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INTRODUCTORY
CONTENTS.
PAGE
1
· 5
CHAPTER I.
Bury St Edmunds—A walking feat-Unintentional injury
to a bishop in posse-Appointed inspector-Rev. Dr
Montagu Butler-Professor Jack
CHAPTER II.
Educational awakening-Government aims-First experi-
ences-A "pheesical" impossibility
CHAPTER III.
Wide range of travelling-The devil like a roaring lion—
Horseback and saddle-bags-An involuntary swim on
horseback-Unsatisfactory buildings—Primitive rail-
way management
CHAPTER IV.
Five stages of Code development - History repeating
itself- Elasticity and higher general level - Lord
Balfour of Burleigh and Sir Henry Craik—The aim
a return to the ideal old parish school - Dullards,
like the poor, always with us— -Early general reports
represent the principle of recent changes-Dull and
clever alike provided for
9
14
24
CHAPTER V.
Dr John Brown's estimate of a kindly joke-One of an
inspector's first duties-Cases in point-Why one
should not go to Berlin-"Glad to see your back"
-"He disna ken there's twa Dees"-A pilgrim
defined-"A gutsy brute"-"Are ye the Goaver-
ment?"-Mistaken for some one else . 35
CHAPTER VI.
Gratuitous visits and their results-Inspection before the
Code-Act of 1861 for increase of salaries of parish
teachers and removal of the incompetent-An amus-
ing case-"I jist fushed too mich"
CHAPTER VII.
The Revised Code an injury to Scottish education-The
"beggarly elements" supreme — Intelligence dis-
regarded-Unfair to Scotland because based exclu-
sively on the character of English schools-Educa-
tion levelled down, not up-Many teachers and some
inspectors educationally demoralised by it—A proof
that English officials did not know Scottish schools.
CHAPTER VIII.
Effects of kindly encouragement and words in season-
Rev. Dr Mackenzie of Kingussie and education in
the north-Sympathetic patience of teachers of the
blind and dumb-Abnormal development of special
faculties.
CHAPTER IX.
Old parish schools-Candlemas-Changed customs-M.
Biot's estimate-Parish schools' relation to the Uni-
versity First Scottish Code-"No use pumping
when the well's dry"-Scottish and English gradu-
ates compared-"A stickit minister"
CHAPTER X.
James Beattie Lessons from a shoemaker's stool:
"Bairns maun like their books"-"She has a
dreadfu' memory"—"Read as weel's ye can do”—
"What! are ye keekin'?"-"Hoo could I charge
fees?"-"Eh! man, Bell's deid"
CHAPTER XI.
Sheriff Nicolson-J. F. Maclennan-D'Arcy Thompson-
Swearing in Latin-A reading party — Alexander
Smith-'Punch' to the rescue-P. P. Alexander
CHAPTER XII.
Changes in graduation and bursaries in Edinburgh and
Glasgow-Aberdeen, why different-Dick Bequest-
Graduation and bursaries fifty years ago and now-
University no place for poverty of both purse and
intellect - Bursaries, wherever possible, should be
open to free competition-Crooked answers from
examination papers
CHAPTER XIII.
Orkney-Kirkwall cathedral-"Picts' houses" and stand-
ing-stones-Rents sixty years ago, "I sud pay a hen"
-"The haithens ate Tam"-"I thocht I was needin'
a snuff” — North Ronaldsay - Shapinsay — Colonel
Balfour-Maeshowe and the antiquaries-Professor
Aytoun-Cologne cathedral
CHAPTER XIV.
Shetland-Fair Isle-A purpose of marriage-Foula-
A running commentary on the last chapter of Ec-
clesiastes
ix
90
124
135
• 151
166
CHAPTER XV.
General hospitality-The minister's man-Rev. Dr Hanna
-"Rael coamfortable "-"She tak's a bit blaw
hersel"-"Ca' ye't naething to be forced to gang
to the kirk ilka Sunday?"-"Ye hadna your purse
oot here"-Pathetic contrast-Three dinners
175
CHAPTER XVI.
Amusing answers from Training Colleges and higher
grade schools-"A while at every class"—"Lash
him"-Duck and hen-"Naked and not ashamed"
-Leeches-French and German blunders
187
CHAPTER XVII.
Before 1872 many parish schoolmasters in the North were
divinity students-An occasional hitch-One trouble-
some-Prayed for four times in one day-Religious
instruction-Homely estimate of Mary and Martha-
Minister and teacher generally good friends-One
exception-Relation of school board to teacher of
more business but less sympathetic type than before
-Apparently less interest on the part of parents-An
amateur Sutherland examiner.
195
CHAPTER XVIII.
Farm-servants too often regarded simply as agricultural
implements - Little encouragement or opportunity
for self-improvement - Safeguards of a virtuous life
broken down-Feeing markets-Too few two-horse
farms as objects of ambition-Too few cottages on
the farm for married men-An example worthy of
imitation-This slackening of kindly relationship not
confined to farmers and farm-servants
209