With that he got upon his feet , took off his hat , and prayed a little while aloud , and in affecting terms , for a young man setting out into the world ; then suddenly took me in his arms and embraced me very hard ; then held me at arm 's length , looking at me with his face all working with sorrow ; and then whipped about , and crying good-bye to me , set off backward by the way that we had come at a sort of jogging run . It might have been laughable to another ; but I was in no mind to laugh . I watched him as long as he was in sight ; and he never stopped hurrying , nor once looked back . Then it came in upon my mind that this was all his sorrow at my departure ; and my conscience smote me hard and fast , because I , for my part , was overjoyed to get away out of that quiet country-side , and go to a great , busy house , among rich and respected gentlefolk of my own name and blood . `` Davie , Davie , '' I thought , `` was ever seen such black ingratitude ? Can you forget old favours and old friends at the mere whistle of a name ? Fie , fie ; think shame . '' And I sat down on the boulder the good man had just left , and opened the parcel to see the nature of my gifts . That which he had called cubical , I had never had much doubt of ; sure enough it was a little Bible , to carry in a plaid-neuk . That which he had called round , I found to be a shilling piece ; and the third , which was to help me so wonderfully both in health and sickness all the days of my life , was a little piece of coarse yellow paper , written upon thus in red ink : `` TO MAKE LILLY OF THE VALLEY WATER . -- Take the flowers of lilly of the valley and distil them in sack , and drink a spooneful or two as there is occasion . It restores speech to those that have the dumb palsey . It is good against the Gout ; it comforts the heart and strengthens the memory ; and the flowers , put into a Glasse , close stopt , and set into ane hill of ants for a month , then take it out , and you will find a liquor which comes from the flowers , which keep in a vial ; it is good , ill or well , and whether man or woman . '' And then , in the minister 's own hand , was added : `` Likewise for sprains , rub it in ; and for the cholic , a great spooneful in the hour . '' To be sure , I laughed over this ; but it was rather tremulous laughter ; and I was glad to get my bundle on my staff 's end and set out over the ford and up the hill upon the farther side ; till , just as I came on the green drove-road running wide through the heather , I took my last look of Kirk Essendean , the trees about the manse , and the big rowans in the kirkyard where my father and my mother lay . CHAPTER II I COME TO MY JOURNEY 'S END On the forenoon of the second day , coming to the top of a hill , I saw all the country fall away before me down to the sea ; and in the midst of this descent , on a long ridge , the city of Edinburgh smoking like a kiln . There was a flag upon the castle , and ships moving or lying anchored in the firth ; both of which , for as far away as they were , I could distinguish clearly ; and both brought my country heart into my mouth . Presently after , I came by a house where a shepherd lived , and got a rough direction for the neighbourhood of Cramond ; and so , from one to another , worked my way to the westward of the capital by Colinton , till I came out upon the Glasgow road . And there , to my great pleasure and wonder , I beheld a regiment marching to the fifes , every foot in time ; an old red-faced general on a grey horse at the one end , and at the other the company of Grenadiers , with their Pope 's - hats . The pride of life seemed to mount into my brain at the sight of the red coats and the hearing of that merry music .
A little farther on , and I was told I was in XXXXX parish , and began to substitute in my inquiries the name of the house of Shaws .
Colinton Cramond Fie Glasgow days fall fifes forenoon jogging third