated to cal l a s pade a s pade . I t remarked by a good number o f people during the potato blight

18 8 it s s s s i n 4 , with fearful re ult , e pecially i n I reland , C s S S that while in all the hurche , unday by unday , ” was reference made to the calamity , the word potato was n s as carefully and a xiou ly avoided , if it were felt t o be too homely and s ecular an express ion unpar ” li n a s o ne s a s am e t r a . y , might y Hence all form of lan guage and circumlocution were resorted to that allowed the potato to be indicated without being

n n directly named . A Du dee frie d told me , however ,

Gilfil l an s w as s sa that he heard , after the courge pa t , y

i n his plainly , prayer, We thank Thee , O Lord , that

is s there no potato famine thi year .

’ ss n Gilfill an s Before pa i g from pulpit work , let me — tell here o ne o r two S chool VVy nd anecdotes z Peter

S w as s o n tewart for many year , and to the time of

his S n death , beadle there . One u day What ail ed G ilfillan had promi s ed to go and preach

t h e n s an eveni g ermon in the country , and Bead l e had to s horten his own afternoon service

As to get away in ti me . he could not

s s s o f ea ily d i tingui h the clock in the front the gallery , he told Peter to give hi m the s ignal that it w as three by coming i nto the church and walking half way u p

ss . Gilfillan w as the pa age At three , when in the 0 4 G EORGE GI LFI LLAN .

his s middle of ermon , the faithful Peter came i n from

s s s ss b the ve try , talked olemnly up the pa age efore the

- b whole congregation , then executed a right a out turn ,

an s s s s s d talked out again . Thi unu ual and my teriou ’ movement o n Peter s part excited the wonder and

s o f s curio ity the people , ome of whom thought that

s o u t o f his o r s Peter mu t have gone mind , el e become

a s b s was s omnam uli t . I t only after the ervice , when

w as w as . Peter interrogated , that the explanation got

Gilfill an was very res tless i n church when li stening

as to any preacher whose sermon w too long. H e

fid et e d s t o s g and turned impatiently from ide ide , looking at times as i f he were going t o

s A Br oad get up and apply the clo ure . Once H ss s i nt . at a Communion when the a i ting — s his o wn . m ini ter brother, the Rev

s G ilfill an o f S — J ame , tirl ing had exceeded all due

s Gilfill an his l im it , , who had hardly been able to curb

s fo r s impatience , aid , when the time came the po t “ c ss om munion addre , I meant to have d rawn your

t o s s s s s attention ome thought uitable to thi occa ion , but o u r brother has mon opoli sed my ti me as well as ” his o wn so s s , we hall now clo e .

A negro preacher who once vi s ited Dundee called o n G ilfill an s his s , got hi m i ntere ted i n ca e , and obtain ed his perm i ss ion to occupy his pulpit at o ne o f the s s o n S and ervice unday , get a reti ring collection .

Gilfillan When the time came , i ntroduced hi m with ’ F s s s lordly eloquence , quoting uller expre ion about

2 4 G EORG E GI LFI LLAN .

his w as malice in nature , he often i rritated . He once —“ made thi s remark to a friend I might s ay of A lexander of the Cou r i er as Paul s aid of A lexander

’ - s the copper mith , He hath done me much evil .

’ Gilfillan s hand s were very nerveles s ! there was

o r s no vigour power of gra ping in them . People

s s s s noticed thi in haking hand with hi m . The gra p

s s had to come from them elves . Thi

An hand le ssnes s w as often awkward , and

k r s s s Aw wa d ometime led to ludicrou s ituation s . I nti a i n m t o . One day in the pulpit he had to make an intimation about the annual coal

s concert for the poor . I n tead of a written intimation there w as handed hi m a copy of the large pos ter for

s s f n was the wall . The fi r t d i ficulty he encou tered in

A s it s s getting the bill unfurled . it un folded capaciou

s s his s . di men ion di fficulty increa ed Twice , in trying i n his handless way to get his fingers round the edge

o f the paper , i n order to open out another fold , the

s his s bill lipped from hand , involving a clutch to recover it and keep it from floating down amongs t the

as s at w people . The people , they waiting and atching ,

s s found it no ea y matter to pre erve thei r gravity. When at last G ilfillan go t the pos ter e ntirely opened

w as s out , and holding it before him with out tretched

s ss arm , the amount of letterpre upon it , coupled with

his s defective vi ion , created a new and formidable d i ffi culty i n the way o f finding out the part s t hat

ought to be read . He read a word or two from one

b s his part of the ill , then topped , and turned face G I LFI LLAN I N TH E P U LPI T . 4 3

w s n to ard another part , began to read there , but , findi g h im self getting into a long li st of the s ongs that were

s s t o to be ung , he topped abruptly , and began look al l over the bill agai n t o try and fi nd the proper points

his s for intimation , head and eye movi ng hither and thither as i f he were watching the erratic movements

w as so of an excited Spider across the paper . I t — absurd G ilfillan wrestling with thi s pre pos terou s bill

s e s that ome of the p ople , though they mothered the s ound as bes t they could with their hand s or hand ke r

s chief , were heard exploding with laughter.

No min i ster in Dundee had so many couples to

as i as marry George G lfill an. H e w a great favourite

e with the working people , and they l iked , when th y “ s G ulfu llan o r could , to get Mai ter , ” Mar ri a e . as g s oor George , they often called him ,

n o s to tie the k ot . S many of tho e he

‘ married belonged to t he poorer class es t h at Gilfillan “ s ometimes went by the jocular name o f Buckle the ” s Beggar . He had a night in the week which w as the marrying

s as as night at the man e , and many from twelve to twenty couples were often married there i n the cours e “ ” n s of the eve ing . On H ogmanay n ight (the la t

s n night of the year) , and al o on the night precedi g the

n n a nual holiday there were ma y more . The Dundee “ cabbies u sed to s ay that when you put the white ” s - s s s lug on a cab hor e , off it tarted , through heer force

” ’ se as G ilfillan s nse w as s of habit , to Parad i , ma u ually called . 44 GEORG E G I LFI LLAN .

H aving s o many marriage k n ots to tie o n the ” s f t wo o r s marrying night , he o ten had three couple

s s w as in the room at the ame time , and each ervice

i s o f a exceed ingly s hort . I t told cab Hur li ng driver who had taken a marriage party

’ t he s o n m to Rev . Dr . G rant door a bitterly t hr ou h . w as g cold night , and kept waiting long

s s till the ervice hould be over , that he s t o o f n as aid the driver the next carriage , impatie tly, he s lapped his hand s round his shoulders t o warm ’ ’ ’ s s w ait in them , I wi h they d gone to George . N ae

- an- i s there for hal f oor . A h ! George the lad to hurl ” s them through . I t w a a weekly entertainment with s ome people to go to Paradi s e Road on the marrying nights and watch the bridal parties going in and com ing out .

Hogmanay being the favourite night fo r marriages

s A d ver tis er among t the working people , the often ‘ cam e o u t o n the following morning with a whole s tring o f marriages headed A t Paradi se Mar ri ed G ilfill an Road by the Rev . George , to ’ by s ave the i n s ertion of Gilfillan s name i n

Gil fil l as an . w . each separate notice I t a joke with some people that i f marriages were no t s as was s alway , aid , made i n heaven , a good many “ ” s in Dundee w e re m ade i n Paradi e . A Dundee man who had been married by Gilfillan told me that the addre ss at the ceremony be gan with “ s is s the word , M arriage an ordinance of God , e tab l is he d fo r i n Eden , tam ing the ferocity of man , for GI LFI LLAN I N TH E PU LPIT . 4 5

r ss o f s s cont ibuting to the happine both exe , and for ” o s s s ecuring the continuance f the pecie . He could ’ s a s w as Gilfill an s s w as not y i f thi u ual formula , but it

s se As w as the formula i n hi ca . he a particularly

’ - s G ilfill an s e mild looking man , I aid ref rence to “ ” n n s fe rocity could have mea t nothi g per onal .

S s Gilfillan s s peaking of marriage , u ed to tell a tory o f his s s w as friend Robert on , of I rvine . Robert on No rth on one occas ion marrying a white man t o a

s e e ilfill an black woman . Calling to G i i n a his K ss g on way back through Dundee ,

l ack G ilfill an s B a ked about the wedding, and

rid e s s B . e pecially how Robert on after tying the knot had managed the ceremony of

ss ki ing the black bride . “ ” “ s s s se Ea ily, aid Robert on . I practi d for a fort night o n the kitchen kettle before leaving home ! — He had a kindred s tory about another wag I think h’i s . ss Dr . H utton , of Pai ley When a native ka r mi ion

so n o f kaffir s ary , a chief, came to thi country , and

as his took away with hi m bride a white girl , the

s is Doctor aid My only concern about the children , in cas e they s hould be s hepherd tartan P A R T I I .

T he Platf rm O rat r o o .

Gilfill an wielded a power o n the platform as well

he ss His his as t re . in the pulpit and p burly frame , “ ” his s m lordly look , and te and eerie eye were enough of them s elve s to im press an audience and prepare them

r His was fo something great . voice another element o f — s ss s power trong , expre ive , thundering up at ti me

ss to height s of im pa ioned eloquence . C Cu sin o f F aptain , al kland , told me that when he was Gilfill an a youth in London , being at that ti me at

o f his n the height l iterary fame , the you g S cotchmen

o f as in London were proud him , regarding hi m a

s o u t Gol iath in l iterature . They u ed to turn in great force to hear him when he w as adverti sed to preach

His o r lecture in Exeter H all . poetic fire and the s plendour o f his language took hold of thei r i magina tion s and rou sed them to enthu s iasm .

o f The manager a large work at Renton , who had been s tirred up in youth to think for him s elf by ’ “ ” “ ilfill an s s s — I G Literary Portrait , aid to me often

He w as heard hi m lecture as well as preach . a man of extraordinary power and fervid eloquence . I never

s s s s s heard hi m urpa ed . Toward the end he lo t much o f the tumultuou s force and pas s ion o f hi s earlier

s Ye t s year . even the l a t lecture I heard hi m give T HE PLATFORM ORATOR . 4 7

‘ ' ’ — a lecture o n War had in it some pass ages o f s u b

w a lime and burning eloquence. H e s an i ndubitable

w as man o f gen iu s . H e had more in him than ever

s reali ed .

G ilfillan w as naturally in great reques t fo r s oirees

s s wa . s and publ ic meeting On one occa ion , when he S to preach at underland , where he had often preached

w as s and lectured before , he a ked to “ Cauld remain over the Monday and give a ” ail t o s a as K . lecture . H e wrote y that he w s o bu sy and the ti me w as so near that if he w aited and gave the lecture they would have to ” s s is content them elve with cauld kail het again . H

s n S G ilfill an ss corre ponde t being a cotchman , a umed that he would be familiar with the express ion as

s meaning old material u ed again , and would , there

His s fore , not expect a new lecture . feeling can be

‘ imagined when o n arriving in S underland he found that large bill s had been i ss ued annou n cing that the

G ilfill an o n Rev . George would lecture the s ubject ‘C AU LD KAI L H ET AGAI N .

When he s poke o n public question s he did so with

ss ss 18 1 great fearle ne . I n 4 , when the people were “ C s crying for bread , and the orn Law were hanging l ike a mill stone around the neck of the ” Pub i c Gilfillan was s s l nation , among t the fir t

ue i n his ss ! st o s . of profe ion to denounce them ; and at a meeting held in his own church after he had made a scathing expos ure of their 48 G EORG E G I LFI LLAN .

and w as w iniquity folly , a petition adopted ith

s fo r enthu s ia m praying their repeal . The Anti - S lavery cau s e al s o found a s trong ad vo

his s cate in G ilfill an . One of rare public appearance in the Du n dee P resbytery w as made fo r the purpos e of urgi n g the adoption of a memorial o n thi s s ubject he al so pres ided and made a memorable s peech at a vast public m e eti n g held t o welcome the A nti - S lavery

s s champion , George Thomp on and William Lloyd

s n t o . G arri o , Dundee I n 18 59 and 1860 he watched with enthu s ias m the

o f n t o career G aribaldi , and at a public meeti g held con gratulate the I talian patriot o n the l iberation o f

s Gilfillan s o ne o f S icily and N aple , in the cour e of

s n s s the mo t eloque t peeche he ever made , denounced Loui s N apoleon so fiercely and so un sparingly that another o f the speakers warned hi m not in the mean time to think of a trip t o Pari s unless he w as weary of his f s C s C . o harle M axwell , Dundee , peaking i n the ’ G ilfill an M emorial on the annivers ary o f Gilfil lan s

s s fo r death , well de cribed the po ition he occupied many a long year i n con nectio n with the publ ic “ ” “ w as d is o f . s li fe the city I f, he aid , there a t in u is he d s — s g tranger to be welcomed Emer on , Harriet S F ss o r ss Beecher towe , rederick Dougla , Ko uth ; i f — there w as a noble memory to be honoured S hake s S o r s w as peare , Watt , Peel , cott , Burn ; if there a

s public work to be done , the exten ion of political

” ’ Bi ographi cal sk et ch i n D u nd ee Ad ver l i ser aft e r G il fillan s deat h i n 1878 .

0 5 GEORG E G ILFI LLAN ,

fo r s not the S outhern cau e . He regarded the North as s hu ffling and in s incere on the ques

o f s Sid ing Wit h tion lavery . He did not appreciate

u h — if s — The So t . he clearly under tood the policy o f the North in keeping the s lavery ques tion in the background during the fi rs t years of

so as no t s s the war, to cau e fatal di ruption in the

s o f s s rank tho e who , differing about lavery , were yet

s U . 0 o ne united and re olute in loyalty to the nion N ,

G ilfillan o r his s however, who knew , read book , or

s s ee heard him peak , could fail to that whatever might be his s o f s s his error judgment in particular ca e , heart b o f his s urned with the love liberty , and that ympa thies were with everything that appe ared to his eyes noble and progress ive in pers onal o r n ational li fe . Fe w men o f his time pled the cau se o f the oppressed with more fearles s ness and fiery indignation than

’

G ilfill an . n s s s George Lo gfellow line on Burn , with o ne s t o phra e added count in the orator, apply with s ingular fitness t o G ilfill an

T he b u rde n o f his s pe e c h and so ng

Was o e o f r t s a n o f ro n l v igh , di d i w g I t s m ast e r c h o rd s

We re m an o o re e o m ro t e r o o h d , f d , b h h d I t s di sc o rd s but an i nt e rl ude

B e t we e n t he wo r d s .

n s About I rela d he carcely knew what to think ,

n as s s s alternati g, many a tate man al o , and many a philanthropi s t and reformer has altern ated before and ” s s s ince , between hope and de pair . I reland , he crie , TH E PLATFORM ORATOR . SI

’ s s art thou a living tring of God great lyre the earth , or art thou an in stru ment thrown as ide r e and I l l ike a neglected harp, and only valuable

uz z l ed s o s P for the chance note of j y or orrow ,

H s im . n s mad mi rth or de pai r, which the ha d of pass ers - by can di scourse upon thee ?

n Art thou o ly a wayward child of the great mother, or art thou altogether a mon strou s and incurable “ ? s bi rth He declared that over all I ri h eloquence,

s s s and even I ri h humour, there hover a certain hade ” s ss of adne .

s He rarely meddled with local politic , but when he did he seemed to be less influenced by purely political

’ con s ideration s than by the candidate s geniu s o r per

F - s onal character . When itz J ames Pol iti cs and S tephen came to contest Dundee

- Fi t z ! a e . ns . s w as m s agai t M r J enkin , who the

n Gilfillan w as n popular ca didate , d raw to the s ide o f the former less by his sympathy with ’ Liberal - Con servati s m than by S i r J ames s l iterary

and s s . fame , by ineradicable per onal di like to M r ’ n s i r s s J e kin . He Spoke at S J ame meeting ; but a

’ n w as e s s h Gilfill an s was frie d , who pr ent , aid t at heart

i s w as h s . not much in it , and peech a failure H e

nesse n n n s lacked the fi required in electio eeri g campaig . His lon g and elaborate compari s on of the pol itical “ F - s his s o f itz J ame , with name ake in the Lady ” t he w as e s Lake , altogeth r un uitable for an excited ’ political meeti ng ; while his remark that S ir J am e s s moderate views might act se r viceably as a drag on 5 2 GEORGE GI LFI LLA N . the i mpetuou s party of action was probably the Worst

’ remark for S ir J ames s pros pect s of election that could

s s f so s po ibly have been of ered to Radical a con tituency .

s b s s But on congenial u ject , and before a ympathetic

ilfill an e s as G . audience , had few qual a platform orator

s o f S C On the occa ion the cott entenary , when the mos t brilliant s peakers in Dundee and it s neighbour

O n s o f hood were the platform , i ncluding the then Bi hop — — ’ Brechin a man Of noble eloquence Gilfillan s s peech

s o n His s s wa yet the Speech f the eveni g . enthu ia m

s carried the meeting as by torm .

S ome o f his mos t characteri s tic utterance s were

s del ivered at s uch meeti ng . I remember hearing him at one o f them break o u t into a rhapsody over J eanie

s Dean , and the beautiful blending in her

! eani e o f s s s a ffe c character en e and i mpl icity ,

D an s . s w as e s . tion and re olution H e aid She

n he the quee of fiction . S had an elder s s w as i ter in Ruth , but there no female character i n

b s the Bi le equal to her . He then in cornful language

n s o n co tra ted with her , the one hand , the race of “ s s s who re frivolou and merely fa hionable female , s s o f s embled the l ilie the field only i n thi , that they

no t e s e toiled , neither did th y pin ; and , on the oth r “ ” “ s s s wo r hand , tho e pieti tic female who , when not s s s s s s hipper of a fal e Revivali m , abandoned them elve to the childi s h twaddle and emasculated Popery that ” s went by the name of H igh Church Ritual i m . On

n s s a other occa ion , at a meeting of the native of “ n L Dunkeld , referri g to the imprudent aird of Dun T H E PLATFOR M ORATOR . 5 3 d o nnachie was , who had championed (in what regarded as an extrem e ly i mprudent fashion) the

s G ilfillan public right in connection with the Bridge , launched out i nto a panegyric on i mprudent men , men impelled by high principle and purpose to action

t he deemed imprudent by world . He declared that imprudent men were thos e by whom the work of the

n w as world was done . Marti Luther an i mprudent

s s s man , but Martin Luther hattered the de poti m of

’ O Co nne ll was Rome ; Daniel an imprudent man , but

r i m he broke the power of the Tory eg e in I reland .

’ ll s s s O Co nne . gave the fir t blow , Glad tone the econd

w as s s Garibaldi . , he aid , the mo t imprudent man livi n g ; but Garibaldi had emancipated and u n ified

e Italy . Prudent men had no chance . They ne ded al l thei r time and talent to look after the imprud e nt

s s and man of action . They fi r t oppo ed him , then ,

his e w as r when movem nt triumphing, they encumbe ed

w as s him with their help . I t in harmony with thi view of progress that G ilfill an w as always ready to

and s denounce ridicule the weak faith that fear inqui ry , and s i the bigotry that forbid t .

’ o f G ilfill an s n s s s s One weak e e , belonging perhap to his s w as e s ss fiery and i mpul ive nature , exce d ing hortne

e s his of temper. A s cen illu trative of thi s fe ature of character occurre d at one of h is con

Scene at g regat io na l s o rre e s in the Thi s tle Hall . a i r So l . ee . Gilfil an was t he . i n chair , and Rev M r

e s G mmel l (afterward of Ed inburgh , but at that time a mi n i s ter i n Dundee) was one of the 54 G EORG E GI LF ILLA N .

s w as s b . peaker . A out that time M r Gemmell feeling s ore at the number o f members that were leaving

’ hi ll s his s s c i nin ilfi an . congregation and j g G I n peech ,

t o be s which happened i omewhat heavy , the good man ss pa ed from topic to topic , till unhappily he began

s s s Gilfillan to peak about the e member . , who had been get ting restles s under the t ed iou s ness of the

w as a s n Speech , now m nife tly becomi g impatient and

s u e s when M r . Gem mell went rambl ing on i nto a gg tion that G ilfill an gave more encouragement to such

i ht w as s Gilfillan fl g y people than quite eemly, could s n his s ta d i t no longer . Thumping tick on the floor , “ ’ S s ir o f he cried , top , we can t have the whole ti me ” s n - thi meeti g taken up by an empty headed idiot .

s as s c o l M r . Gem mell , tarting i f he had been hot ,

s ns lap ed i tantly , and without uttering another word

his his picked up hat , left the platform , and made

s s way toward s the door . Meantime there w a ome

s s appl au e and one h i s .

is ss ? ilfillan Who that hi ing cried G . “ ” s A voice houted I am . Who are you ?

his The m an called name .

G ilfill an s n s looked at hi m ter ly but aid nothing, and called fo r the n e xt Speaker .

ilfillan . G Meantime M r Gem mell , who knew well , and had received many proofs of his affe ction and

s s re pect , had evidently come to reali e , even before he

’ Gilfillan s w as reached the door , that language merely

s n an outbur t of momentary i rritation . H e accordi gly n tur ed into a back seat and remai ned . T HE P LATFORM ORATOR . 5 5

ilfillan S s n his M rs . G , ighting him , lipped rou d , got

f n s s s w as ru fled feeli g oothed , and when the oiree over

ilfill an s e s got G to apologi e , r toring fraternity and peace . r G ilfillan I t w as a kind o f work that M s . had often

s e S he to do , and did with con ummat tact and ability . w as n the lubricati g oil , without which the machinery ’ of Gilfillan s life would never have worked so s moothly as it u s ually did . His church elders have told me that at s es s ion

n s s s meeti g the read i ne with which , when irritated , he

s o f his s s lo t control temper , and poke angry word , s s s s f ometime ent elder away mortally of ended , and

s s s s re olved never to attend a e ion meeting again , till

M rs il fill an s . G o n went and called them , oothed them ,

e e and eff ct d reconci liation .

Another s cene illu s trating the s am e feature of ’ ilfill an s w s s r G character a de c i bed to me by M r.

s S n s n was J ame M . teve o , of Dundee , who a boy at

e . the ti me , but remember d it vividly I t “ The Co i c e o ne C C s m occurr d at of the oal oncert ,

Sin r s be ge . which u ed to given every winter on

O f n M rs . fi arra behal f the poor , Gil llan g

i n s n n g for them . At one of the e , held in the Ki aird

as C n n G ilfillan H all (then known the or Excha ge) ,

s . n w as s pre ided The co cert omewhat protracted , and duri ng the s econd part of the programm e a comic

s i in e s nger came upon the platform charact r , and ang

s G ilfillan T he a ong which did not like . audience ,

s and s however , applauded vociferou ly , at the clo e 6 5 G EORG E GI LFI LLA N .

' b s ilfill an s ao egan to hout for an encore . G ro e to t nounce the next i em on the program me , and remained

s s e tanding , but the people would not cea e th i r clamour .

s s s s s A t la t the comic inger , amid t tumultuou applau e ,

s G ilfillan came on the platform to i ng again . there

u his upon threw down the programme , took p hat and s tick , and indignantly left the platform and the hall .

w as s The meeting in tantly Silenced . N obody knew

as exactly what to do ; and after a l ittle ti me , there

w as o f Gilfill an b no Sign returning , the meeting roke

s n b o f s s up in con fu io . I n remem rance thi cene , and

s s G ilfill an w as in fear le t it hould be repeated , never

s t o s a ked pre ide at the Coal Concert again .

G ilfillan was o n s e not ly an omnivorou read r , regard ing any day as half los t on which he read no new

s book , but he had a memory of prodigiou retentive

s w as s o f s ne s . I t aid Dicken that he — ! uot i ng had collodion in his eye everything fr o m he looked at remained l ike a photograph

M o r hi Gilfillan re em y . in s m ind . had a Sim ilar t e nt ive ne ss with regard both to what he saw His w as and what he read . mi nd therefore richly s His s s tored with thought and knowledge . allu ion brought hearer s and readers i nto contact with al most

s w as o f n . every phere k owledge H e able to quote ,

o f s s e s his on the Spur the moment , long pa ag from

s s s s favourite poet . At a oiree where a previou peaker had quoted a s triki ng phras e which he s aid he thought

’ w as s G ilfillan an d n M ilton , , coming after him , referri g

F 5 8 G EORG E G 1L 1LLAN .

l i s tened with growing i mpatience ; Gilfillan s aw it

was o n his and evidently angry , but he went till

s s as s as tronomical d i cour e w fi ni hed . Then with the “ o s haughty remark , I er no apology for peaking to " o f s o n n as night great and oble a pio eer Galileo , he

his s n took up hat and tick , indigna tly marched off the

s platform , and left the meeting , never having aid a

s s word about the coffee hou e .

S F The late Bailie mith , of Broughty erry , who took

s D allfie ld s s a warm intere t in the M i ion i n Dundee , the meetings o f which were att e nded main ly by a few

o ld s women in the di trict , told me that A Bul l G ilfill an had promi s ed to come and i n a s peak to them o ne evening at the m is

Chi na h s . s o S op . ion meeting I t happened that when

s the day came , the Edinburgh paper appeared with a long report o f a philippic again s t Robert Burns which had been d e l ivered the previou s

F s F s night . at Dal keith by Rev . ergu ergu on , at that

P ilfillan s U . . s . G ti me m ini ter there , who almo t adored

s s s Burn , read the peech with indignation . I t rou ed f . U o s him to frenzy nable to think anyth i ng el e , he des cended upon the little m i s s ion meeting armed with

t o F s F s a long and fiery Speech in reply ergu ergu on ,

s s and intended mainly for the new paper next morning . Thi s he delivered at a white heat to a handful of old women who s at l i stening with wonder and awe as

n s no s to a thu der torm , but with idea of what all thi

s as furiou invective w about . TH E PLATFORM ORATOR . 59

Gil fil l an did not interfere much with municipal

ff s a air in Dundee , though he watched with great i nteres t the i mportant part taken in the Town Cou n cil i F h s . s by nephew , M r rank Hender on Muni cipal (afterward s and w as an xiou s to

A r s his ffai s . have hi m upported in meas ures for

city i mprovement . P A R T I I I .

ilfillan a G s a Litte rate u r .

Powerful as Gilfill an was in the pulpit and o n the

s o f his was s platform , the greate t work li fe accompli h

s s His s ff ed through the pre . fi r t independent e ort ,

as as however , proved great a failure ' ’ Gil fi l l an s Di s rael i s maiden s peech i n Parliament . “ fir st k no ck I t w as a little volume o f Five at th e d oor Di s cours es ; and w as unfortunately

Of s as de cribed an Experiment . The

Lit er a ur e t e . p ople who would have enjoyed it never “ ” h e ard of it the few orthodox people who did hear o f it and looked into it mi ssed thei r

s s w favourite phra e , and found i nterwoven ith lament

s a s s S and cen ure , p ean to the prai e of helley , Byron , and

s as Burn , whom they regarded children of perdition whos e very name s it w as s acrilege to introduce into the pulpit except for reprobation or warn ing . The “ F s s s no ive Di cour e , therefore , found acceptance . Ye t thos e who went back in after years t o examine

s s them found ome of the germ of thought , and many of the l iterary sympathie s that were developed in GI LFI LLAN As A LITT E RAT E U R . 6 1

’ Gil fill an s later work s and achieved fo r him his literary

e fam .

ne o f his s s s s s as I n o Di cour e , when the que tion aro e

’ “ s in he s us to S helley fate a future world , aid , Let

s His s s s . clo e the book and cla p the cla p mind ,

s i n 18 however , could not re t , and 4 3 he

s s Had es . del ivered , and afterward publi hed , an ” o n elaborate di s cours e H ades . I t set

s e n l e d e t o forth the view he had be , at that tim , form

o f s s and s as to the state oul between death re urrection .

w as n e C o f I t not u lik the atholic doctrine purgatory,

As e which yet it condemned . might hav been antici pate d the Pres bytery had it s attentio n called to the

n who matter , and the you g brother had ventured to s peculate outs ide the l i nes of the Confess ion w as ordere d s ummarily t o s uppre s s t h e publ ication and refrain from atte mpting in future to be w i se above what w as written .

Thi s proved the greates t s ervice ever re n dered to

e ss o f P U . . l it rature , or the progre thought , by the

e G ilfillan Pre sbytery of Dundee . I t d rov into the

s w e his s field of pure literature , her gift “ r hi Th e Dund ee had freer Scope . Th ough s Gallery " Pre byt ery s he s s of Literary Portrait oon began ,

d o e an s s s in thi new field , to reach multitude of Uni nt end ed the younger m i nd s in S cotlan d and

Go od . e s l ewhere , whom he would never have reached through the pulpit or th rough

e s s s n e s theological ay , and by leadi g th m to the tudy 6 2 G EORG E G ILFILLAN . of the great poets and thinkers he did more to enlarge their thought s and broaden their theology than he could in any other way have done .

“ His Literary Portraits were begun in the D u mf r i es

d as s Her al w . , which ed ited at that ti me by Thoma Aird

s ss s s o s The e critical e ay , full of keen in ight , fine

I n 188 at o ne o f t he u c e r ce i n co nnect o n t the a n o f 7, p bli s vi s i wi h l yi g f h i lfill an m r a u n t o n n o W . . ea t he o un at t o e o t e G e ee M r. f d i s M i l , D d , T S d , t he n edi t o r o f th e Pal l M a l l Gaz ette fu rnishe d fro m his o wn experi e nce a re m ar kabl e ill ust rat io n o f the i nfluence Gil fillan exe rcise d far and wide ’ t hro ugh t h e se Li t e rary Po rt rai t s I give M r . S te ad s s tat e me nt wi th no t the e ea ure t at it re er a o t o m o w n o o o n the m er can l ss pl s h f s ls y b k A i s , and to t he i n flue nce whi ch I t h en (fo r the fi rst t i m e ) l e arne d t h at i t had

M r . i n d e t e rm i ni ng his o wn re m arkabl e care e r . T he fo llo wi ng is ’ St ead s S tat em e nt as re po rt e d in the D u n d ee Ad ver t i ser o f M ay 9th Whe n I was s even t e en years o f age the e mi ne nt m an wh o se nam e will be fo r eve r att ach ed t o t he ch urch i n co nnect i o n wi th whi ch we are m e t e e rc e a reat n uence u o n m e . e n l e ft c oo , x is d g i fl p y lif Wh I s h l at a o u t o urte e n e ar o f a e cr c e t and no e had t he reate t b f y s g , i k v ls g s at t ract o n fo r m e . a o ut t e e n r t e i n o e t i b fif , I fi s f ll l v wi h

a e eare and a e eare carr e m e o ff m e et . o u re ad Sh k sp , Sh k sp i d y f I w ld no t bu t a e e are o r c r t c m u o n a e eare and amo n hi ng Sh k sp , i i is p Sh k sp ; g ’ o t e r o u n in eo r e G il fil l an s Gal l er o L i ter a r P or t r a its a h s I f d G g y f y , o o the o o o u rar and rea l ect ure u po n Sh ak e spe are . I t k b k t o f t he lib y d i t and o un i n i t m ent o n o f o t e r r t e r o e nam e had n e e r , f d i h w i s wh s s I v — o w o re ma n h e ard o f Schl e gel and S ch e lli ng and o t he rs . I to k t he t i i ng vo l um e s and read t h e m also ; and by t hat m e ans I was i nt roduced t o th e wh o le body o f li t e rary m en wh o se wri t i ngs h ave si nce m o st t e re o re ee t at o we a ee e t t o the de e ply i m pressed m e . I h f f l h I d p d b fi l a e a o t o ac no e e m n e t e ness v eo r e G il l an. R e . G g I h v ls k wl dg y i d b d i n o nn o n t the v M r . ac ra . I rat e r cur o u c ect to t he R e . M e t is h i s i wi h G il fill an urc t at its ut u re a t o r e rte the o e co ur e o f m Ch h , h f p s div d wh l s y ra ca ta m a sa t o o u t at e . o u ar o n auto o e lif If y will p d bi g phi l d ils , I y y y h ' - ac rae u e c arm n oo I was ! us t twe nty o ne whe n M r. M p blish d his h i g b k — n a om e o ne o f the m o st i nt e re st i ng bo o ks I e ve r read Tire A m er i ca s t H . Th at b o o k gave m e the id ea o f w ri ti ng a se ri es o f arti cl e s whi ch l ed t o

M r . m e n ca e to the o urna t c ro e o n . ere fo re t o y b i g ll d j lis i p f ssi Th , ilfillan and M r ac rae o we m uc c am e r a to G . M I h , whi h I v y gl d no ack wl edge . A E GI LFI LLAN s A LITTERAT U R . 6 3

s s s s di cri mination , and genuine enthu ia m and ympathy , “ a soon began to attr ct attention . I t Car l yle is strange t o read now the letter which on at that ti me (1844 ) Thomas Carlyle

i l s n G lfil an . wrote to Ralph Waldo Emer o about

s s s S n thi new and ri ing tar in cotla d .

C s 1s t C Dating from hel ea, J anuary 3 , arlyle wrote Did you receive a Dumfries newspaper with a critici s m

? is G ilfillan n ss in it The author one , a you g Di enting

n s s o f in m i i ter in Dundee , a per on great talent ,

e nuo u s ne s s s s s s g , enthu ia m , and other virtue , who e

s as C s po ition a preacher of bare , old alvini m , under

t o f e s . h as penal y d ath , make me tremble for him He written in that s am e news paper about all the notable s

hi s — C - of ti me Godwin , orn Law Elliot , and I know not

s all whom . I f he publi h the book , I wi ll take care to

s aw s Send it you . I the man for the fir t time last

A S s his e n s . C s autum at Dumfrie I aid , b ing a alvini t

ss n s and s Di e ting mini ter economically fixed , pi ritually

s n s s with uch germ i ation in him , force me to be very ” reserved to him .

’ In the P eopl e s Fr i end of Fe bruary 2 2 nd and March

1st 18 1 G ilfil l an s s s s , 7 , , in the cour e of a erie of paper “ m s e s his entitled Autumnal Ra ble , giv account of

s s e e S s thi fir t m ting with artor , from which it appear

’ that t he meeting w as in Thomas Aird s hou se in

’ A r o e e r had o m e t m e to t o ne o n (i il fill an s u e ra o und i d , h w v , s i s d w s p b r ing vigo u r o f language . I n o ne o f his l e t t e rs to his yo ung p otege we find hi m a n no t l e t t at bi t o f a e m a o u t carna e s yi g , Why h bl sph y b g si nk o ut o f S igh t i n Tar tarus ? Why i m m o rt alise it i n he ave nly ambe r and co l o urs o f t he sho we ry Ai rd was no t lo ng in ant icipat in “ ” “ fo r a re published G all e ry t he po pu l ari ty whi ch i t ac hi eved . I ” - t ru t he a it w be a o e n o rn t o ra o n o e n o e . s , s id , ill sh i g h d w g ld sh s 64 G EORG E G I LFI LLAN .

’ s C s w as s s Dum frie , where arlyle mother al o taying at

C Gilfillan s the time . Ai rd , arlyle , and had everal long

w ilfillan s s s s G . walk and talk together , hich de cribe

A paragraph entitled “ C arlyle and the A merican

s n s Lion Hunter , which rece tly made the round of

s s the paper , gave publ icity to the following tory “ ’ Gilfill an o ne C s called day at arlyle , A and hi s knock w as re s ponded to by

R s As n ecent Carlyle him elf. Carlyle ope ed the

Fi ct ion . a nd s Gilfill an door tood before hi m , introduced him self with a grandiloquent ‘ s e G ilfillan bow , and aid , I am G orge , and you are

. C s s M r arlyle , I uppo e . I have been lecturing about ’ o u y all over England . Carlyle looked at hi m a hal f

his s moment , and then , throwing back haggy mane ,

o ut o u blurted , What the devil did y lecture about me ’ ” fo r ? s is and with that he lam med the door in h face .

s n t o H ad thi bee true , it would have been little the

il fillan o r is credi t either of G Carlyle . But it a com fort to reflect that as G ilfill an and Carlyle knew each other “ quite well long before G ilfillan had lectured all over

n s England about anythi g , the tory may be branded

s a a pure fiction .

’ G ilfillan s detractors in after years w e re fond o f ’ “ s o f C s s quoting a reported aying arlyle , H e think him se lf a great painter becau s e he paint s with a big

s . s was C bru h I f uch a remark ever made by arlyle ,

s o n his s s it mu t have been one of biliou day . It was

’ with a truer appreciation of G ilfillan s power that he

66 G EO RG E G I LFI LLA N .

is s s his s There not a unbeam , he aid , on ullen Sea .

is his s The Promethean vultu re at l iver till . An d

’ thi s profound remark is added Carlyle s notion s of

s e i f t his s b l e f in . O God want the proper ba i of a man , " - has his s C . with all hero wor hip , arlyle none

When the republication of the Literary Portraits i n s s book form began , the fi r t volume (publi hed in 1 84 5) achieved it s reputation i n s pite of a feature that would (as the D u nd ee A d ver ti ser de Unki nd c l ared ) have ruined the pros pects of a “

u ss s f. w as C t s . volume le remarkable in it el I t

s s ab illu trated , or rather d i figured , by s u rd - looking l ithographic portraits of s ome of the

s i g reat men whose work were being rev ewed . The rugged countenance of Carlyle w as drawn on a

s s as s -s lud icrou ly minute cale , i f for a po tage tamp , and the gri m A postle of Des pai r made to look neat ’ ’ a nd as ss s s s trig, i f for a hairdre er or tailor adverti e ment . On the other hand , the genial face of Robert ’ Hall th e s w as s , famou pulpit orator, repre ented by a

s s s the va t di c , filled up with feature that combined lud icrou s with the horrible . I t is told of a lady who w as looking over that firs t v olume that when She came upon a large , round , white f s s he s ace that almo t covered the page , aid , after a ’ s N s is m oment contemplation , ow I under tand what — meant by a book being illu strated with pl a tes H appily the power and fascination of the letterpress ' d rew people s attention away from thes e grotesque and abortive illu stration s ; and long before the E GI LFI LLAN AS A LITTERAT U R . 67

“ Literary Portraits were completed Gil fil l an had e s s his as o ne s s tabli hed reputation of the be t , mo t hi s s s s . brilliant , and mo t ympathetic critic of time

w as n his The work thoroughly co genial , and whole heart went into it . With the Spirit of the true critic , h e s o f delighted to unveil beauty , to hang the picture

s geniu in a favourable light , and to lead He Ad or ed men where they could drink from the

Geni u . s s s s pure t fountain of beauty, and wi dom ,

s and in piration .

As his s s was one of people aid , the Man of Geniu

’ n s s s G ilfill an s hero . Eve in ermon and lecture the

s w ord w as con stantly occurring . Every man of geniu a nd every work of geniu s attracted hi m and filled him

n w ith a joy he delighted to express . M any an oblatio he offered at the shrine of s uch mas ter Spirit s as

S s S s . hake peare , hel ley , and Burn

The literary knowledge of s ome of his auditors d id not always qual i fy them for the full appreciation of t he se glowing tributes . On one occas ion two plain folk were ’ Wh a s s ss as e heard di cu ing, th y left church , the Shel ley ? di scourse to which they had been li s ten ’ s Wh a s ing. One aid to the other , that ’ m an ilfil lan w as s e aki n S hel ley that M r. G p aboot the “ ’ ” d a ? s s y I m ure I d inna ken , aid the other , but

’ ’ ’ I th ink it s ane 0 his brit he r s elders at S tirling !

“ i s On the republication of the Literary Portra t , 6 8 G EORG E G I LFI LLA N .

Thomas De ! uincey paid G ilfill an the high compli ment of making his Portrait s the s ubject o f a s erie s

s his of article , in which he gave own

s s The esti mate of the ame great author . Mi st ak e The Literary Portrait s were repub of lished in A merica , and had a wide

Co u bus . s l m circulation there but , in the ab ence of

n an i ternational copyright law , the whole profits o f the s ale went into the pockets o f the

s A merican publi hers .

S i r o f S Wi lliam Leng, heffield , told me he remember

G ilfil lan ss ind i ed , at a d inner party, expre ing great g nation at the American s republi s hing his book s and never paying h im a penny for the privi lege , though

s w as S s . the ale larger in the tate than here A merica ,

w as s . he declared , a land of literary pi rate I n s s s s b w as ub equent conver ation , when ome ody Speaki ng

C s his s G ilfillan of olumbu and d i covering A merica , s houted from the other end of the table , He made a

s s ! great mi take , Si r he made a great m i take

’ Whether o r no A merica s treatment of Briti s h

s o f G ilfillan s his s author , and him elf when book were

s republi hed there , d id anything to prejudice him uncon s cious ly again s t even the l iterature

eri can o f S s is Am the tate , it certain that for a long

i his ns - L t erat ure . time appreciation of tra atlantic

s w as e geniu very qualifi d , and lacked the enthu s ias m with which he u s ually delighted to welcome

s s s s o work of geniu or of con picuou merit . He s poke f “ ” A m e rican l iterature in one o f his Literary Portraits A E E GI LFI LLAN s A LITT RAT U R . 69

as s o ne h i f it were a mere echo , and not alway a good . ” “ s s A merican geniu , he aid , l ived on borrowed force . For every native product of Britain there w as a sub

s ti t ut e s as i n A merica , re embling the original , the gilded and lettered back of a draught - board does a

Fo r n w as princely volume . Byro there a Bryant , for

C s oleridge a Dana , for Word worth a Percival , for

s s . s s Addi on a Wa hington I rving Tho e writer , and

s n s s s many other , had varied tale t and accompli hment

s— w as n as nay , geniu but it ti mid and totteri g a

n child learni g to walk .

be i n ss I t Should noted , however , pa ing, that i f American literature w as long in a s tate af pupilage to

w as so Britain , it kept by the policy of the American Government its elf with regard to copy

Longfell ow right . I nternational copyright being

on s b s s refu ed , American pu li her could take

Co ri ht . s py g our copyright work , and , having nothing

s ss to pay to the author , could i ue them

for the mere price of the paper and printing , with a

s s s profit added for them elve . Thi gave no chance to

s s s native author who nee d to be them elve paid . I

f s 186 remember Long ellow , when I vi ited him in 7, “ ” s s o n s s peaking trongly thi point . There , he aid , “ h is s pointing to tudy table , there are al l your high

s s s s s cla review , republi hed here and old for next to

nothing . What can our magazine writers and pub lishe rs do in face of that ? I t tell s al so again st our

s American book . I f it were not that we in America

s o n have much larger a reading public tha you have , 70 G EORG E G I LFI LLAN . s ecuring a wider circulation to compen s ate for minute ” ss o f o n s e ne profit each copy , our author could not l iv )

The amount o f literary work that Gilfill an d id in the course o f his forty - two years i n Dundee was “ Hi s s enormou s . book included the Gallery of

s s Literary Portrait , i n three volume ” “ s o f F A Bard the Bible , atherhood of ” “ ” “ Pr o i fi c s s l God , H i tory of a Man , The M artyr ,

uth or . s s S s A Heroe , and Bard of the cotti h ” “ C C s ovenant , hri tianity and our Era , ” “ s s o f s s A lpha and Omega (a erie ermon ) , Life of ” “ ” S i r o f n s S . Walter cott , Li fe Dr Wi ll iam A der on ,

s s and Remoter S tar . He al o wrote elaborate bio

’ graphical and critical prefaces to N icho l s edition of ” s s s - s the Briti h Poet , publi hed i n forty eight volume prefaces well worthy o f republication i n a volume “ ” b s s His s y them elve . N ational Burn , i ncluding an

s n admirable and exhau tive life of the poet , obly com “ ple t ed the work in thi s d irection which his Literary ” s Portrait had begun .

186 s w as s s s I n 7 he publi hed what , in ome re pect , — the mos t remarkable offs pring of his geniu s his poem “ ” s w as o f s N ight , in nine book . He fond ubl ime

s s his s theme , and nothing he ever wrote uited gen iu

s better than the themes sugge ted by night . The very

s s f title of the d ifferent book , indicating the di f erent

s s s a pect in which he contemplate the night , are them selves s triking and characteri s tic N ight and ” “ ” “ M an s s God , N ight and , The J oy and Terror of ” “ ” “ N s o f C ight , The Poet N ight , The hi ldren of the GI LFILLA N AS A LITTERATEU R . 71

” s s N ight , N ight lo t i n Day. H e left other work ready or nearly ready , for publication when he died ,

is F o ne o f h . from which friend and relative , M r rank

s M P s s s Hender on , . . , publi hed voluminou extract i n “ 1880 o f s , under the title Paper , Literary and Theo ” logical .

s s so s s Even the e work , numerou , and ome of them so s s voluminou , bore no compari on to the literary matter he produced and publ i shed in the magazines ’ s s s i n s and new paper . He eemed l ike the man Bunyan “ ” s riddle , The more he ca t away, the more he had . His con tribution s t o the D u nd ee Ad ver ti ser alone

s e s would have filled a core of bulky volum . The reviews and other articles which he s o copiou s ly con tributed to that paper were as eas ily recogni s ed and as well known as his burly form w as i n the street s o f

Dundee. Let me mention here an interes ting fact in connection

o f his s Ad r i r with one contribution to the ve t se .

A s tartling report arrived o ne day in Dundee that

w as w as the poet Longfellow dead . Confirmation

o needed , but before it c uld be got the time for pre paring a review o f his l i fe and work for ’ A Vo i ce s s next day paper would be pa t . M r.

fr o o f A d ver ti ser m Leng , the , accordingly

t he D ad s s i fill e . ent in ha te to G l an that a worthy

ss article might , if po ible , be ready before

ss ilfill an s the ti me for going to pre . G e t to work at

i n e once , and had the article down time , but intellig nce w as received almo s t s imultaneou s ly that the report of 2 7 G EORG E GI LFI LLAN .

’ s s Ad er ti ser Longfellow death w a unfounded . The v

’ a ccordingly kept Gilfillan s paper in reserve ti ll it s ilfillan s s hould be required . G him el f d ied four year i n 188 2 before Longfellow , but April , , the morning ’ a L s Ad ver ti ser fter ongfellow death , the came out with ’ ’ Gilfill an s notice of the death written in Gilfillan s well k nown style . I t came like a voice from the dead . The manu script of thi s interesting article i s before

as was s and has me I write . I t pre erved , been k indly

D u nd Ad v r ti ser . . C ee e . given me , by M r A uthbert , of the ” I t begin s S o Longfellow has left us ! and e nd s with t he s s s following word and line , ingularly touching in view of the fact that Gilfil lan w as already gone when thes e word s fi rs t became audible ! Longfellow has d — so S O w as ied without an enemy amiable , kindly he ,

so s s and devoid of al l the fault com mon to author , and o f mos t of the faults common to men . We bid hi m farewell with deep emotion P e rh aps in so m e far fut ure l an d

W m a m eet we e t m a e e y et y , y y dw ll ;

If no t ro m o ff t s m o rt a S t ran , f hi l d , ” I m m o rt al ! fare t h ee w ell !

A gentleman connected with the D u nd ee A d ver ti ser ’ s G ilfillan s s aid , with reference to contribution to that

s his s paper, that , from the fi r t , per onality

Hi s s entered a an element into them all , even

r na i Fo r s Pe so l ty his reviews . the la t four or five in hi s years of his l ife thi s element became

s s s Revi ews . more and more con picuou , till at la t his review s came to be more about his o w n conviction s and experiences than about the book

74 GEORGE GI LFI LLAN .

n s . s ss read with keen i tere t I t eemed ready for the pre , and young Logan e x pe see it publi shed enti re w hi in the form in had left it . One of ’ G ilfillan s s . S C s nephew (M r David croggie , of arnou tie) ,

’ s s s his s i n peaking to me about thi novel , aid uncle opin ion had been that it would prove the bes t of all

s the book he had written . I t had , however, been thought inj udiciou s t o publi s h it as it abounded i n s omewhat pungent reference s to l iving and well - known

as s men and women . Looked at a novel it had al o

s been thought too defective i n plot . I t would eem ,

s F however , from the extract given by M r . ran k “ s H ender on , in the volume entitled Literary and

s b v al l Theological Paper , to have een no no el at i n

s s s the trict en e of the word , but rather a continuation ’ “ ” Gilfill an s s o f of H i tory a Man , record ing the de ve l o m e nt o f his s his p theological view , and giving

s s later opinion about publ ic men , and philo ophical and

s literary matter .

as i s e M S S . I f, al leg d , the enti re of Reconciliation ’ i s s s s G ilfil lan s till extant , it eem due to memory

s s o to have thi work , to which he attached much

s it s . i mportance , publi hed in entirety

How racy and how valuable many o f thes e opinion s and s s o ne critici m would be , can judge from the “ s s . s fragment given by M r H ender on , in Paper

s literary and theological , and from the vivid picture ’ His found s cattered in G ilfillan s other book s . keen

s s d i cri mination , prodigiou ly retentive memory, and his l iterary s k ill fitted hi m to reproduce adm irably E E GI LFI LLAN AS A LITT RAT U R . 75

w as s he whatever characteri tic i n the men met , and

s . C n in thei r conver ation ould anythi g ,

Car e s o f C lyl for in tance , give a better idea arlyle “ i n hi s i n his character of Apos tle o f Pe ss im

War ain s s P t . is m and De pai r than thi account

’ which Gilfillan give s o f C arlyle s tal k when he met hi m many years s i n ce at a dinner party at ’ “ ” “ F s s . C e s ranci J effrey The publ ic , arlyl aid , had become a gigantic jackas s l iterature a glit t e ring l ie s cience w as groping aimless ly amid s t the d ry dead clatter of machinery art wielding a feeble watery pen cil hi s tory s tumbling over dry bone s i n a valley no longer of vi s ion philos ophy babbl ing exploded ab s urd

s ne w s s t he itie m ixed with non en e about I nfinite , the

s Ab olute , and the Eternal ; rel igion , a great truth

it s s s an d groaning out l a t ; ju tice God turned big, s n s s n tari g , empty word like a ig board remaining after ” is and . the Shop empty abandoned And what men , “ s s s ! S ss he aid , to meet the cri i cott , a toothle ’ w rves s e retailer of old fable ; Brougham , an et rnal grinder of com monplace and pretentiou s noi se like a

o n - C man playing a burdy gurdy oleridge , talking in a maudlin Sleep an infinite dea l o f no t hing ; Chri s topher

t n s N o c t e s Nor h take to pre iding at , and painting haggi s es in flood ; the bi shop s and clergy of all denomination s combi n ed to keep men in a state of pupi lage that they may be kept in port wine and

s ns s roa t beef. Politicia full of cant , i n incerity , and

s s s s fal ehood Peel , a plau ible fox Lord J ohn Ru ell ,

t u m s it s C a p ; J ohn Wil on roker , an unhanged hound — Such are thy God s O I s rael ! One wi ndbag yelpi ng 6 7 G EO RG E GI LFI LLA N . for liberty to the nt ro another for pri son im prove

— s an‘jg s s ment all ham i mpo ture together, urging down to perd ition

’ The bent of Gilfill an s gen iu s led hi m to fos te r what

as s s s came to be known the pa modic chool of poetry , “ ” which Ay t o u n in his Fi rm ilian (the ” Th e Do n ! uixote o f it S time) d id so m uch S a od i c p sm to bring ridicule upon , and for the time

Sch o ol s i l . di credit G lfi l an denounced Pi rm il ” as ss o f s s ian a ti ue fi lthy non en e , but

t o it s he failed counteract influence .

saw s o f his We , in peaking pulpit and platform utter ances ho w w as his s s , often he carried away by tempe tuou

s use his feel ing , and led to language which cal mer

s moment could no t approve . H e erred “ “ i r his as t e ar as . L y often with pen I f, a friend “ Scal s p aid , he carried like a bee a bag of

Hun s s r t er . honey , he al o, l ike a bee , carried a ha p ” his w as s ting . When blood up and he believed him sel f to be assailing anything mi s chievou s

s s s or ba e , he truck without mercy , paring neither

s n friend nor foe . A ttempt to murder George Daw o w as the heading given by a Manches ter paper to a s avage critici s m by G ilfillan o f a man who surely “ s S s de erved other treatment . O f wift he aid , We

as s s S Y think that , moral mon ter , wi ft and that ankee ” N O Y s be ss . ahoo , Edgar Poe , mu t cla ed together “ wonder that G ilfil lan w as dubbed by one critic the ” s - n l iterary calp hu ter . But in everything he d id there G I LFI LLAN AS A LITTERATE U R . 77

was s S s w as impetuou s force . H e the Rufu of cotti h l iterature . H e often regretted after ward s the unmeas ured

i s language into which h s feeling had betrayed hi m .

s And well he might . N othing d id o m uch t o i njure

His s his his e . l iterary r putation impul ive nature ,

o f s n fatal facility tingi g invective , and the rapidity with which he threw o ff his article s and despatched

ss o f them to pre , deprived them the refining and correcting influence which deliberation and calm re

fle ct io n would have had upon them . The defect at

s Gilfil lan w as s ome point went deeper . a good critic

’ o t o ne o f his n s n o w . of other work , but a good Could

’ he have s een and judged his work as from another s s s his s tandpoint , many thing in book would have

n s s bee truck out or tran formed , and many faults i n

his s style corrected . H ad manu cripts bee n even

s s handed over to a competent and fearle ed itor , G ilfillan would hav e take n a higher place i n literature

his s than he did , though no higher than geniu entitl e d

him to .

’ Gilfillan s s s o s s literary fault were ea ily een , and s ome of them furni s hed s uch game fo r enviou s or

s e s who as ho til critic , that men , compared with

G ilfillan as s e , were midge to the agle , Lit er ary yet s ucceeded in produci n g on the

i s s Assass ns . mind of multitude who did not read for them s elves an entirely fal s e impre s ’ s G ilfillan s ion of literary power . Ove rlooki n g alto

s his gether the merit of work, they laid hold o f s ome 78 G EORG E GI LFI LLA N .

his and s s s s of odd extravagant expre ion , or ome of his s m ixed metaphor , held them up to ridicule , and

s Gilfill an n s aid , Behold the great A Si gle illu tra “ ” is s f . h s tion will u fice When Life of Wm . A nder on

s appeared , a London paper rai ed a laugh at it by picking o ut a colloquiali s m com mon enough in S cot

s land but ounding oddly i n England . ! uoting the s tatement in the book that one full s i s ter of ’ “ ” s s s Dr . Ander on and three ful l brother died in “ s s youth , the paper a ked , Did the other then wander ” through the world with empty s tomach s ? I t w as — — quite a legiti mate joke we c an all laugh at it but i t f ilfill an o r o G . . s gave no idea either , Dr Wm A nder on ,

Yet s was or the book . thi pretty much all that the

w as as paper had to s ay about it . I t i f s ome one

’ s n Should draw the picture of a wart on a man ha d , “ w as s a . and y , Behold the man I t of a piece with

s A t/zend u m G ilfillan thi , that the (which had more than once severely cen sured) confined it s obituary noti ce o f hi m to o ne little paragraph in which it called “ C s G ilfillan him the Rev . harle

Gilfill an his I t would Show i n true l ight , and reveal to thi s new generation the power and range of his “ ” s his s his geniu , i f G allery of Literary Portrait , ” s his s Li fe of Burn , or preface to ’ “ ” hin s s s re Som et g N ichol l Briti h Poet , could be t o be prod uced in one of the cheap s eries of

s ss s ss s Desi red . Briti h cla ical work i ued by ome

s I i s of our great publi hers . t a pi ty “ al s o that his H i story of a M an has never been G I LFI LLAN AS A LITTERAT E UR . 79

- I t s s s re s s . revi ed and i ued abound in racy , per onal

s s s C C s remini cence of men like Thoma ampbell , hri to ff C C s pher North , J e rey , arlyle , hal mer , and I rving ;

s it s s and i n gem s of graphic de cription . I n pre ent ’ Gilfill an s o f form , one might apply to it account H uman N ature in “ N ight ”

t ea o f o and ee t o f m i r c a W i h h d g ld f y l y , ” f e ne a o f us t o ne a o t . O h lf d , h lf D i y

s But the book only need to be abridged , and well

’ edited to make it as charming as Hugh M iller s “ ” s s re - ss S cho ol s and S choolma ter . Even a i ue of s s o f his s ss s elected portion different book , e ay , and

s s o f lecture , edited with note , would be great value,

e fo r and would , I believe , creat a demand more .

’ Gilfill an s writings team with pas s ages s ingularly ‘ vivid and s u ggest ivefl

s s it s i How triking, for in tance , both i n truth and t s

’ is his s w S s s original ity , contra t bet een hake peare work s a nd the l ittle that i s known of the man him s elf! “ m u nifice nt s A and mode t benefactor, Shak espear e S hakespeare has knocked at the door and o f n the huma family at night , thrown Dant e in i nes ti mable wealth as if he had done a guilty thing ; and the s ound of his s is s feet , dying away in the di tance , all the tid ing ,

‘ “ T he Gil fil lan B rt a Boo d e ted e o r e . oo d and i hd y k , i by G g S H , u i e i am K o f un ee urn s e t r k n r p bl sh d by W lli idd , D d , f i h s s i i g p oo f. 80 G EO RG E G I LFI LLAN .

s s he has give n 0 him elf. Or take thi picture of Dante “ ” in N ight !

m e s t sa e st o f t he s o ns o f m e n S ubli , dd S ad as o ne dwe ll e r in o ne plane t wo rld S ad as a l ast s t ar l e ft up o n t he vi ne

ea en e n all it s c ust e rs are c o ns um e Of h v , wh l d ,

i and ar ne ss are a o ne fo r e r And t d k l v e .

s hi s o f s Take al o account the geniu of Moore , the ’ poet Moore s fancy is prodigiou s in quantity and

is as as i s variety , and elegant it abundant . The general effect o f his vers e is l ike that of

s Tho mas a large tree al ive with bee , where a

r s s n s Moo e . thou and weet and m i ute tone are

o ne o f mingled in hum harmony . Add t o s hi s o f s ve rs ific at io n thi free flow exqui ite , the

s s n o f his s s tenderne of ma y picture , and the unny glow , as s s of Ea tern day , which colour the whole , and you ” s o f his s s have t he lead ing feature poetical idio yncra y .

Bes ides being one of the greate s t o f our literary

s G ilfill an w portrait painter , had a onderful power of focu s ing into a phras e or a s ingle s entence the main

o r e is truth about a man a book . Her ’ “ Tid - Bi t s the label he hangs round S wift s Tale

o f is s s of a Tub I t the wilde t , wittie t ,

E x r e i on. s s it s p ss wickede t , wealthie t book of Si ze i n

” ’ Haz l s s Briti s h lite rature . it t s critici m “ s s s s is he de cribed as a hower of cimitar . S helley “ ” “ the i mmortal child ! Dobel l d ied an undelivered

is s man . Thackeray a m inor courge of God , the “ s W s is Attila of fa hionable life . ord worth a moun

8 2 G E , EORG GI LFI LLAN . s s s n eated on the platform be ide him , aid whe he had “ fi s F s o u s ni hed , I f you read much of o ter y will oon ” o utgrow S purgeon .

The worst thing about Gilfillan as a l iterary man w as his s handwriting . I have rarely een writing s o

s bad . I have had letter from hi m

Hand wri ti n . g in which the only clear, indubitable

s his - s word were well known ignature , ’ fl oating like Noah s ark over a dark and weltering Sea o f illegibility .

S n 18 8 One day at the y od in Edinburgh in 7 , I r ss eceived a letter from hi m conveying a me age which ,

s s s w as i f an anticipated cri i aro e , I to give to the party o f Reform . That much I managed to make out , but t he message its elf I could make neither head nor tail

n o f. I exami ed it carefully again and again looked

s s o ut at it from all ide , m ade a word here and a word t s s here , emerging like fragment of broken column from

Wh en i n N e w Yo rk I was t o ld a cur i o us sto ry in co nnect i o n wi th t he an r t n o f o race ree e t en e t o r o f the N e w Yo r k h dw i i g H G l y , h di

T ri bu ne . I n hi s e tte r a o the o nature t ereo t e ha t l s, ls , b ld sig s yp d by bi w as so m et im es the o ne t hing deciphe rable by t ho se unfamiliar wi th his a n d a r rt a co m e to the ff e the h nd . O e y a cl e k was re po ed to h ve o i c

o r f r e a o nce ro te a no t e m n him . T he w se o dri nk . G eel y t w d is issi g c e r m a e o ut the no te but ne the cu t an t ran e r o u l k d , k w diffi l y y s g w ld a e t i He acco r n ca e at an o fi ce ere he saw a c er h v wi h t . d i gly ll d f wh l k w as ante a e fo r t he t uat o n and a he had ro u t a w d ppli d si i , s id b gh hi h r a M r ree e c he t o u t c e tific te o f charact er and abili ty fro m . G l y whi h h g

o u sufli ce as e e r o ne ho w ar t c u ar M r. ree e was abo ut w ld , v yb dy k w p i l G l y ant n r at e re u o n he an e o e r the no te mis n i g ce tifi c e s . Th p h d d v dis si g ’

im fo r run e nne . T he no te was o un to be e e but ree e d k ss f d ill gibl , G l y s s nature was t ere o and c ear and ne er fo r a m o m e nt o u t n ig h , b ld l v d b i g but the ce rt ifi cate answe red t o t he acco unt so co nfide nt ly give n by the a cant t e n a e him m ai n o n the stren t o f i t . ppli , h y e g g d , ly g h GI LFI LLAN AS A LITTE RATEU R . 8 3

ss s ss s ss s was a ma of hapele ruin , but the me age it el f

s had t o ab olutely indecipherable . I write and tel l G ilfill an that I was like the as trologers standing no n ’ plussed before t h e i n s cription on Bel s hazzar s Palace

s t o his ss wall . and a king him let me have me age in

s s clearer form . When it came again it till took ome

ss time t o decipher ; but I managed it . The me age — was a very important o ne I shal l have occas ion to — refer to it i n another chapter and had the cri s i s ari sen

s ss which at the moment eemed i mminent , that me age and the s tep to which G ilfill an pledged him self i n it

s would have made a sen ation in S cotland . I mention

’ n Gilfill an s it here , however , merely in co nection with

n ha dwriting .

’ Gilfill an s manu s cript (as c an readi ly be unders tood)

s d w a a severe trial to the printers . At the A ver ti ser O ffice they s aid it w as enough to drive mad all the

s s compo itor who had to do with it . Se n t s 3. Eve the man who had the reputation Compo sit or o f being the bes t decipherer of it always

S eari n s s o f w g. looked dagger at every heet it that

was his F put into hand . requently when

w as ss a parcel of it a igned to him , and he had turned

s s s it over with blackening look , heet after heet , each

n s more illegible tha the la t , he would throw it upon his s s ca e , cur e and rave at it by way of relieving him s n s el f, and whe that failed would fling the manu cript d own upon the floor and s tamp on it in the madness o f n s s n an oyance and de pai r. He aid o ce to a friend “ I admire Gilfillan ; I love G ilfill an ; but as a com 84 G EORG E GI LFI LLAN .

pos itor I s hall never have peace o n earth till he get s

h s three claps with t e pade . Often after i nfinite pain s i n deciphering the wors t portion s of his manu s cript the type s etter failed m

o ne o n getting at the right meaning . I n paper H ugh ’ s s G ilfill an M iller work , had referred to the wonderful “ chain of l ife as cending from the s hellfi s h am id the ” n is s ludge t o the archa gel o n h burning throne .

’ According to the com pos itor s s etting of i t (after infi nite pain s i n s crutini s i ng the il legible s crawl) it read He shall fish amid the s ludge with the arch

s w as as as angel o n hi burning throne . I t bad the mi s take made in setti n g up a s ermon by Norman

was s . M acleod , who al o a very i llegible writer When he quoted the vers e about s training at a gnat and s s s s wallowing a camel , the compo itor , not u pecting

S s w as cripture , and etting what he thought on the

s sa S m anu cript , made hi m y , trai ning at a gnat and s wal lowing a canal

When even s killed compos itors had s uch di fficulty ’ G ilfill an s is be with writing , it not to wondered at

s . . his i f other were perplexed M r H utchen , one of

s s s elder , howed me a heet of pulpit Vi sit ing intimation s pasted for preservation i nto ’ his o f G ilfillan s o f s ar ound copy Li fe Burn . I t

H l l s s as e . real ly de erved pre ervation one of ' the most legible s pecimen s of G ilfillan s Gilfillan handwriting extant . had written out the i ntimation s with s pecial care fo r a mini ster who was

b s to preach for hi m that day , but a num er of word GILFILLAN AS A LITTERATE U R . 85

f s o u t and were very di ficult for a tranger to make , one sentence s eemed an i ntimation that Gilfillan would that week vi s it people o n the tip of H ell . I t w as o f meant for people l iving at the top H illtown ,

s o f s s o f but the mini ter, fearful mi take , or coming to a dead s tand in the pulpit when attempting to read

s e s the notice , handed the whol heet to H utchen to copy out for him in a legible hand .

o s s Another f the elder (M r . Ander on) told me that G ilfill an he once got a note from , but neither he nor his family could make o u t a word o f it . I t turned out

s s . to be an invitation to the man e to upper, and M r A nders on happily met a brother - elder who told hi m

s and in time . M r. Ander on took the note with him ,

s ilfillan ilfill an a ked G to decipher it . G begged him not to apply s o severe a tes t ; he th ought he d id

s bu t well i f he wrote letter , he had to leave it to

s other t o read them .

F as Gilfill an w as ond of l iterature, and ardent i n his s s w as s s his literary pur uit , he no le devoted to

pulpit and to his people in Dundee . Offer of H e declin ed i n 184 9 an o ffe r he re

Pr ofe or hi ce i e ss s ss s p. v d to become Profe or of Engli h ’ Literature in o ne of the ! ueen s

C s his ol lege in I reland . To grateful people he gave as his s w as rea on for not leaving them , I naked , and ” ye clothed me .

His l iterary work played a valuable and important

t his par in connection with pulpit . I t quickened and 86 G EORGE G ILFI LLAN .

his s his s developed own power , enriched thought , and made his s ermon s s parkle at times ’ Li t erat ur e with gem s brought from l iterature s

s s w as b fo r and riche t mine . He lamed

P a hi n s s n re c g . the ubject he i troduced i nto the pulpit but whatever i mpressed his own

s his m ind i n reading and tudy, people got the benefit

o f. hi f I t made s pulpit a centre o wide culture . H e “ s s his C s 18 6 I n aid him el f, at hurch ann iver ary i n 7 ,

s i s s one point I clai m prai e , and that in having ought to throw a portion of the light of o u r modern time it s s ss—o n cience , literature , and progre the pulpit ; and I have done so none the les s that I have done it at

s my peril , and done it al mo t alone . P A R T I V

T he K n ight - E rrant o f T he ologi cal

e f r m R o .

ilfillan w as s G greate t i n the realm of i magination .

his s s his Even pro e eethed with poetry , many of s ermon s being Arabes que in the richness of thei r

s language and imagery . Thi tendency to magnificence

ss and even glare of language often proved a weakne , bu t was ss his s it a weakne rooted i n trength , and

his as greatly added to power an orator . A nd while

is s i magination often decried in the region of theology ,

i s s is and often abu ed , it yet a faculty akin to the

i s s prophetic , and one of the mo t valuable , not only

i s s I f s t . for the expo ition of truth , but for di covery it s ometimes blots o u t the daylight o f ordinary reas on

s s t is and logic , it make a va ter night , hrough which s s een the l ight of s tars invi ible i n the glare of day.

G ilfillan s s saw , through that night , ometime more than

s he ventured to Speak , and eemed to have conjectured

s P C w as ee U . . more than he able to . I n the hurch ,

his G ilfillan w as . with a mind like , a caged eagle ” his Even in poem N ight , which ventured to picture

s s in a univer e purged from , and from which Hell had 8 8 GEORG E G I LFI LLAN . d s i appeared , he had to leave a pledge i n the preface for

ss his c o - s s the rea urance of pre byter , and the orthodox

s w as generally, that the vi ion poetical , not theological

— was s as P s as U . that he peaking not a . m ini ter, but

! ? w as 186 th e a dreamer and a poet Tha i n 7. But

‘

s s ln t e x t he s poet had een deeper, perhap , depth of

u s s tr th , and further i nto the dim vi ta of the future than

his s i s had Church or the framer of t creed .

’ Gilfill an s sen s itive nature s eem s to have been early q uickened by two great influences bes ide s thos e of ‘ s was s o f C home . The fi r t the romantic cenery omrie ,

‘ s s his i n Perth hire , where he pent boy Poet r y hood ; the other was the poetry he read

and s S i n youth , e pecially the poetry of hel ley .

N ur his - s s s at e . One o f fellow tudent at Gla gow

C s G ilfillan ollege aid that , when there, w as never weary of reciting to his fellow - s tudents c ss s hoice pa age from ! ueen Mab . Later on , at the

his ss l l S , Theologica H a l , pa ion for helley deepening

s s s s i n tead of dimini hing, brought upon hi m the u picion ’ o f s s s s His ympathy with S helley ceptical view .

s s s his d i cour e (delivered , when turn came , before the theological professors and s tudents) s howed no less

s clearly the i nfluence that had been at work upon him .

r Del ivered with extraordina y energy and fi re , they were more con spicuou s for thei r gorgeou s and some “ times extravagant i magery than fo r the form of s ound ” s ss s s word . The profe or frowned , and ome of the s s s tudent laughed , but everybody felt that thi young e s s s his nthu ia t had a character and gift of own , not

0 9 GEORGE GI LFI LLAN ,

I t w as an i ndication o f the breadth of his views and s s he ympathie that brought , or helped to bring , to

Dundee s ome lecturers whose heterodoxy W a s as

s s as s con picuou their abil ity. A mong t

E er on h se w as ss ast ro no m s t e Profe or N ichol , the

2 i h t he m e r and t he s s o fCo nc o rd . , tran cendental i t , _ ' Prbcent r s s o Ralph Waldo Emer on . H e gave the ’ D u s e o f his fo r s s esk . chu rch building Emer on

t wo s s was lecture , the fir t Of which

Hi s o fli ce - s delivered from the pulpit . bearer at that

s an d ti me , however, were ome of them narrow , more ’ of them ti mid ; and after li stening t o Emerson s firs t lecture and hearing the awful comment s made upon it

s s s G ilfill an out ide , they anxiou ly remon trated with i n

i o f s G ilfillan s V ew the econd . refu ed to depart from

o t the arrangement made , but they g him to agree to a

s s e w as compromi e , and when the cond lecture del ivered the pulpit w as clos ed and Emerson had to s peak from

’ s s ! s s u s the precentor de k The cele tial power , let

s s s hope; recogni ed the di tinction , and were appea ed

The S econd Advent of Chri s t w as long a dream o f ’ ’ Gilfillan s s His s F , fondly cheri hed . faith i n God ather

his s s s his hood , and wide and pa ionate ympathy with

w - fello men , led to a deepen ing conviction Th e in his mind that there mu s t come at las t

Mi enni u s as s all ll m . a reconciliation uch would ju ti fy

e s s s s the darkn , and confu ion , and orrow

Fo r s s that preceded . many year thi hope identified its el f i n his m ind with the retu rn of Chri st to reign

s n s s o u t o f s s vi ibly upo the earth . I n ea on and ea on E 1 TH OLOGICAL REFORM ER . 9

s . U he preached thi doctrine p , to the time when he “ wrote Chri stianity and o u r Era he saw no other

fo r saw no s s hope the world . He force at work among t

ss s o f s men adequate t o the nece itie the ca e . But gradually he cam e t o fe el that thi s was t o o s en s uou s and restricted a solution o f the great problem ;

no t s and , without many pang , he gave it up .

Sl o wly at l ast the t rut h be gi ns t o daw n U o n the urc o t e e r t o ac ce t p Ch h , l h v p

T h e t rut t o o so o n t at r st an t h , h Ch i i i y,

N o r r rn t s m a be e e ct e t o e t u . Ch i t , y xp d

his s 186 S o s . he ang in poem N ight , publi hed i n 7

was t he I t , however , i n connection with theological sys tem of the Confess ion o f Faith and Catechi s m that ’ Gilfill an s advance w as mos t marked and his reform

s ing influence mo t felt i n S cotland .

ur e is fo r - a- s Co ag I t difficult people now day , of t he i n reading his book s o r the report s of

i oneer . s s ho w P what he aid , to reali e new and s tartling s ome o f his utterances were

o f o r s s to the people fi fty ixty year ago , and what boldness was required in the man who dared t o make them .

o f - was s Much of the orthodoxy to day here y then , and teachi n g that would have led at that time to

s n o r s ffi ummary excommunicatio , depo ition from o ce ’ is now not only tolerated i n pulpits and profe s sors

s chair , but heartily accepted by the more enlightened portion o f the people as helpful to a higher and truer

’ ’ s s s conception of God character and o f man de tiny . 2 G E 9 ORG E G I LFI LLAN ,

S carcely anything that Gilfill an taught would now be regarded with much alarm even i n the mos t ” o f C s w as ff orthodox the hurche . I t d i erent in the

s o f his s s u n early year m in i try , when the dogma of

conditional election and reprobation , total depravity

ss e and endle torment wer held and preached , and when men who privately had come to entertain broader views were yet terrified to say a word again s t “ ” the S tandard s and the traditional theology of the

C . hurch They knew that i f they did , odium and

s per ecution awaited them . ’ U s s s Gilfill an s nder the e circum tance , bold attitude ,

s s the freedom he clai med , and the on laught he now and agai n made On the Con fe s s ion and Catechi s m

s o n o f o f ( pecially the doctrine reprobation , doom the heathen and damnation o f no n- elect i nfants) mean t a prodigiou s advance upon the theology o f his early

s o ne year , and demanded an intrepidity which no

his s s s reading book , i n the light exclu ively of pre ent day theology , would i magine .

I t helps one to reali s e the rigidity of doctrine that ’ G ilfill an s prevailed , when we fi nd own father, in a

s ss his letter til l extant , expre ing horror at finding a brother - mini s ter i ndicating i n conversa The tion s ome doubts about th e s tory of the El ect F all , and objecting to the doctrine that

r s s Wo ld . tho e only could be aved who were i ncluded in the l imited number that

G ilfill an s had been elected from all etern ity . him elf

s s a his s s o w as u ed to y that i n early year , i ntolerant E TH E OLOG ICAL REFORM R . 93 the Church o f any s peculation o r dubiety o n thi s

o f s i s s u dogma election , that ome m n i ter wo ld not , “ G o d so even i n prayer, quote the text loved the “ world without i n serting elect be fore world

s as ilfill an o ne t he n s thu turning, G declared , of d ivi e t ” s s of utterances into non en ical drivel .

Gilfillan Another point which , both in public and

ss w as o f private , a ailed the orthodox view the atro cities recorded in some o f the earlier book s o f the

s o f as Bible , and poken if committed

s n s . Th e under pecial Divi e i n truction Dr.

Canaani t e . s o f no w ss s J ame Orr , H awick ( Profe or

o n s Orr) , told me that the only occa ion — when he ever met G ilfill an and that w as at the

s s — he man e in Paradi e Road remembered , vividly, Gil fillan s tanding with his back t o the fire pouri ng out a torrent o f fiery eloquen ce o n theological ques

s s n n tion , and e pecially de ouncing with i dignation the commonly received idea that God had commanded the extermination o r wholes ale s laughter of the

s Canaanite .

On the s ubject of the damnation o f non - elect i nfant s (involved in the Con fes s ional doctrine of re “ ” probation o r pass ing by ) Gilfillan felt s till more

s s s i n keenly, and ometime poke with

Th D a s as e e d ten e feeling . H e regarded it a L ambs . doctrine which pre sented God i n the

s o f s a pect a mon ter of cruelty . Even i n private intercours e he had difficulty i n keeping his l anguage within bound s when di scu ss ing the ques tion G E 94 ORG E GI LFI LLAN , wi th anyone who defended the so - called orthodox view .

his s He told people once in tone of fiery i ndignation ,

s s about a m ini ter i n Dum frie , who had declared from

w as s s Of s the pulpit that hell paved with the kull i nfant . S ome o f the Dumfries people were so Casti ng horrified and indignant that they threw

s s s t he tone after hi m a he left the church . ” Fi r t St one . G ilfillan s A nd I , had I been there, cried ,

s s as s m iting the pulpit de k he poke , ” s would have thrown the fir t . On another occas ion when a m ini ster and his wi fe

s s s s were taying with hi m at the man e , thi que tion came up o n S unday n ight in the cours e of convers ation

s s ss after upper . The mini ter held to what the Confe io n said ; and G ilfill an became heated o n the other s fo r s ide . When the time came evening prayer , the

s book were brought in . A fter a chapter had been re ad Gilfill an s s t o , . a ked the mini ter lead i n prayer ;

s s Gilfillan but he excu ed him el f. accordingly took the prayer hi m sel f ; but having his mind ful l o f the s u b j ect o f previou s di s cu ss ion he became i mpass ioned in hi s s s s s uppl ication , be eeching God to open the eye of them who bel ieved H i m capable of the diabol ical

o f s n s s o f cruelty ca ting i fant into the fi re hell . He

s s went on elaborating the thought ugge ted , i n language

s s of m ingled patho and horror. When they ro e from ’ s s s w as s their knee , the mini ter wife i n tear and trembling with excitement . E T H EOLOGICAL REFOR M R . 9 5

’ Gilfill an s attack s upo n the Confess ion and C atechi s m brought upon hi m much Od ium and abu s e from the

- “ s F C orthodox e pecially in the ree hurch , in which at that ti me the new progress ive life had

s s w as Od ium carcely begun to tir . He de Th eol ogi cum n o u n'ce d as a heretic and an enemy of

he s t . truth Once , after a fre h attack on “ ” s n o f orthodoxy, when the unco guid were peaki g

as s s s s him a hopele apo tate from the faith , ome wag pass ing hi s man s e in Paradi s e Road chalked o n the doo r P a r ad i se Los t ! A Free Chu rch lady told me that his hou se w as often s poken o f under that name i n

she the circle in which moved . I t w as preci s ely when he w as e ngaged i n the l iberal i s ing work mos t needed at that time in Dundee that he had to encounter the blackes t look s from his orthodox brethren .

s as s He u ed to quote with huge merriment , pecially

s s s ss appropriate in the e circum tance , the me age with which he w as on ce entru s ted by an innocent lunatic in “ s s s the a ylum . Tell the Dundee m ini ter that they are a prai se to evil - doers and a terror to them that do well !

S w as uch mirth , however, a veil that concealed ’ s s ilfill an s deeper and adder feeling . To a man of G s s ss s s s en itivene and yearn ing for ympathy , the o traci m to which he w as s ubjected by many professedly

C s s w as hri tian people , and the abu e by which he

ss w as w as a ailed , pecul iarly painful . I t often only i n the seclu s ion of home and i n the occupation s of his

S his e x e ri s tudy that he found relief. ome of own p 6 9 G EORG E G I LFI LLA N , e nce s were no doubt i n his s when he - thought “ thu s of Galileo i n his poem N ight

B ehi n d him ro se th e h o wl o f p ri es t s and s l a ve s Be fo re him bu rne d the b righ t ne ss o f t he s tars B e hi n d w as I t aly in te ars and c h ai ns

r him th e ree firm am n f a n B e fo e f e t o H e v e .

e un t m e ro m un rate u e art E xil i ly f g f l h ,

He sunne him in t he t o f o t e r w r d ligh h o lds .

There were fe w o f his contemporaries fo r whom Gil fill an had a greater adm iration than Robert son of

M rs G ilfill an s o f B righton . . told me that Robert on

’ Brighton s s ermo n o n the s el f- sac rifice Robert son o f Chri s t made a deep i mpres s ion on

f his s t o o mind . I t eemed give hi m a new

Br i h n s n g t o . and in pi ring conception of the ato e

n t o me t . He gave it her to read , and w as s she s his s s di appointed that did not hare enthu ia m . “ H e said you are always s lipping back into you r anti ” uat e d s o f s s M rs Gilfill an s q notion the e thing . . aid “ When relating thi s I have a view of the atonemen t

s s s s S he s f ilfillan that ati fie my el f. al o di f ered from G “ o n s o f s S he s the que tion future puni hment . aid I ’ s don t trouble about it , but I want over by the fir t boat

. s G ilfillan To Rev David Will iam on , of Kirkmaiden , wrote with underlying reference to his o w n pos ition and his own experience I love Robertson of

o f s Brighton . He had the core Chri tianity ; but b s s s s ecau e he de pi ed the mere hu k , men called him an

. his s infidel H e felt i t l ike an arrow in fle h . Robert so n C belonged to the hurch of the future . Would that

9 8 G E ORG E G I LFI LLAN

U s The nion negotiation were abandoned , but when , i n

18 e t s U s 79 , the congr ga ion eceded from the nited Pre

’ b te rian C s o n S s y hurch , con equent the ynod attempt to s tamp o u t the movement fo r creed reform on the

s o f s s q ue tion the future tate , the title deed i n their new form deprived the congregation o f it s previou s right to t he and s ss ss church man e , and gave po e ion of the property to the fraction o f the congregation that

s urrendered to the S ynod .

Although Gilfill an was the foremos t pioneer of

P C fo r s s U . . righteou liberty in the hurch many year , he never approached the Chu rch Courts with any overture

s s o s in favour of the reform he de i red . h unn d s w as S e One rea on that he lacked , and

o f s Chur ch knew that he lacked , the kind gi ft

Cour t s that fit a man to lead , or even effectively

s s s o f to act , i n eccle ia tical court . Hot b temper, unable to brook contradiction , etter fitted for

s ss w as declamation than di cu ion , he at the mercy of

s m e n who and s maller , were cool logical , and who ( ome of them) were no t s low to take advantage of an r r o pportunity , when it offe ed , to bait and wor y him .

s s w as s One of thes e thorn s in hi fle h M r . (afterward ‘ M Gavin s U . P. C Dr . ) , min i ter of the hurch i n Tay ‘ M G avin G ilfillan S quare . Dr. regarded Scene in as un sound and being him se lf a man of

r s u s Pr esbyt e y . cr pulou orthodoxy , he never con ce al ed the view he took of G ilfillan and

s be his teaching . The feeling which thi engendered T HE O LOG I CAL R E FORM ER . 99 twe e n the two led t o more than o ne s cen e in t he

s Pre bytery .

P s n w as s n U . A . mini ter told me that whe he a tude t under the s uperintendence o f the Dundee Pres bytery

’ n ilfill an s o f s s s he atte ded G Church . One the d i cour e he had to deliver before the Pres bytery w as from the “ o f s text , Behold the Lamb God . Thi text (when the di s course w as pre s cribed) had been s ugges ted by ‘ M G avin e s o f s Dr . , with the manif t Object te ting the

’ s en s e o f tud t vi w the atonement , in order to bring out

w as n G ilfill an the kind of theology he i mbibi g from . ' W o f s s hen part the di cour e had been delivered , the moderator (as w as cu s tomary when he thought the Pre s bytery had heard enough t o form an opinion) said

e s in n that would do . The m mber then proceeded tur ‘ n M G avin s to give their judgme t . Dr . critici ed the d s s s it s o f i cour e with great everity , declaring view

n t o e s the ato ement be negativ and un criptural . T he att ack w as mani fes tly d irected more again s t

’ G ilfillan as the s tudent s m ini s ter than again s t the s s s e o e s tudent him elf. The tud nt , h wev r, refu ed to ' ‘ s s As s as M G avin ubmit to it without prote t . oon Dr .

s s s had fini hed , he ro e , and aid that after the opin ion e e ss s o n n t he s s xpr ed , ba ed a mere fragme t of di cour e , ’ he mu s t as k the Pres bytery s permi s s ion to give the remai nder in order to let them judge if the s e animad

e rs s s G ilfill an s e v ion were ju tified . , who had li t ned to ‘ ’ M Gavin s s s n Dr . critici m with i mpatie ce and kindli ng

s n s s n e th e wrath , udde ly ro e at thi ju ctur to leave Pre sbyte ry and flouri s hing his stick i ndignan t ly s aid ' s n to the tudent i n a loud voice , Do t mind what he G I OO GEOR E G I LFI LLAN ,

s s s — a s s — s ay . A fo il mere theological fo il not worth

s ir ! — o u t o f H s your attention , and marched the ou e , leaving the members o f Pres bytery looking at one another i n blank amazement .

‘ ilfillan w as no fo r M a in G . G v , however , match Dr

s ss s as i n pre s byterial di cu ion . The Doctor w a dex t e ro u s s debater , and had the gi ft of putting thing i n

s a telling and al o i rritating way, that

Keen G ilfill an s A could neither brook nor an wer .

o n Cut . On e memorable occas ion when ’ Gilfillan s public on s laught on the Cate

s w as his s s chi m under review , friend in the Pre bytery

s o n o ne his s s tried to how , the hand , that tatement which had cau s ed s o much anxiety and alarm i n the Church did no t really carry the dangerou s meaning

o n Gilfillan alleged ; and , the other hand , that though

n o t o u t o n s had brought , that particular occa ion , the

s s o doctrine dear to them all , he held them faithfully

s all the ame . ‘ ’ M G avin ilfillan s . G Thereupon Dr repl ied that M r. theological battery s eemed (from what had be en s aid) — to co ns i s t o f t wo peculiar gun s o ne gun that made a tremendou s noi s e but had no s hot in it ; and another s ! gun that had hot , but would never go off when wanted

G ilfillan s t o s eemed have no power, at lea t in the

s s s s o r Pre bytery , to parry uch thru t return them . They worried him and sent him away o ut o f temper

s his ss s with him el f and with a ailant . He therefore gave both Pres bytery and S ynod a

wide berth , and never approached them wi th any over

102 G EORG E G I LFI LLAN ,

ss s n o progre ive view , and doubt thought that i n per s uad ing hi m to modi fy o r take back his word s the y in s s o f were working the intere t orthodoxy , and , at

s e s Gilfill an s the ame time , r cuing him el f from the s u s picion and Odium which his hones ty and out s poken

ss n ne were bringing upo him .

he s s t w a . However that may be , re ult unfortunate

t he wh ich u nd e r There can be no doubt that retractation ,

s s Gil fill an 18 0 the e influence , made in 7 i n the Dundee Pres bytery o f his more s weeping charge s again s t the Confess ion and Catechi s m damaged his reputation all

w his over the country , and eakened after influence i n the cau s e o f reform .

s s w S ome curiou fact , however, hich I had from one ’ s P s o f ilfillan s n s U . . G i timate friend , him elf a mini ter, would seem t o indicate that G ilfillan w as to some

s extent entrapped , at that Pre bytery Gi fll l an s s w l meeting, into an admi ion hich he

n d . s n s E t rappe . never i ntended to make Thi mi i ter told me that he and s ome other fri e nd s had s pent the preceding n ight at the man se wi th

G ilfillan s s as , making uch arrangement they thought bes t for guarding hi m again s t the ri s k of e n tanglement and of being betrayed into language that m ight com

s his s s promi e po ition . H e had already been per uaded to modify his charge s as much as poss ible ; he had written out his defence ; it had been s ent to the news paper offi ces and was al ready i n type waiting

s s till the Pre bytery meeting hould be over . One part

f s s o u t w as O it they till urged him to trike . I t a E R 10 TH E OLOGICAL RE FORM . 3

s o f s reference to Dr . William A nder on , Gla gow , and his views o n o ne o f the question s which G ilfil lan al s o

s F t o Gilfill an had rai ed . ailing move by what they s o f s s aid the ri k to him elf, they urged that the refer

u ss . s ence would be an nkindne to Dr Ander on , and

n e s might bring trouble upo him n xt . Thi argument

Gilfillan s no t w s prevailed . aid , ith the be t grace ,

VVhe re u o n V o u . ery well , do what y like with it p one o f them hurried off t o the news paper office and got that paragraph deleted . Arrangements were the n made fo r the Presbytery

’ I n o f Gilfill an s s meeting . view notoriou inability in

s t o his o r t o Church Court control temper in debate ,

his s s w s w as weigh word and peak i ely , i t arranged that — he should refu se t o an swer any que stion s that he s s his s as sa hould imply read peech written , and y , “ is s t o There my defence . I leave the Pre bytery ” s deal with it a they think right .

To s ecure that thi s programme s hould be adhered

o ne o f his s w as s it t o as to , friend to next him act

s s o f monitor , and advi e him in ca e any ’ i x n e ed r o f s n Sl p Twi t u exp ct tu n event . Whe the

Cu and s w as p Pre bytery met , the place crowded ,

i he se s ilfilla s L p. but t at be ide G n wa secured

as s w arranged , and all promi ed ell . But , as Burn s s ays

’ T he be st l aid s che m e s 0 m i ce and m e n an af a e G g t gl y .

U nfortunately Gilfill an caught s ight o f another friend

s s ss with whom he wi hed a word and , ri ing , he cro ed 10 4 G EORG E GI LFI LLA N ,

t he s floor of the Pre bytery . Meantime another mem

he r s s Gilfill an ju t arrived took the vacant eat , and had

s s w as s u nfo r to find one el ewhere . The re ult mo t

t unat e Gilfillan his s o f . After had read peech one

i i s s w as s s the younger m n ter (who , it afterward aid ,

’ had been prompted by o ne o f G ilfill an s opponents) rose and expressed the gratification with which he

’ Gilfillan s s s had heard tatement , and a ked if the three

s point it dealt with (viz . , eternal reprobation , dam

- s in s ix s nation of non elect infant , and creation day )

his s G ilfill an s s n covered objection . , u pecti g nothing

from the young and apparently friendly inquirer, and not real i s ing i n the excitement of the moment the ful l i mport o f the ques tion and how his an s wer would be i nterpreted (as i f it covered all his objection s in stead o f s s Ye s was only the objection named) aid . I t the s mo t unfortunate word that G ilfill an ever Spoke . I t w as s like Le lie des cending the hill at Dunbar . I t a s s s s llowed the Pre bytery to ettle the ca e very ea ily ,

’ o n the ground of G ilfill an s practical recantation . N ext day the Dundee Cou r i er and numerou s other papers i n d i fferent part s o f the country came out with

’ withering articles contrasting Gilfillan s origi nal im pe achm e nt o f the S tandard s with the admi ss ion he ’ G ilfillan s had made in the Court . I t gave a blow to influence as a theological reformer from which it never

s s s s wholly recovered . H e aid everer thing again t the theology of the Confess ion and the Catechi s m after ward s than he had s aid before ; but people remembering h is ss s admi ion in the Pre bytery , and not knowing e nough of G ilfillan or of the circum s tances to make

106 G EORG E G ILFI LLA N

I t was only in his maturer years that G ilfillan began

o n s s s s to take thi que tion a deci ive po ition . But it

his hi s his had agitated m ind even from youth . I n " s o f a w o f H i tory M an , riting the time Ever last i ng w hen he w as a theological s tudent in

uni h ent . s P s m Edinburgh , we find him aying Again I began to feel the awful horror of the

s doctri ne of eternal puni hment . I remember weeping

ws o ne l ike to break my heart , i n the Meado , beautiful s n as o f pring afternoo , I thought the doom awaiting

’ o f s s the majority the race . Why, I a ked , ha t Thou made m e n in vain

“ his F o f G o d s 18 I n atherhood , publi hed i n 54 , we see the s truggle going o n i n his m ind between thi s

’ doctrine o f eternal torment and the doctrine of God s F we atherhood . find hi m denouncing

Ad vancing . i n s trong term s the prevailing View as to the doom of the vas t majority o f the

! s as s race , peaki ng of it little better than bla phemy .

t he s his On other hand , we fi nd hi m till declaring inability to find any other meaning in s ome parts of S cripture than that which con s igned s ome s oul s at — “ leas t to endle s s perdition dying only as the robber

s n s e o e s die whe he i chain d t the gall y . Wh o are t he so ul s who are l o s t ? o o r o o r t he n e rna o ast P , p i f l b ,

T he c af i s sm a t he w e a t is ar e and c ean h f ll , h l g l T he m agne t o f t he skie s

at uc e a m t r z e H h pl k d igh y p i , n T he v ast m aj o r i t y h ave re sc ue d bee . w— w n n h e ast e e ars Fe fe a d t hi t bl d , f h a n Whil e ri c h and rank the h ar ve st o t e h e ve a ppears . E 10 TH E OLOGICAL REFORM R . 7

s s e C s Three year later , when he publi h d hri tianity ” s o n s s and our Era , we find him in thi attack ceptici m feeling deeply that s ceptici s m m ight w ell reject S cripture i f accepting S cripture ne ce s s i The Spi r it t at ed t he acceptance al so of the doctrine

n ss . s ot of endle torment But thi he held ,

t he et t er . w as no t s s s L the ca e . No doubt , he ay , there are passage s in the Bible su g ge s t ing the probabil ity o f dark obstruction s fi xed from etern ity t o the s alvation of many o f the human race O f a certain fierce i mplacability o n the part of God and — of the probable ruin o f the majority o f men but i f we

s s o f s take the general de ign and pi rit the Go pel , the

s ss s s o e effect of the e pa age i blotted u t l ik a cloud .

I n 1867(ten years later) there appeared his remark “ s —he able poem N ight . He had not lo t never did

s — his s s s s o f s i n w as lo e en e of the deadline , but he evidently approaching a belief that s in A Bur st w as not to be a perman ent horror in — o f the u n ivers e of God that a time would

’ H s s ope . come when G o d purpo e would be

s s in s accompl i hed , and and uffering

se s — cea . I n thi work one of the greates t and mos t — elaborate o f his life G ilfill an close s with a sce ne

s s is between two giant tar , one of which watching and

s n s is o f s de cribi g another tar , which the world the lo t . I n thi s des cription the re are s cen e s of horror that

s d s s s would , i f they too alone , have ati fied the mo t

n s s o f s s orthodox , and fur i hed the preacher endle

s o f s torment with batterie de pair. But when the 108 G EORG E GI LFI LLAN

s - s has s G ilfill an giant tar pirit clo ed the awful picture , des cribe s T he i nt e rch ange o f g ri e f

W c an e t he e e s o f o t t o s e u st ro us o ne hi h bl k d y b h h l s .

Going o n to describe - the effect which the exi s tence o f everlasting w o e (if it were t o be the doom of any)

s o f ss s would have upon the heart heavenly witne e , he end s with a burst o f hope l ike s un shine breaking through the s torm I fe l t t h at like a pl ague t he s o rro w s t ro ng

Wo u s t o rm ac ro s s t he un e rse o f o r s ld iv w ld , And ch ange th e i r gl adnes s i nto gro ans and s igh s

az n o n th e se co n star m e t o u t Till , g i g d , h gh

His as e c t c an e his ro e an t o c ear p h g d , b w b g l , And th en his v o i ce b ri e fly b ro ke fo rt h agai n 0 ro t e r s t ar at s t i s t s s ee ? , b h wh igh hi I T he lo st wo rld ro lli ng i nto di s tant s pace

sso n e a c o u as it o t fle e Di lvi g lik l d d h , S o that n o m o re m i ne e ye can find it s pl ace M o st st range if h e ll at l ast has passe d away And l e ft behi nd it univ e rsal d ay — I n the las t book he ever wrote the one from which

s s F s M P extract were publi hed by rank H ender on , . . , ’ — two years after Gilfillan s death he s poke on thi s great ques tion with a d irectnes s and Final deci s ion that showed much further Te t i on s m y . advance . H e declared that i n s i s tence on the ’ dogma of endles s torment would weaken men s faith in immortality and in spire them with a terrible des ire

s ss to find the doctrine of immortality ba ele . He de

! a er te rar and eo o ca ! Be n e e ct o n ro m an U h P p s , Li y Th l gi l i g S l i s f

u e M S . o f a v r il fill an n ur ! a eo e G . p blish d t he l t e R e . G g (Edi b gh D vid o u as D gl ,

I l O G E G E OR GI LFI LLA N ,

fo r s s s together ever . On univer al re toration , he aid , “ my mind is not made up ; but o n the extinction o f all evil and s uffering in the univers e I am fi rm found e d ” as n o a rock .

“ I t is ce rt ain fro m s s , the po ition he had thu come

t o e G ilfill an determinedly tak , that had been alive when my o wn case w as i ss ued by the S pe cial S ynod o f the following year he would have s undered his

s C connection with the U nited Pre byterian hurch .

But the question o f future puni shment w as not the only o ne on which he had been advancing . He had found in the world s o much orthodoxy without Chri s t

ianit so C s y , and much hri tianity without hr i i anit w as ss C st y orthodoxy , that he attaching le and

and s s e t o le importanc mere dogma , and more

s Or t h od oxy . and more i mportance to the Chri tian

and s e s pi rit the C hri tian lif . H e s aw that doctri ne s defen s ible enough as form s o f thought became indefe n s ible when turned into te s t s of

C s s s s hri tian faith , and became m i chievou and unchri tian

s e as s s o f when they eparat d people who ought , harer

o ne s t o . pirit , be united He felt further that orthodoxy i n some o f it s form s w as s imply another name fo r s s s s fo r e s u e rs t it u t io n ectariani m , ometime antiquat d p .

C s S o f th e Dr . harle hort , Dundee , made following ’ “ s tatement the week after Gilfillan s death ! Al mos t the las t convers atio n I had with Gilfillan was m e m o r

was s n ss s able . H e meditating a ermon on the co ce ion

C as t o s which the hurch , doctrine , hould make to the E E R l l TH E OLOG ICAL R FORM . I

s s his i t t o s age , and he expre ed determ na ion peak o u t boldly without fear o f Pres bytery

’ ho w Unful fil l ed o r S ynod . I don t know far he

w as o Pur pose . prepared to g ; but I am afraid i f he had s poken o u t all he t hought he would have made sad havoc o f the pre vail i ng so - called

s orthodox belief . He had begun to feel more angry and indignant than he had ever felt before again s t all

- o n s paltering and double deal ing theological matter . His own cours e seemed to s hape it self before him more decidedly than ever ; and i f he had l ived he would have taken s ides unhes itatingly with the Broad Church party in asserti n g the fundamental tenet o f that s chool ” F o f G o d s o u t o f the atherhood and all that flow it .

’ Gilfill an s aim in s ee k ing the reform and s im plifica t ion of the Church s tandard s w as to clear the way for

o f C s the advancement truth and Of hri tian fratern ity .

Hi s o ld S C S friend , heri ff ampbell mith , Aim as s aid truly at the laying of the fo u nd a a R f r il ll an M e m r l e o er . s G fi o a m tion tone Of the , Dundee ! Gilfillan never s ought to convince his fellow - men o f anything touching their du t y to o ne another o r t o the J udge of all the earth

w as t o e that not calculated make them nobler and b tter,

s o f more re olute in doing the right here , more hopeful

thei r lot in the great Hereafter . Gilfill an lon ged to see Chri stianity l iberated from

O f the bondage mere tradition , that it m ight go forth free to adapt it s elf to the wants o f every nation and of ” C s him se l f w ro t e his r . eve y age Let hri tianity , he in G EORGE GI LFI LLAN .

S s s o ut Remoter tar , eek to go into the world i n all

ss ss the fearle ne of love and purity , to draw and win men into her embrace , cari ng very l ittle what are thei r s n s s t o s peculative opinio , but eeking touch thei r heart ” s o f s with the loving and brotherly pi rit Chri t .

’ I t would have gladdened Gilfill an s heart could he have foreseen that the Church which his own people

s h as have helped to organi e i n Dundee , and which

’ it s Gilfill an s given to new edifice name , Gil fll l an would lay down a broad bas i s s uch as it

has o n Me ori al . m , which good people , with all

s o f their di fference theological Opinion , — can unite the o ne central principle of union being the

’ acceptance of Chri s t s S pirit as the governing principle o f li fe and conduct .

E R E G 1 14 G O G I LFI LLAN . i t is that one congregatio n to which he had m ini s tered for s everal S abbath s with much acceptance presented . h im s o f s before he left with a new uit clothe . ’ o n s s s H e put the new uit at the tailor hop , and the o l s w as a d uit tied up i n bundle .

s s s The tailor a ked where he hould end them . “ ” “ s s s G ilfillan I hal l take them my el f, aid . I have carried them too long upon my back to be ashamed ” n o w o f taking them under my arm .

18 6 w as I n 3 he called to Dundee , and ordained to the pastoral charge o f the School Wynd Congregation

o n 2 rd the 3 of March in that year , being then twenty

s o f s three year age . I n November of the ame year he m V n arried M argaret alenti e, who became thereafter

i his s dentified with all life and work , and who e memory will always i n Dundee be associated reverently and

his l ovingly with own .

’ The d ifferent accounts current about Gilfill an s firs t V m eeti ng with Margaret alentine would , i f all told , furni sh an excellent illu s tration of the way in which

s s s s torie become uncon ciou ly altered ,

s s s HOW h e lo ing ome of the actual detail , and

g ot growing in the apocryphal element ,

hi i f s s s s W e . e pecially when it make the tory more

s s romantic . One ver ion , perhap the

s is— G ilfill an mo t widely circulated , That , when he had been officiating as a young preacher i n some

c i n K inc ard ine shire se t hurch z , off for a long ramble — i nto the country that n ight overtook him , and a

s s o n— s fo r tremendou thunder torm came that , eeking E 1 1 H OM E LI F AN D C HARACTERI STICS . 5 s s s aw ome helter , he a l ight gleam ing from the window

s se — his of ome hou that he made way there , and that his knock w as an s wered by a charming young lady that she took hi m into the parlour whe re the family t w as were ga hered , and where he made kindly welcome - that when his hos t learned who he was he in s i s ted

his s n o t upon tayi g all night , and g him to conduct

s — Gilfill an family wor hip and finally that young , c aptivated by the young lady who had met him at the d o f oor, found an opportunity telling her, before he

e he o t l ft , that i f ever g a church he would come back

his i s s and ask her to become wi fe . I t almo t a pity

o s e t s s so t have to a ide a ver ion dramatically complete .

s s o as But the real tory , far I have been able to ” s is s— G ilfill an a certain , thi , then a young probationer , had been fulfilling a preaching appointment at Brechin .

On the . Monday the friend s with whom Th e he w as s tayi n g took him with them o n a

Tr ue s S ss s M u irt o n vi it to the ece ion Man e at .

St o r . e was s y When th re , it propo ed that they “ s e s t o hould make an xcur ion The Burn , a romantic wooded defile down which the North E s k

s it s se a s flow on way to the , through an e tate of which

V f Bo m u i r was . o w as s M r alentine g factor . I t u ual

see for all who wanted to The Burn to call at M r . ’ V s s ss w as alentine hou e for permi ion . There the more inducemen t to thi s in the pre sent case that s ome of

e s o f V s the party were fri nd the alentine . On reaching Bo gm u ir they received the hearty welcome which a s s s s lway awaited vi itor to that ho pitable home , and 1 16 G EORG E G ILFI LLA N . which w as extended with s pecial he artiness to m ini s ters

s as e and preacher , I hav often heard my father , from his o w n s s s s experience , tell . The vi itor on thi occa ion

t o were i nvited return after thei r walk , and have tea

s s a . s s o f at the hou e Before t rting , they had a gla m ilk ,

’ w as V e s which brought in by M r . alentin daughter,

S he s s s M argaret . had been bu y at ome hou ehold

s s work when the party arrived , and had been ha tily ent

o s s w as t change her dre and take the m ilk in . I t then that George G ilfill an and Margaret V alentine fi rs t saw

S he t o each other . had go away , by appointment , to s s s o n pend that afternoon at the Pari h M an e , but her return she found the party o f vi s itors back from thei r

T he s n o f s s walk to Burn , and itti g at tea , all full boi terou

s k merriment . The y meantime had been darkening, an d the tea w as no t long over when a violent thunder

T he s s o n . torm came young ladie were frightened , and wanted the blind s down ; but young G ilfillan w as so s truck with the grandeur o f the s cene outs ide that he kept o ne o f the bl ind s up t o watch the thunder

s se e s s o f n cloud and the vivid fla he the lightni g .

s e t V s s n As . o the night i n wet , M r alentine in i ted

n t he whole company remaining till next day . Whe bed - time came the young gentlemen were put into a

- large double bedded room , and not hav

The e s s s ing yet xhau ted their high pirit , they Mi d night had s carcely turned i nto bed when a

at t l e . B pillow fight began in the dark , i n which

s s s s s bol ter , heet , blanket , and their own

s as ss s clothe were employed mi ile . How they con

1 18 G EORG E G I LFI LLAN .

18 6 as s n was s I n 3 , we have ee , he ettled i n Dundee , and before the year was ended married M argaret

V S he s t o s alentine . proved from fir t la t a noble and

w s s ss devoted ife , and happily po e ed the Hi s very qualities which G ilfill an him sel f

Marr i a e. s e g lacked , and which he needed to t ady

his im and guide him , and keep fiery and

e t uo us s As s p nature under wi e control . one friend aid ,

S he w as s balla t to him , without which there would ” s s often have been a complete cap i ze . Thei r man e in

s s it s Paradi e Road came to be called Paradi e , and charm w as quite as much owing to her ki ndly welcome and homely hos pitality as to his w arm - heartedness

s and gen iu .

’ G ilfillan s appearance underwent a great change

- s during the forty two year he Spent i n Dundee . I remember having thi s change graphically des cribed to me by a butcher (Matthew Morri son) A B ut cher who w as o ne o f his s taunches t friend s

De cri be and s who s s admirer , and remembered

Him ilfillan s . G from the ti me when he fi r t “ s preached i n Dundee . Man (he aid) , w i ’ I m ind him weel . A lang , thin youth Short t ro o se rs ss was , and a threadbare dre coat . H e a ’ ” s - terved looki n cratur. Poor fallow , he added , look i ng back at the young preacher with a profe ss ional “ ’ ' eye , he hadna been weel fed . H e hadna had meat

s enough . But ah , man , how he traightened and filled

fi ne w s . up i n Dundee ! S ee hi m t enty year after A ,

’ as see buirdly man you could find . People couldna E 1 1 HOM E LI FE AN D C HARACT RISTICS . 9

' s m him i n t he treet without tu in to look at him .

His developed health and s trength proved o f im

s s s men e value to him . I t would have been i mpo ible for him with less phys ical vigour to s tand the con s tant

s s s s train o f all tho e bu y year . H e worked

At r . ss and ss o . W k at high pre ure , worked ince antly

G ilfillan his What did , he did with all “ s s m ight . He never pared him el f. H e never checked his - S o his thunder i n mid volley . abundant were

s as labour preacher, lecturer , and litterateur, that there

s s as s o ne s G ilfillans alway eemed , ome aid , to be Six in the field .

sat his When writing, he at a little wooden table i n s s tudy , which , in winter , he drew clo e to the fire . He

—w w as fon d of working by gas light pro bably it gave a sen s e of more complete s eclu s ion and helped to the

n t o f his s M rs Gilfill an co centra ion thought . When . w as o u t n he would often , early in the afternoon , lo g

w as s s s before there any real need for it , hut the hutter ,

’ as s s l ight the g , and ettle down for an evening work at his e s s little d k clo e in front of the fire .

ilfillan his G worked methodically . With all fiery

s energy , he knew how and when to top . He never

as worked , many do , through the night . He had certain evenings every week given up E veni ngs to s ocial enjoyment ; and even when

i n was M rs Gilfill an there no one but . and

Par ad i s s s se. him elf in the hou e he would top work ’ M rs G ilfillan t he at nine o clock , join . in parlour , and talk or read . 1 2 0 G EORG E GI LFI LLAN .

F s s Every riday evening they had friend at the man e . “ ” Thes e s ocial gatherings i n Paradi s e became a regu lar a nd well - known in s titution and a centre of intellectual l ife of Dundee . S pecial friend s were i nvited to afternoon dinner ;

s s other were i nvited later in the evening . A tudent told me that the invitation to him and to the other s tudents who s ometime s enjoyed an even ing i n Para d isc w as in thi s expl icit form Y o u will come at ” s even , and go away at n ine . To s trangers accos ting him in the s treet or meeting ’ h im s s Gilfill an s n in ca ual intercour e , man er gave the

s s ss s w as i mpre ion of loftine and re erve . I t very d i f fe re nt his o w n o r his s o r s at table at fire ide , among t

s s e f congenial pirit anywhere . Dr . G orge J e frey , of

s s 188 G la gow , vi iting Dundee in 7, and recall ing b s G ilfillan s His ygone day with , aid heart glowed ” l s with gladness when he met o d friend .

s s H e delighted al o in the ociety of children . H e h ad o f his o w n w as o f his none , but he fond having l ittle nephew s and n ieces bes ide hi m ; and i n his di scourses he often drew from the Gil fll l an artless Simplicity of children his lovel ies t

and t h s e picture . He could enter into thei r

it n s as o ne l t le o es . enjoyment if he had been of

s s s them elve . One evening when amu ing

s bo his s h im elf with a l ittle y , one of nephew , they Sat “ ” s down together to compo e a Letter to the Deil . A fter giving his s able maje s ty a bit o f thei r mind with

his regard to conduct , they folded up the letter,

12 2 G EORGE G I LFI LLAN .

o f al l the children , and the poor, the erring , and the forgotten w as very touching .

The friend s who u s ed to gather at his Friday evening reception s always s poke o f them with e n

hus as ilfillan was his s t i m . G there at be t , delighting

the whole company , rejoicing i n thei r A Pr i nce joy, exciting the admi ration and of winning the hearts even o f people who

Conver at i on fo r his s did not care preaching , and

al i is S - st s . had no sympathy with h O called ” s heretical view . David Pae , the

’ s P eo l e s Fr i end novel i t (editor at that time of the p ) , ofte n Spoke to me o f thos e evenings and o f the com “ “ ilfillan s . G pany they drew together , he aid , reigned

us but over all l ike a monarch , with a genial and paternal

s . s his way People poke of oratory in the pulpit , but the flood o f eloquence he sometimes poured out i n

o n s s s ur talk literary , pol itical , and theological ubject ” ss pa ed anything he ever s aid i n public .

S C S who h is s was heri ff ampbell mith , even i n teen

’ G ilfillan s s his an eager reader of book , and who in early profes s ional days in Dundee Spent every alternate ’ F s G ilfillan s riday n ight at the man e , declared that talk on thes e occas ion s ros e at times to heights of eloquence never reached by any other man to whom

s he had ever l i tened .

’ Gilfillan s voice had much more variety in conver

s was s ation than i n lecturing or preaching . There al o 1 2 HOM E LIFE AN D C HARACTERISTICS . 3 a play of wit and humour that one would s carce ly

s s have s uppos ed from his publ i hed work .

s ss his So me o f I t gave ze t and brightne to talk , hi k s ! o es . but rarely took a form that could be quoted s eparately without los ing it s

s s s . value . A few torie , however, are pre erved

w as t o w as A man referred who , at the ti me , well

w as n his known in the neighbourhood , and oted for

s n s s s s his pe teri g inqui itivene . I hall not mention

his f s as w as o s . name, conduct a very hady de cription Gilfill an s aid his tombs tone s hould have nothing o n it by way of epitaph but a Mark o f I nterrogation . That

s s s s o f his would , he aid , expre the out tanding feature

s his - s s a i ntercour e with fellow men , and al o y all that

his s could be ventured upon with regard to future de tiny .

s s When , on one occa ion , Principal Tulloch de cribed ” s F s w as having een au t performed in Germany , and express i ng his s urpri s e that Mephi stopheles w as repre s ented not as a s arcas tic but as a gloomy and moros e “ “ s s s Gilfillan w pi rit , Perhap , aid , they anted to make ” a blue devil of him .

his e s S c r m eo u r One evening when friend M r . J am y g ,

w as w as l n w s s i n who very deaf, ta ki g ith ome other one

m o f - co er the drawing room , and al l of them were s t o G ilfillan peaking very loud in order let him hear,

ne joi d them . “ ilfilla s . G n o ne o f I fear , M r , aid them , we are ”

s s s o . di turbing the re t of the company , talking loudly “ s G ilfillan s Not at all , aid , we alway expect

. S c r m eo ur s s i n M r y g to , rai e the tone of ociety " s Paradi e . 12 E G 4 G OR E GI LFI LLA N .

s e ss S ome of hi xpre ion s were memorable . A fter “ F s s meeting the author of e tu , whom he found very “ Gilfill an s s tame and reticent i n talk , aid , he eemed to have s old all his thought s to his book ” k s his s S ar . p s eller Landor, with frenzied geniu , “ fr o m t he he des cribed as S hakes peare ri s en again

n il s s se s s s . A v . and po e d with even devil S peaking o f a mini s terial frie n d in Dundee whos e face had a s i ngularly lugubriou s

ss G ilfillan s expre ion , declared that he had been pecially created to furni s h a fronti s piece to the Lamentation s o f J erem iah . “ S o f s — I t is e peaking fame , he aid a gr at thing to ’ have one s fame identified with the imperi s hab le objects

h as n s of nature . S cott made the H ighla d mou ntain

’ his s has his o n s monument . Burn written name Coila plain s and rivers and wood s i n charact e rs that can ” never fade .

C s s Of Dr. hal mer and the germ ination in hi m of a

Gil fillan s C s broader theology, aid that had halmer “ s s l ived ten year longer he would have been a erene , s — Pio o f F m iling Old heretic the Nono the ree Church .

He delighted i n vivid imagery when e ver he found

s was his it . A triking metaphor l ike a lozenge in

s s mouth . H e u ed to tell , with great gu to ,

New vi e - C w of a hal f witted man at om rie who , after of gazing again and again at the comet o f

Co et 18 o f s s m s . 3 5 with an ai r anxiou cientific “ s perplexity , exclaimed uddenly , I have

’ ” s s s n s ! it at la t . They re the teamboat of the u iver e

12 6 G EORG E G I LFI LLAN .

' his Aft e r so m e s G ilfillan s i n fam ily . conver ation aid “ ss kindly , I have m i ed you from the church for a “ s his s long time . The man hook head adly . Deed ,

G ilfill an M r . , to tell the truth , I didna like to come with

’ ’ ” i s s t o ne . a threadbare coat l ike thi , and the only I ha e

ilfillan fo r G looked at him a moment thoughtfully ,

o ff h e w as s and then , taking the coat wearing, he aid “ as t o S e e cheerfully , he handed it him , , take that with ’ s e e S you , and don t fail to let me that coat every abbath ” in church . H e was often more generou s than wi s e in his way o f

’ o ld s s giving . Like the good clergyman i n Gold m ith Des erted V illage “

His t a e e re c a r t e an . pi y g v , h i y b g

A mendicant poet who happened to come s oliciting

M rs il fill an a e . G w s o u t s uc h lp when ,

’ Mo r e c e e d e d in getting access to Gilfillan s ’ Gener ou s o t Gilfillan s ss s tudy , g perm i ion to recite

t h an i e . o ne o f his s s W s to him effu ion , and then asked him if he could s pare him a pai r

o ld s G ilfill an ss e of boot . went to the pre wh re all the boots were kept and gave him away the fi rs t pair he

his s o r t wo laid hand upon . A day after, when ’ Gilfill an s s s w as be t boot were wanted , it found that they were the one s with which he had mad e the itinerant poet happy . On a s im ilar occas ion when a woman came to the door beggi ng he gave her s ome bread and a large piece

f s lfi o M rs . i llan chee e that he found near it . When G

ss s as s got home She m i ed the chee e , and the ervant knew nothing about it She as ked her hu s band if he S 1 HOM E LI F E AN D C HARACTERISTIC . 2 7

‘ knew where it had gone He told her he had given

m e s he s it to a poor woman . Pity , George , aid , “ could you no t have cut a bit off. There were five ” s o r s ix pound of it .

Gilfillan had s o littl e idea o f money and how to us e

ilfillan e o f s M rs . G it that took charg the pur e , paid the

s s s s taxe and account of al l ki nd , and did her be t to prevent money being wast ed o n n e e dless

s Need ed o r undeserving object . But fo r her ’ hi Gilfill an s s Wi fe . prudent care and vigilance

s e s e money would oon hav vani h d . H e was s s s ea ily impo ed upon by de igning people , having ” o f n s and much the charity that believing all thi g , a bountiful generos i ty that made him more anxiou s to relieve apparent di s tress than t o inquire into it s cau se o r it s even reality . A friend told me that he w as o ne day walking with him in t he s treets of Dundee when they were appealed to by a beggar woman who began to tell s ome pitiful

ss Gilfill an tale . The woman had a di ipated look , and knew nothing about her, but he put a Sixpence i nto

his as ss her hand , remarking to friend , they pa ed on , ’ ’ ” s s u s M rs ilfilla I t . G n was well auntie i n t with . w ell acquainted with the poor, and knew where money s hould , and where it Should not , be given .

’ When Emerson vi s ited Dundee he was Gilfillan s

s s s is s s gue t at the man e . A tory told of thi vi it , that s t he after upper, when time drew near for family

s Gilfillan s wor hip, took Emer on and Showed him E E G 12 8 G ORG I LFI LLAN .

en s s s rs M . to his room . Wh the hou ehold a embled Gilfil lan observed that Emers on w as

n e s S he s E mer son o t pr ent . aid quietly to “ ” i ilfillan is e s ? S d e G . s , Where M r Em r on “ wi th t h e Gilfillan s aid H e has gone to his

Goo d ife. o u s w bedroom . H ave y not a ked hi m ” “ ’ t o t o s ? come wor hip N o , I don t

His s think he would l ike it . view are very di fferent from “ s ss our . I t might embarra him . Never mind that ,

ask s George . Go and him . Let the refu al come from him .

’ H e went ups tairs t o E merson s room and fou n d the

s his o ff s . philo opher with coat , itting on the bed H e “ s s s o u aid , The goodwi fe , M r . Emer on , want y down “ ” s o u ? s to wor hip . Will y come Of cour e , I will , s s aid Emer on , and went .

s s e e t o s A fterward he aid , with r f rence thi i ncident , I thought more o f the goodwife in that matter than ” o f the goodman .

Mr . Bickerton , of Edinburgh , told me that he made

’ Gilfillan s acquaintance at S tonehaven within a ye ar o f his s s death , and had many walk and talk with

w as s s him . H e Said he a toni hed and

’ Husband captivated by G ilfillan s powers as a

and if e s s W e . conv r ationali t .

M rs He w as equally s truck with .

Gilfil lan o w n s in her phere . The two were devotedly

“ a M o nce e n o f rs . Gil fil l an 1 m u t no t o m t a o o to r Sp ki g , s i g d s y I ’ had ro m e r e l . o rt a t e r Gilfill an s eat She was urc a n f h s f Sh ly f d h , p h si g o m e t n i n a o e n a o o r o m an tan n at t he co un te r es e s hi g sh p , wh p w s di g b id “ ’ he r o o e fo r o m e t m e at he r m o urn n res and t e n a — Ye re , l k d s i i g d s , h s id ’ ’ !o - e e c ra e it . Ye be a m e Bu ra e it nee n en w l p ll widdy like ys l . t I c p wh ’ ’ m m an d e d . y I wis gled to be rid o him .

130 G EORG E G I LFILLA N .

s w a e his A working man , who e y hom from work

s s aw took him through the Barrack Park , aid he often

G ilfillan s s walking there at that hour, topping at time to

s s F hill s s o m e t im e s his s g aze acro at the ife , fingering tick

s s as if he were beating time t o mu ic . Then uddenly

f his s he would recover rom reverie, move on a few yard ,

s F s a nd top to gaze at the river and the i fe hill again .

w as A nother favourite walk to M agdalen G reen . Le aving his man se and pass ing down by way o f Euclid

C s S S et he r at e re cent , Reform treet, H igh treet , and N g , he made his way to the green to breathe the fresh ai r

ss s o f a nd look acro the gleam ing E tuary the Tay .

s f s s s s H e wa fond o olitary walk . H e eem to have b s o his b so een from oyhood , i f we may i nterpret the s triking fact that while i n his writings and Speeche s he often revel led i n des cription s of the

ved s s C Lo ubl ime cenery around omrie , where

So it ud e. his s l early year were Spent , we nowhere fi nd hi m describing any youthful play m s o r s ate compan ion . He certainly i n his later years del ighted in s ol itary w s is alk and quiet communion with Nature . One of h ’ s s s s He s ervant aid , with reference to thi habit , a very ” r m o t ilfillan s e e G . man , M r . Often he u ed to go to the top of the Law o n a clear s tarry night to gaze at t he s k s o f s s s s y . H e knew mo t the tar and con tellation by name .

Gilfill an w as s s fond of oliloqui ing, an d often i ndulged i n w as it when he thought no one near. A lady told E 1 1 HOM E LI FE AN D C HARACT RISTICS . 3 m e she a o ne that remembered , when girl , wandering

t o o f day the top the Law, where She

l i ui in s s o f So loq s g . uddenly came , unob erved , i n Sight

s was a mini ter, who , all alone, pacing

fro s s to and , pau ing every few moment to gaze upon

s o f se a the gloriou view and hill and Sky, and all the

s s while ol iloqui ing in a loud voice, apparently

s s she i n pi red by the cene . When went home and ’ s s s told her mother, and de cribed the mini ter appear ’ ” s s ilfill an a G . nce , her mother aid , That George S ome friend s at Wick who had once accompanied ’ ’ G ilfillan s to J ohn O G roat , told me that when the party came to the headland and looked over the German Ocean from the top o f the s tupendou s preci

Gilfill an s s pice , becoming in pired by the maje ty of the s s s s e a cene began a ublime apo trophe to the , which d rew them to his s ide and kept them l i stening in

s as wonder and awe . H e eemed , he went on , to

s s O f s become uncon ciou thei r pre ence .

’ As ss Gilfill an s s w as with Profe or Blackie , big tick his s s s con tant companion . He wung it vigorou ly

his s but s o r when walking at u ual pace , when tanding walking s lowly the s tick went up under

Hi s Bi his g arm . He took it with him to the

St i ck . s platform , and I remember my amu e ment the first time I sat on the s ame platform with him to see him get up with his s tick

his s se e under arm to peak , and to him at one point take and brandi sh it as i f challenging s ome giant to s ingle combat . 1 2 3 G EORG E GI LFILLAN .

o f s s as H e had a large col lection tick at home , and his ss w as o t fondne for them well known , he often g

s s o f pre ent them . The firs t gift that came to me i n Dundee w as a big

’ b s s o n lack tick with an elephant head carved the top , ’ se a o f G ilfillan s which a captain , a member congrega b tion , had rought home for hi m , not knowing when he

o n his w lfilla s s tarted home ard voyage that G i n wa dead .

ilfillan no t n s G d id readily notice people o the treet .

s o n H e walked with head erect and eye fixed vacancy, as his o wn s i f he were engaged with thought . I n meeting and being introduced to anyone

r fo r m Manne . he rarely looked at him ore than a

t wo s moment or . He eemed quickly to

s o f s his s take i n the feature a tranger ; and then eye , b even while he talked with him , looked over and eyond

as ss s him , i f fixed with a lofty expre ion upon ome

s di tant object . Another feature noticeable about G ilfill an o n the s was his s s treet oft hat . H e never wore any other ort ,

o r - His S unday week day . final and complete aban “ d o nm ent o f was the tile hat , which he never l iked , s aid to date from the meeting of the Briti sh A ssocia

o f s tion in Dundee , whatever relation cau e and effect

s t wo s may have exi ted between the event .

Gilfillan had a weakness als o for black velvet ves ts would never have worn any other kind i f he had had his o w n way . Once when the family were i n mourning

M rs Gilfill an b o ne . got him to wear an ordinary lack ;

1 G E 0R01 3 ! G 34 ILFILLAN .

s s at t e a fo r chee e , and even when there were friend whom what were deemed fi ner things

his A Fancy . had been provided he had private plate o f oatcake and Cars e o f Gowrie

the s chees e within reach on ideboard behind him .

I n his later years he became very nervou s about

s t o his s l ightning, and u ed take Spectacle off during a thunders torm les t the s teel frames

s Nervous hould attract the electric fluid . H e About would al so lie down o n the horsehai r

i ht ni n . s fo r s L g g ofa greater ecurity , and i f the

lightning came near he would go to bed ,

o f no matter what hour the day it might be , till the s w as torm over.

H e was habitually kind and con s iderate of others ; — but thi s l ittle s tory is told at his e x pe nse z I n the

s o n o ne s man e parlour occa ion , when

' A hi n s s w T g ome friend ere call ing, he happened

h e ou d s w l to take a eat he very rarely took , in a r a h r n t e ot high chair near the door . When a lady

h ave s s f he r said . vi itor arrived he ro e and of ered ’ ” his s chai r. Don t let me take your eat , “ s he s ilfillan u n . Yes s G aid , take it , aid , quite con sciou s o f the abs urd a spect his reply was givi ng to “ ’ his ss s it s d is politene , I hardly ever there ; there a agreeable draught from the door .

I n the early s tages o f the V olunteer movem e nt he was fond of quizzing the young fellow s w ho took part E A N D 1 HOM E LI F C HARACTE RISTICS . 3 5

w as as s in what then regarded mere amateur oldiering . When one of his o w n nephews made his General appearance arrayed for the fi rs t time in

Hum u o f his ilfillan b o . G gg all the glory uniform ,

o f hailed hi m with a Shout laughter, and “ ” s as Hum bu o s aluted hi m General gg . Thi name “ ” “ s s w as tuck , aving that the General d ropped , H um ” bu o s gg alone remaining . I t became the hou ehold

fo r SO i it s name the nephew , and cont nued long after

Gilfill an s ask origin had been forgotten . u ed to i f

Hu m bu o w as his s t o gg i n , and generally began letter

Hu m bu o h i m with My dear gg .

fillan s ss I t is s G il w a . Like Emer on , very handle told of the Concord philosopher that when his littl e bo s aw w s y hi m at ork in the garden with a pade , and obs erved the handle ss way in which he “ Ner ve e w as l ss holding it , he cried , Take care ,

Hand . ! s papa , you will dig your leg H ad

G ilfillan e ver taken a Spade in hand ,

s s w e the pro pect ould hav been equally alarming . The nervele ss ne ss o f his ha n d w as o ne o f the firs t th ings I noticed wh e n introduced t o hi m in my s tuden t days.

w as s s e c u l arit There no gra p i n it . Thi p y explained what ofte n amu sed me after ward s when receiving

s s s — s letter or new paper from him namely , the ab urd

i n s s s way which they were folded . New paper ome

s time came rolled up thickly , with cord to keep them

s n e s s s s from bur ti g op n . I n the ca e of letter , the heet

w e e s e re oft n doubled loo ely , then doubl d again , and s s w ometime a third time , ithout any regard to the 6 3 GEORGE G I LFI LLAN . s o r s s r ize of the envelope the hape the enclo u e took . The con s equence was that often the end s of the e s nvelope were left empty, with the letter like a mall t s hick cu hion i n the m iddle .

s his s s n H e general ly po ted letter hi m elf, and we t o ut o r s s s His two three time a day for thi purpo e . h and le s s ne ss o n one o f thes e occa s ion s landed hi m

i n s an ab u rd predicament . H e had — Baffled s topped at a pillar box to pos t a new s at a u n paper, which being folded into an

i ar -B x s s P ll o . u ually thick lump refu ed to go in at

s ss n fo r s the lit . A fter pre i g it ome time

s to get it in , he found that i t had tuck i n the aperture a nd o r would neither go in n come out . He accord i n l o f is g y applied the point h umbrella to it . The

s w as s s s new paper till tubborn , till uddenly under i s ss s ncrea ed pre ure it went in l ike a hot , with part of

G ilfill an the umbrella after it . found that the umbrella

no w s his ss s had tuck . I n vain , with nervele hand , he

s o s tried to draw it o u t ; it refu ed t come . I n thi a s s w as s b urd po ition he ob erved by a boy , who came

o u t w as up and drew it for him , and rewarded with h s earty thank and a penny .

When vi s iting o ne day s ome di s tance out o f Du ndee

s o f a torm wind and rai n came on , and the people w hos e hou s e he was at in s i s ted upon his taking the

w as his loan of an umbrella . H e making way t hrough the wind and rain toward s Dundee when a s n s gu t caught the umbrella and tur ed i t in ide out .

8 13 GEORG E G I LFI LLAN .

s - b w M rs Gilfillan was s man e tea ta le , hen . ab ent ,

G ilfillan t o o u t began pour the tea , but One t hing being earnes t over what he w as talking

at a w as about he forgot what he doing, and i t me. poured the tea all along the tray between

s as w as as the cup el l i nto them , i f he

o f s had been watering a border flower .

M rs F s o ne s . rank Hender on told me that on occa ion , when Gil fillan and a party o f friend s w ere travelling

G ilfillan together they had to catch an early boat .

w as down i n good time , but the hour for The s tarting dre w near without t he gentleman Wr ong putting in an appearance wh o had Shared

oo t w ilfill an B the room ith G at the hotel . — Gilfillan becam e excited wondered what

s could be keeping him . At la t the gentleman appeared , ffi W walking apparently with d i culty . hen he got aboard G ilfillan began t o upbraid hi m for being s o late “ k s s e e and eeping them all anxiou . Let me you r ” s s boot , cried the gentleman . A ll eye were d irected

’ s G ilfillan s was s toward feet , when it ob erved that he — had o n t w o boot s fo r the s ame foot one o f them his

o w n e e who , the other b longing to the g ntleman , , after

s s o ne s hunting i n vain for the mi ing , had had no re ource but t o put o n the o ne that was left o f his o w n and the ’ — remai n ing o ne o f G ilfillan s both Of them for the

s e am foot .

M rs G ilfillan G ilfillan s s fo r s . had a weakne cab . u s ed to think that he s ometime s threw money away S S 1 HOM E LI F E AN D C HAR ACT E RI TIC . 39

o n his u w upon them . Once, ret rn from Perth , ith

his s nothing to carry but tick , he drove S t o t he Cabs . up in a cab from the tation

s s w M an e , a ten minute alk ; and no

his s e t O ff o n and s ooner got coat changed than he foot ,

aw walked to the top o f the L .

H e w as s ometimes charged with neglecting his pas toral duties for the s ake o f his lecturi ng and l iterary

s w His w a no t . work , but the charge ell founded

was congregation large , numbering over

s— and Vi si t at i on. 800 member though he gave a

t o s n day every week vi iti g , it took a long

o f s ti me completing the ci rcuit the member hip . He w as s w w as s s t o e alway ready, hen it po ible , go wh re his services were required but he felt that his mi s s ion w as s - o - se s rather public work than hou e t hou vi itation . “ ” When vi s iting he u s ually carried s ome sw eeties

his e r w o ne in pock t for the Child en , and would thro for

o r s w them to catch , drop a few into their hand ith a

V n e s s hearty word . ery di gy the whit weetie Some times became when th e y had been knock ing about for

s s his day or week in pocket . G ilfillan s aid he often got a better idea o f the people he w as vi s iting from the book s he saw on their table s

s his e s w e or Shelve than from conv r ation ith th m .

His s was s vi iting day Thur day, and though he did

s e s t he not get many call made at a time , it pl a ed

e w as 011 his p ople to know that he way, and that i n

n n s due time , though it m ight be after ma y mo th , thei r

ne G ilfil lan turn would come . O member told me that 1 0 G E G G 4 OR E I LFI LLAN . w as o ld greatly beloved by , frail people , who could not

was o f s h come out . H e fond going and itti ng by t ei r

s s s re bed ide , tal king to them , and l i tening to thei r m ini sce nce s b e o ne s s of y g day . Thi friend never forgot

ss his w as bo the impre ion made upon m ind when he a y ,

his w as s o f and when mother dyi ng , by the ight Gilfill an going down o n his knees at the bed s ide and engaging in fervent prayer.

One of his members told me that when his daughter

s C s wi hed to join the hurch , and went to the man e on

s she was the evening fi xed for applicant , i n a tremor

o f e s no t n rvou excitement , knowing what Known d i fficulties s he m ight have to face in by connection with Election and E ffectual

H r N she e o e. C . s alling When her turn came , and

Gilfill an w as went in , beginning to

s s s catechi e her, when uddenly he topped , looked at her, — “ and s aid A re you a daughter of J ames H ay of ” “ ” N i n we ll s ? he s s h w as w as s o f e S e . aid I ure it , “ ” he s aid ; I knew you by your nos e ! The odd ity and homeliness o f the remark bani shed her nervou s

s s he s o ne . S had never been grateful to her father b s o f s efore for thi point re emblance .

Gilfill an w as s t o ba t is m s art l be cau se aver e private p , p y

w s s s of the valuable time hich they con u med needle ly . His manner i n bapti s ing w as Often

br u n s s s A pt ess . de cribed to me . H e had a hort tereo

typed formula , and a way of flinging a few d rop s of water o n the child without looking at it .

1 2 G E G 4 G EOR I LFI LLAN .

G ilfill an s h as . I t mu t ave been meant a cut ; and

G ilfill an was s s , who extremely en itive , felt it keenly . ’ o r s f i s Gilfill an s Whether no thi a front b a ed j udgment ,

is w as it certain that M acaulay no favou rite with him , and that Gilfill anfound i n his book s more to cen s ure

t o s is no w than prai e . I t adm itted , however, that the faults which Gilfill an exposed i n M acaulay were only

o o t real .

s s ss A t o un He had a prejudice al o again t Profe or y , who had s mitten hi m and the s pas modic s chool of “ ” so s his Fe rm ilian s poetry everely in . H e eemed al so to have conceived a di s l ike to Emerson after his

s s per onal intercour e with him i n Dundee . When in my A m er i ca ns a t Ho m e I gave my i mpress ion s of the

s s s Concord Tran cendentali t , whom I had met at Bo ton , Gilfill an wrote me to s ay that Emerson had impressed

f his s him very di f erently, creating i n m ind (in pite of

s o f s s his indubitable geniu ) a feeling profound di tru t .

But no man o f eminence w as ever freer from envy

ilfill an s or jealou sy than George G . With an almo t

o f s childl ike love approbation , and with an hone t and

s s earne t de ire for legitimate fame , he Fr ee fro m yet n ever grudged the prai se dese rvedly

Env . s o n s . y be towed other On the contrary , he delighted t o join i n applaudi ng every thing that s eemed to hi m noble and good ; and no man ever did more to Show the geniu s of his contemporaries

— s— in i t s s s even of rival be t light , and to ecure public

s s f recognition for geniu truggling with di ficulty, or i n d anger of being chilled and withered by neglect . 1 HOM E LI FE AN D CHARACT E RISTICS . 4 3

s n s Catholic as he w as in pi rit , and ready to recog i e

s s all that w as good in every y tem , he had a great s d i sl ike to Popery . H e declared Popery to be oppo ed to the Spirit o f Chri stian life and pro

’ ” “ I t s s is r ss . , , Pope y . gre power he aid the force o f fear ; while the power of a true

C hri s tianity is l ike the charm o f mu s ic . Popery

is s o f s s ecures obedience , but it the hu h a chool pres ided over by a tyrannical pedagogue . That pro d u ce d by Chri s tianity is the hu sh o f a great ass embly ” s over which an orator has breathed his pell . H e objected as much t o Popery i n the Protes tant Church

a s i n the Church o f Rome .

H e w as no t without pride i n him s elf and i n his His perfect honesty an d tran s parency

his s . allowed thi s to be eas ily een . But good Opinion o f him self w as only one Side o f a nature

s — w as as Self that recogni ed and , we have

s — ss Consci ousness . een , eager to extol goodne and

s s greatnes i n other .

s s - s s ss his susce t i Thi elf con ciou ne , added to keen p

bilit s s s y , made hi m peculiarly en itive to reflection

his s his s s made upon po ition or work , and ometime led him to interpret as s uch remark s and incidents that

s s s had no uch meaning . One ludicrou illu tration of

s was his thi told me by nephew .

o u m I to o f the This is n t nco m m o n e ven a o ngst m e n o f genius . t is ld d yin g M i rabeau that wh e n his fri ends w ere raisi ng his h ead t o give him “ e a e he ere o u t at co u e ueat t o o m e o f o u s whisp d, W ld h I ld b q h s y t his h ead 1 44 G EORGE G I LFI LLAN .

' A gentleman who had been at a party on a winter s

w as o n his wa his ss s night , and y home with dre boot

his s s in pocket , had occa ion to call at the man e i n

ss As his was pa ing . pocket bulging out ’ A Mare s with the boots he took them and laid

Ne t . s o f s i n s them at the ide the door tep,

t o as He tending pick them up he left .

w o n s forgot , and they ere found the door tep next

w as s s e morning . There a my tery about thei r pre enc

ilfill an w as m G . i there , and told about them He mediately assumed that s ome o ne had put them there as a hint that he had been long enough i n Dundee , and that the people would be glad i f he walked off to s was r ome other charge . He an noyed , and fretted ove i t all the morning till the mys tery w as s olved by the gentleman calling t o ask i f they had found his dress

s boot .

s s ss s - s o r With en itivene like thi , i ll natured critic ,

s s s per on who envied or di liked hi m , could i rritate an d

lfillan s s madden Gi to an extent that eemed ab urd . “ ” ’ They were l ike glegs on a hors e s “ b s E asily ack . One literary friend aid They

un s s n s St g . were ometime mea little creature compared with Gilfillan ; but they had

s the power of tormenting hi m . And ome of them ” s s when they di covered thi , took delight in doing i t . Even friends were apt to provoke him by thoughtlessly

s s i rritating remark . But for the oothing i nfluence of

M rs G ilfillan w as - . , who the peace maker, he would

b s s have een i n perpetual trouble from thi cau e, and

146 GEORG E G I LFI LLAN .

s s s ss elder (M r . Wi lliam Philip) who got po e ion of it ’ i s G ilfill an s at the ti me . H ere one paragraph to which o w n experience would lend force ” “ s s o f I do not envy , he aid , the feeling the author

s s he s s that letter mu t have had when wrote it , far le her

s s s s feeling now . I hope thi letter and the i ue from it may be the mean s o f putting a s top for ever to a practice which h as been di s gracefully common i n thi s town and h as driven some o f my o w n predecessors to ” ss m i sery if not to madne .

Gilfill an w as very res olute when once he made up

is w as O n o ne h mind that a thing to be done . occas ion he had written to his Si s ters at Comrie that he w as comi n g to s e e them on a particular

N C rie ff i n s ot t o day . H e reached the m id t of

s s n t o be beat . a now torm ; and whe preparing se t o u t fo r Com rie w as urged to abandon

s as s re the journey , e pecially part of the road were

e s n s Gilfillan s port d to be blocked with owdrift . aid

s his s s s he had promi ed to be with i ter that day , would

ss se t o ne o f not be di uaded , and off. At part the way

ss the road proved impa able , but he went and got men

s an o t ss with Spade from adjacent farm , and g a pa age ’ his s s s s cleared . H e reached i ter hou e about the ti me

s he had promi ed .

H e w as as ready to abandon an arra ngement i f his

s feeling were hurt by apparent neglect . H e had agreed on o ne occas ion t o go and preach an evening HOM E LI FE A N D C HARACT E RI S TICS 14 7 s ermon i n a Fifes hire village o n a week - night preceding n O n C S acrame t S unday . reaching upar, Al l he expected t o find a conveyance awaiting

was n n n liv r d . U d e e e him , but there one Thi king it

S r o n . e m might have been detained , he took the road expecting at every turn to meet the

o r s s conveyance , at lea t ome friend belonging to the W’ church to convoy hi m . hen he had walked a mile o r an d o ne w as more , met no , he thought he being Shabbily and u n kindly treated ; and turning s uddenly o n his t o C s heel he walked back upar, took the fi r t

s S n s train home , and left the churl i h amarita to make

s w the be t of it they could ithout him .

S ns as Gilfil lan w as e itive , he had i n him , when

s rou ed , the courage of a lion .

’ During the Civil War in America (186 1 t o 6 3) a great public m e eting w as held in Dundee

Fa in t o ss s c g expre ympathy wi t h t he North . t he Gilfill an w as as ked t o com e and s peak ;

St or . he w an d s m and ent did peak , but to the indignation of the promoters o f the

e s s s i n me ting, he poke le favour of the North than of S the outh . His sympathies (as mentio ned i n a previou s chapter) had bee n ali e nated from the No r th at the out se t by what he regarded as it s s huffli n g policy in

n e no w n co nection with Slav ry , and it tur ed out that he had l ittle sympathy even with the attempt to maintain n U the i tegrity of the nion . The meeting w as s trongly in sympathy with the

’ G ilfill an s s as r North , and peech he p oceeded was 1 8 E 4 GEORG GI LFI LLA N .

s s li tened to with increa ing i mpatience and indignation .

Bu t n s o f whe , undeterred by the ho tility the meeting ,

Gilfillan b declared that the huge , overgrown Repu lic was s it s o wn bound to fall to piece even by weight ,

o u t the meeting broke in fury , while the A merican C s s on ul , who had been itti ng at the other Side of the

s his s his fist platform , prang to feet , hook fiercely at

' G ilfill an w as ve n t in his s , and evidently g wrath i n word

s s o f al o , though the continuou roar indignation from n the meeting preve ted him from being heard . I n face o f i t all Gilfill an s tood fronting the tempes t

his s his s like a rock , arm folded and big tick projecting o f as s s He from under one them , firm i f ca t in teel . s s tood thu facing the fury of the meeting till it abated , whereupon i n fi rm and s tentorian tones he repeated his

s but s declaration . A feebler outbur t followed , ank

s s rapidly into ilence , quelled by the unflinching a pect o f the man ; and Gilfillan w as allowed t o go on without

was s further i nterruption . A friend who pre ent told me he never s aw at any meeting s o s triking an illu s tra

s s tion o f the power of one man again t a thou and .

I f he had doubts about the A merican U nion he had none about the pos s ibility and des irability of t he

’ was G ilfillan s unification of I taly . I t an indication of

o n character, and threw light the way iva o f his s V in which many view were formed ,

i d i his b Gar bal . that un ounded admiration of Gari baldi inten s ified his sympathy with the

s as his movement for I talian unity, j u t admiration

s o f S s s s for the heroe the outhern cau e, con picuou ly

1 0 E 5 G ORG E G I LFILLAN .

s o f s s of the people when he poke her heroe and martyr . H e delighted al s o in the gloriou s s ongs

l and o f S was Scot cotland . A friend told me he and amu sed o ne night at the clos e o f a grand Scot t i h s concert in Kinnaird H all , at which a

S n o f s o gs . number operatic ai r had been per

t o G ilfillan s formed , hear , when ome one

s s s near a ked him , while the people were di per ing, how

s b the concert had plea ed him , reply i n a voice audi le “ s s w as half over the hall , I uppo e it all very fine but ’ I wouldn t have given a good S cotch s ong fo r the

o f M rs ilfillan s . G t o whole it . tried hu h him , fearing his word s might reach some who had taken part and

f w as s who might be of ended . But there a whole ome

ss s s le on in what he aid , and many pre ent would no doubt have so far endors ed his opin ion i f they had been

t o s s frank enough peak their mind .

’ H e did a great deal t o encourage Mechanics I n st it ute s S s and Literary ocietie , lecturing i n connection

o n b with them , and their ehalf, all over the country . H e delighted to encourage literary effort ’ h ni s s m e n w as Mec a cs e pecially among t young . He

I n t it ut e . his s s Often appealed to for advice , and

s s His s eldom fai led to re pond . letter of appreciation and encouragement were frequently pre s as s s o f s erved trea ure , and had the effect timulating

t o many young men higher and nobler endeavour .

H e was a s trong advocate for female education of a “ ” s s s s s u eful and ub tantial kind Our gi rl , he aid , E 1 1 HOM E LI FE AN D C HARACT RISTICS . 5

s s s s are to be the wive and mother , the nur e , and friend s of the coming men ; and they Female Should be trained diligently fo r thei r

Ed ucat i on . s n F s future po itio . rivolou women will

s o r either make frivolou men , produce i n

s s s s t o s hu band di gu t and contempt , leading m i ery , ” s quarrel , and often divorce . He urged the cultivation o f all the noble elements

S s s s s of cotti h life . He denounced the illy fa hion that

o ur s F led to girl chattering a little rench , and learning

s o ld s n s a few I talian air , while ignoring the fine o g of S cotland the very echoes of the s oul o f pathos and ” s s humour, en e and feeling .

Gilfill an o ld loved the good town of Dundee , and s tood o u t gallantly fo r the right - Of- way to the Law (the noble hill that ri s es behind the town) when that

w as w as right threatened . H e tenderly

Loved s his and attached al o to people , remain Dund ee f s ed with them to the end , although o fer and were s ometimes made to him t o go Hi s Peo l e . s w as o f p el ewhere . There nothing the

courtier or the sycophant in his nature .

was s s s H e an hone t and true man , even by the admi ion

his e n s H n of emie . is des ire a d his ambition through l ife w as to act i n accordance with his highes t convie

s o f and s s tion truth duty . H e aid him elf that he wi shed no other epitaph o n his tomb than thi s Here ” s s lie an hone t man . S C S s heri ff ampbell mith , i n an admirable e ti mate o f G ilfillan which he gave at the laying of the fo und a 1 2 5 GEORGE GI LFI LLAN . t - s Gilfill an s ion tone of the Memorial , aid he never k s new a man more thoroughly ound at heart , or freer f s s rom all cant , vice , fal ehood or hypocri y than George

G ilfill an o f s o f s w as . I f he knew the art hypocri y it

' o s is he m abund nly to d e p e t . I ndignation he had in a nce and s uperabundance and it w as amus ing to

s s s s hear it poured out upon plagiari t , bigot , zealot ,

s s s per ecutor , and pretender in l iterature and theology, i ncompetent and other jackdaw s who had been decorated with peacock feathers from fooli s h or foreign

s s fo r his univer itie . But all vehement declamation , ” malice was not in him .

Gilfillan s I f loved Dundee , the people , e pecially the working people and the poor, loved and were proud of

as his was h i m . Wide reputation , they felt that he belonged by special and peculiar right

The eo e s s P pl . to Dundee and to them elve . They would often turn and look after hi m as “ ’ ss s a t o s s he pa ed , and y proudly any tranger , That ” o o r His was George . catholicity well known and warmly appreciated . H e preached i n every church that invited him and his powerful advocacy could be relied upon for every good object . Wherever he preached on s uch occas ion s the building w as u s ually crowded to o ve rflOwing by people o f all churches and s s o f w as hade opinion . I t a com mon retort when any ’ o ne was boas ting o f some m ini s ter s popularity in “ ’ wa ! s Dundee , Gae , man can he fill the teeple kirk l ike oor George ? ”

1 E E 54 G ORG GI LFI LLA N . death came whether s lowly o r s wiftly they might

s sa as C s s adj u t thei r mantle ere they fell and y , hri t aid , ” F s s ather, into thy hand I commend my pirit . A fter

s the benediction , the organi t played the Dead M arch ,

s i s his s G ilfill an the and with the tra n of it i n ear , left

his s pulpit that had been throne for forty year , and from which the thunders o f his eloquence had s o often

d is pealed , to enter it again no more . The people

e rse d s s s s s p quietly, i mpre ed by the olemn di cour e to

s which they had l i tened , but li ttle dreaming that

Gilfill an b his o wn s had een preaching funeral ermon ,

his and that they were never to hear voice again .

i M rs On the following day he went to Brech n with .

Gilfillan s o f n to the hou e a nephew , i tend ing on the

s o n Tue day to go to the marriage of a n iece at Arnhall ,

his near Edzell , where own marriage had

- The taken place forty two years before . Sud d en s A fter a happy evening , clo ing with

Cal . s s . l fam ily wor hip , he retired to re t

o r Duri ng the night , rather early i n the ” s u fle ri n morning, before the day dawned , he awoke g

s M rs ilfill an s aw s evere pain . . G a great and udden change coming over hi m arou s ed the hou s ehold and

s his was got a doctor with all peed . But end evident

l s y near and he hi m elf felt it . “ ” s ? Doctor, he aid am I dyi ng The doctor exam i ned him and gave hi m to under

s w as s tand that it o . “ ’ Gilfillan s s s aid , God will be done , and oon after

b hi s s reathed la t . 1 HOM E LI FE A N D C HARACTERISTICS . 5 5

The s u n ros e over the hill s o n that Tues day morning

1 s 18 8 s o n the 3 th of A ugu t , 7 , and hone Brechi n and

s n o f E sk o n the plea a t valley the , and glanced the fair

i k w s s r ver, and loo ed upon the indow of that hou e , but the blinds were draw n and George Gilfillan lay dead within .

When the news reached Dundee i t s hook the town t o it s centre like the vibration o f an earthquake . People hurried hither and thither in a kind o f dazed excitement meeting o ne another with ” Th s ilfill an is s e G . the word , dead The new

Ne s s s ws pread like wildfire from treet to treet ,

Co e . t o s m s from Shop hop , from home to home ,

ss from mill to factory . The i ue of the evening papers w as awaited by s uch crowds of eager and awes truck people as had never been s een in the town before . Gilfill an w as so much a part of Dundee ; his fame had fo r more than a quarter o f a century s hed s uch a lu s tre on the town his n ame w as so much a hou s ehold

an d his was s o s s word kingly form familiar i n the treet , that every heart was burdened with a s en s e of pers onal — loss men and women i n every ran k of l ife felt as if

s s there had been a death in thei r own hou e . The new “ indeed pas s ed over all S cotland like the s hadow of

an s w as uncalculated eclip e . I t felt that one of the greates t S cotchmen o f the time had pass ed away that a valiant s oldier had fallen in the mid s t of the

battle .

is n w n s s H as o e . fu eral made a public M agi trate , 1 6 G 5 EORG E GI LFI LLAN .

C s s n s Town ouncillor , repre e tative of all the public

s s s o f s bodie , and min i ter all denomination joined in the

s s s s s proce ion , while i mmen e multitude repre enting al l rank s and classes o f the people thronged the s treet s all

o n Bal a the way to the Cemetery g y H ill . A mongs t the many tribute s paid t o his memory and

s s o f ss s his o ne as to the en e lo cau ed by death not , has s w as been truly aid , more vivid and more touching i n it s very homeliness than the remark made by a “ ” s work ing man after the funeral , The toon , he aid , “ ’ l l - - G ilfill an look nya ked like without .

’ A few years after G ilfillan s death the o ld man s e w as sold by the S chool Wynd congregation i nto whos e

s s —a hand it had fallen , and Paradi e centre for more

s than forty year , of intellectual influence — Par ad i se and noble hos pitality i n Dundee w as Go ne ! wi ped o ut o f exi s tence

o t t e ro m the a e o f e n Bl d f p g b i g,

h n a r F ro m t e t hi gs t h t a e . I t w as it s e lf a very plain and unattractive building a s - s s quare, dingy looking hou e urrounded by high ,

s s s o f bare wal l , which enclo ed al o a bare little patch

o n s s ground like a yard , which carcely a hrub and

r s s ve y little gras woul d grow . I n later year a tall

s s s brick chimney ro e out ide clo e to the wall , adding

s s s nothing to the attractivene of the ituation . But

s s o f many , who e thought were the noble and gifted man who made i t s uch a magnetic centre of attraction

o f - i n Dundee , and the true and warm hearted woman who made i t a home for everyone who crossed it s

0Mor PM) r ! s

D vi M r a d ac a . By R e v . e

G EO RGE HA R R I N GTO N .

— T h e S co ts m a n say s T he st y l e is k e e n and st ro ng t he fu n ge nu i ne ; and t he

eat o f L t t e ? I S t o o u r m i n e r e a ut u . d h i l TI , d , v y b if l T he Gl a sg o w Her a l d say s His na r ra t ive a bo u nds i n i nc id ents o f t h e m o st r W ar e a nd n t e re t n e c t o n. e a e t o uc e o f a t o c m o e t he e ar t v i d i s i g d s ip i h v h s p h s whi h v h , r u e e nt a nd re t a c m a s e t he a e i n a ro a r i e nea n a nd h u mo o s v s c i ls whi h y t t bl . H s d li t i o s " o f nat u ra ce n e r are race u t ru t u and t nt e t t he e nc o f t he o e t . l s y g f l , hf l , i d wi h p il p

r u l a r a A w e 1 l n T he Cou r t Ci c s ys p0 f ul y t o ld a d m o st i nt e rest i ng sto ry .

T E D . D I OGEN ES A M ON G H D . S

v G L F L LA a i n r e e n t o o o e n am n T he R e . G O R G D e o E E I I N s id , vi wi g his h k i g s g ' h c e ve re c t f D . s o ne o f t e t c o e o n o u l a e re a fo r m a n a a . t he D . is l s ll i s sq ibs h v d y d y ‘ ’ I t t t e e u ee r ua r r e n t e m es t i n t ea o t t me o f o u r i n co t a n e t e e n hi s h s q , q lli g , p p i s s S l d b w ‘ ’ n and at e r . T he au t o r has a ee n e e fo r t h e u c ro u a nd e t ec t i t and wi d w h k y l di s, d s , d rags I t fo rt h fro m u nd e r t h e a wfu l wig o r g re y so l e m n se m ic i rc l e su rm o u nt i ng even He m o re t he o n Le e c t a n t h e G il ra o f a ri a u r t a nd a o ct o r ro . c c t d s b ws is ! h h h y is s , e t m h a u m ea r T he o u a r t o f seem s t o lik e t h o se b st a wh o e l ghs o st h t il y . p p l i his ’ ’ o e La w c fo r a t m e wa s u n re ce e nt e has e e n e s u s t ai ne b M s s , whi h i p d d , b w ll y his ‘ ’ ’ ‘ ’ W ki r s o t e r u c as r a o f D r . o rm a n O Baro n a nd o Fre e k h s ; s h his T i l N y , his id w ’ r Co u t s hip .

T T HE A M E R I C A N S A HO M E .

W I n revie w i ng t his wo r k t h e B r i i z s lz ! u a r t e r ly sa y s ! e d o no t h esi ta t e t o a e r t at i n m a n re ec t t t he be s t as i t IS ce r t a n t he m o t a m u n o o v h y sp s his is , i l y s si g , b k o f Am e r ica n d e li nea t i o ns w e h ave m e t wi t h .

T he Wes t m i ns ter R ev i ew sa I s r e e t e t ra a nd r na n v . t I c o a ec o t e s pl wi h y igi l d s , a o u n t re a t c 1ct u re s o fAm e r ica n e and c arac t e r and co nt a n i n m a n b ds wi h lis i p lif h , i s , y a rt o ro u o t ca re flec t o n and co nc u o n c o f t e m e e a re u ffi c e nt p s , vig s p li i l i s l si s , whi h h s lv s s i ” m a rt t o t he r no r a t o i p wo k o di n ry va l ue . —“ T h e S a t u r d ay R evi ew says T he o ne ki nd o f wr i t e r o n Am er ic a who se e m s e x ce t o na ra re t he o ne who can t e ll us t o u t re u c e a t he has e e n T o p i lly is wi h p j di wh s . "

a t h M r . a t c o n e o e crae e o n . his l ss , wh l , M b l gs '

P a tm a n s A m er i ca n fli a a z m c a M r . ac rae I s a o o o e r e r and a n g s ys M g d bs v , m art a u e He t ra e e e r . o t he o e co u nt r ro m a na a t o N e w r ean i p i l j dg v ll d v wh l y , f C d O l s , no t I n t he ea t e n ro u t e o n bu t I n o u t o f t he -wa ace and e e r e re ke t b s ly , y pl s , v y wh p his ” e e and ea r O e n a nd ear t I n t he r t ace y s s p , his h igh pl . ' ' ' zl/l or zs ozz B r o/lz ei s P a d/[ca nons H LD OT C H AN T E AU SC S GS .

SEC O N o E D I T I O N . n and ar m o n e N C LA R U N A rra ge d H is d by SI I D N .

l o t /1 L ea the r T a r t a n C , , , I st ro ngly r eco m m e nd all l o ve rs o f Sco t t i s h M e lodi es t o o b ta i n t h e A u ld Sco t c h ’ s m e a t re a t co nt a n n all t he c e an . T he en o u o n o f co t an S gs pl did v l is , i i g hi f S gs S l d , t a t e fu o un m a n t he o o a a n o me a o r nm e nt fo r t he ra n is s lly b d , ki g b k h ds d d wi g " — a r u lz h r n i cl . ro o m t a bl e . S c bo ro g C o e T HE ELDER AT T HE PLAT E .

A o ec t o n o f t he e t A ne c o t e a nd nc e nt re at n t o urc - oo r o ec t o n C ll i b s d s I id s l i g Ch h d C ll i s. W E O HO L A D C K S O . N E D T . H By NI C S I N I I N ONE I LL IN G . — S n e o r . as o w r a This is q u it e a o t able li t t l w k G l g He ld . ’ —“ " c o las D c s o n e t u t t e o o . 0r i o n i n Gl as m u l V M r . Ni h i k s d ligh f l li l b k g eekly Ci t i z e n . — ’ I n t a mu n t t e o r M r . D c o n has t r uc ile . P eo l e s r l his si g li l w k i ks s k — p 7o u aa . he o o am u n and o u find no ac o f rea e r . S co t s m a T n . b k is si g , sh ld l k d s H MO R O S BO O KL U U ET S .

E R E . N e w E t o n A SHOOTI N G AD V NTU ( di i ) . A H AD E R E N w F G . e E IS I N V NTU ( di t io n).

A A G A D E R E . A Y L G A D E R E BO TI N V NTU BIC C I N V NTU .

W . P E A H E A L S w 1T HO UT OR DS ! C C . ac/z B ook co n t a i ns 1 2 S k t T E SI EN E e ches .

e f a u t e r . o re e n o a e a r I nt en e ly p rovo ca t iv o l gh M j y bl t i t ic fa rce fo r t he e a o n s ' s s s s " - u t a e ee n ro uce . N o r t /z B r i t t s/z D a i fil a co ld no h v b p d d ly i l . T he e t c es are c e e r a nd i n e ac ca e t e l l t he t o r i m i n us Sk h l v , h s s y viv dly wo rds . A be rd e en D a i ly Fr ee P r es s . — T he ro uc t o n are a m ra o t u . B r cclri n Ad ve r t i ser p d i s d i bl y g p .

F R W H T HE A D E R E E R UN I O M IT V NTU S I E S . T HE U B U U S B K I ! I TO AND H IS PORTA LE DA R TENT. W ' A S e t o f e t c e b . R A Ls r o s . P R C ! P Sk h s y I E SI EN CE . ' — r lz B r i t t s/r D a i W A e e r re . 1V t l cl ve r li t t l b o c h u o y I a i l .

P L H ! UST U B IS E D . o ect o n o f T HE K I R K B E AD L E . A C ll i A ne c d o t e s a nd I ncid e nts ’ “ re at n t o t he n t er M an . By t he A u t o r o f T he E e r at t he P at e l i g M i is s h ld l .

P L HE ! UST UB IS D .

T HE B L K R S S . B . A M LT O N E YM O AC C O y W H I S U R . “ ' ” “ " “ A u t o r o f T he car Dau t e r T he ca r e t o r h i gh , l C d , N e wl n & c . V s S y , M O R I S O N B R O T HE R S ,

Pu bl s he rs i , B S G LAS G O W 99 UC HANAN TREET , .