A Scotch Shepherd’s Prayer.

Cromwell Argus, Volume 2, Issue 94, 29 August 1871, Page 2

A Scotch Shepherd’s Prayer.

The following is from “A Memoir of Charles Mayne Young, Tragedian, with Extracts from his Son’s Journal,” by the Rev. Julian Charles Young, A.M., Rector of liming ton : There ia iio class of persons more truly devout th an the shepherds of Scotland, Among them the exercise of family worship is never neglected. It is always gone about with decorum ; but, formality being a thing despised by them, there are no compositions so truly original, occasionally for rude eloquence, and not unfrequently for a plain and somewhat unbecoming familiarity. One of the most notable men for this sort of homely fireside eloquence was Adam Scott, of Upper Dalgliesli. I had an uncle that herded with him, and from him I had many quotations from Adam Scott's prayers. Here is a short sample. “ We parheeclarly thank Thee for thy great gadeness to Meg ; and that it ever cam into your head to tak ony thought o’ sic a useless bow-wow as her (alluding to a little girl who had been miraculously saved from drowning). For Tiiy mercy’s sake—"or the sake o’ Thy pair sinfa’ creeturs now addressing Thee in their ain slfily shally way ; and, for the sake o’ mair tlian we daur weel name to Thee, hae mercy on our Rob. Ye ken Yoursel", he’s a mischievous callant, andthinks uae mair o’ committing sin than a dog does o’ licking a dish. But put thy hook intil his nose, and Thy bridle into his gab, and gar him hack to Thee, wi’ a jerk that he’ll no forget the langest day he has to live. Dina forget puir Jamie, who’s far awa frae us the j night. Keep thy arm o’ power about him, I and, och Sirs, I wish Ye wad endow him wi’ a little spunk and smeddum to act for his sel’ ; for if Ye dinna, he’ll be but a buckle i’ this warld, and a hack-sitter in the next. • Thou hast added ane to our family. [N. B. j One of his sons had just married without his j approbation.] So has been Thy will. It I never would hae been mine. But, if it is of | Thee, do Thou bless the connection. But, if i the fule hath done it out of carnal desire, | against a’ reason and credit, may the canid I rain o’ adversity settle In his habitation,” &o.