Page:History of John Brown of Priesthill.pdf/9

 and speech he seemed of a superior rank. While the servants gazed on him, the gudewife did not know whether she should welcome him as a sufferer, or consider him as a spy; so she left Janet to perform the kind offices which the stranger required, while she lulled her boy to sleep, by singing a verse of an old song.

While the gudewife sang, the stranger's face brightened up, and he more cheerfully accepted the child's endearing attentions, who placed him in the warmest corner, helped him off with his dreeping plaid, imitating all the kind offices she had seen her mother perform to her father, to the no small amusement of the rest of the family. On the stranger it had a different effect. He burst into tears, and cried, "May the blessing of him that is ready to perish rest upon you, my dear bairn. Surely God has heard my cry, and provided me a place to rest my head for a night. O that I had in the wilderness a lodging-place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my people and go from them; for they be an assembly of troacheroustreacherous [sic] men."

Just as he had finished, John Brown entered. He gazed at him, and with great deference bade him welcome to his house. "Do you know me," said the stranger. "I think I do," said John Brown. "It was in this house that the societies met that contributed to send you to Holland, and now I fear they have not received you (at least some of them) as they ought." "Their reproach has not broken my heart," said Mr Benwick, (for it was he, though he was not named before the family,) "but the excessive travelling, night wanderings,