ABSTRACT
Coldstream. We went to Mrs Macdonald’s, as before, and she let us lie in the lumberchamber as usual. Brother Daniel and I, when we got up one day in the morning, went out to play with the boys, and would not be kept under command by my sister, who had the young child to take care of; so that, in the day-time, we were seldom together. We went on in this manner for some time, till an unlucky accident happened, which separated us all. One day, as the Countess of Murray, who reisded in the Canongate, was returning from an airing with her coach-and-six, my sister and the child on her back, crossing the street, were both run over by the carriage. My sister and brother screaming for fear, and the people calling “Stop, stop!”, made the Countess faint away. Kitty and Alexander were taken from under the horses, and, as God would have it, no bones were broken. They were both taken into the lady’s house, and duly taken care of. When they recovered, the boy was put to nurse by Lady Murray; and one Mr Vernon, an Englishman who had been butler to Lord Murray and by him placed in a good office in the Excise, took my sister for a servant, and clothed her. Thus my sister and Alexander were done for. As to Daniel and me, we both of us begged, and played our time away; strolling round the country, and stopping sometimes in the barnyards, and at other times in a barn. In town we lay in the stairs; for about Edinburgh, as in Paris and Madrid, many large families live upon one staircase. They shut their own door, but the street-door is always open. There was an opinion at that time very prevalent amongst us poor children, of whom, after the Rebellion there were a great many, that the doctors came at night to find poor children asleep, and put sticking-plasters to their mouth, that they might not call out, and then to take them away to be dissected; and indeed I believe it very true, for what everyone says must be true; and the poor Highlanders were more despised at that time by the Scots in
general, of the other party, than the devils in hell. So when we passed the night in a stair or at a door, one slept and the other kept watch. In our rounds we went to see our brother, sometimes, at nurse; and one time to see my sister, but she wept so much, that Daniel, having more sense than me, said, after we came away, he would not go again because our being poor and helpless hurt her so much. Another day we went a-begging to Mr Campbell’s, a master-carpenter’s; and who should come to the door but one of my father’s servants? The man, on seeing us, was greatly affected, and a scene ensued, which took the attention of many. But nothing touched our hearts; we had no sorrow, nor the least uneasiness. One morning we strolled within the gates of the city of
Edinburgh, to see the fine high houses, and were taken up by the soldiers of the City Guard; for none may beg within the walls of the city, and the soldiers have an allowance for every one they take up. Our names were given to the Captain of the Guard, and entered in a book. Young people that could not find protection were sent abroad in merchant-ships, in a situation little better than that of convicts, though not under the same disgrace. Those who were kept in the guard-house lived well, by the side of a good fire, with three rolls and three pints of beer a day. In this comfortable state we remained for three nights and two days, till the Council Chamber met. But when the guard soldiers found who we were, they were very sorry at what they had done; for they were mostly all Highlanders, and from our shire of Inverness. They asked us if we knew any person in town. My brother mentioned Mr Goolen, at the Livery-stables, at the head of the Canongate. This worthy man appeared for us at the Council Chamber before the Lord Provost, and gave him such information concerning us as induced him to set us at liberty. We went with Mr Goolen; and, as there was one of his houses, next door to his dwellinghouse, empty, he let us lie at night in a closet on hay. When we had a mind to go to rest, we got both of us together into a cornsack. We went out in the daytime, as before, abegging; but at night we had a whole house to ourselves like gentlemen. Now Daniel, being the oldest and about the size of Mr Goolen’s son, his only child, he got his old clothes, and played with the boy, and went on errands, and there remained.
