INTRODUCTION TO THE HEART OF MID-LOTHIAN--(1830).
The author has stated, in the preface to the Chronicles of the Canongate,1827, that he received from an anonymous correspondent an account of theincident upon which the following story is founded. He is now at libertyto say, that the information was conveyed to him by a late amiable andingenious lady, whose wit and power of remarking and judging of characterstill survive in the memory of her friends. Her maiden name was MissHelen Lawson, of Girthhead, and she was wife of Thomas Goldie, Esq. ofCraigmuie, Commissary of Dumfries.
Her communication was in these words:--
"I had taken for summer lodgings a cottage near the old Abbey ofLincluden. It had formerly been inhabited by a lady who had pleasure inembellishing cottages, which she found perhaps homely and even poorenough; mine, therefore, possessed many marks of taste and eleganceunusual in this species of habitation in Scotland, where a cottage isliterally what its name declares.
"From my cottage door I had a partial view of the old Abbey beforementioned; some of the highest arches were seen over, and some through,the trees scattered along a lane which led down to the ruin, and thestrange fantastic shapes of almost all those old ashes accordedwonderfully well with the building they at once shaded and ornamented.
"The Abbey itself from my door was almost on a level with the cottage;but on coming to the end of the lane, it was discovered to be situated ona high perpendicular bank, at the foot of which run the clear waters ofthe Cluden, where they hasten to join the sweeping Nith,
'Whose distant roaring swells and fa's.'
As my kitchen and parlour were not very far distant, I one day went in topurchase some chickens from a person I heard offering them for sale. Itwas a little, rather stout-looking woman, who seemed to be betweenseventy and eighty years of age; she was almost covered with a tartanplaid, and her cap had over it a black silk hood, tied under the chin, apiece of dress still much in use among elderly women of that rank of lifein Scotland; her eyes were dark, and remarkably lively and intelligent; Ientered into conversation with her, and began by asking how shemaintained herself, etc.
"She said that in winter she footed stockings, that is, knit feet tocountry-people's stockings, which bears about the same relation tostocking-knitting that cobbling does to shoe-making, and is of courseboth less profitable and less dignified; she likewise taught a fewchildren to read, and in summer she whiles reared a few chickens.
"I said I could venture to guess from her face she had never beenmarried. She laughed heartily at this, and said, 'I maun hae the queerestface that ever was seen, that ye could guess that. Now, do tell me,madam, how ye cam to think sae?' I told her it was from her cheerfuldisengaged countenance. She said, 'Mem, have ye na far mair reason to behappy than me, wi' a gude husband and a fine family o' bairns, and plentyo' everything? for me, I'm the puirest o' a' puir bodies, and can hardlycontrive to keep mysell alive in a' the wee bits o' ways I hae tell'tye.' After some more conversation, during which I was more and morepleased with the old womans sensible conversation, and the _naivete_ ofher remarks, she rose to go away, when I asked her name. Her countenancesuddenly clouded, and she said gravely, rather colouring, 'My name isHelen Walker; but your husband kens weel about me.'
"In the evening I related how much I had been pleased, and inquired whatwas extraordinary in the history of the poor woman. Mr. ---- said, therewere perhaps few more remarkable people than Helen Walker. She had beenleft an orphan, with the charge of a sister considerably younger thanherself, and who was educated and maintained by her exertions. Attachedto herby so many ties, therefore, it will not be easy to conceive herfeelings, when she found that this only sister must be tried by the lawsof her country for child-murder, and upon being called as principalwitness against her. The counsel for the prisoner told Helen, that if shecould declare that her sister had made any preparations, however slight,or had given her any intimation on the subject, that such a statementwould save her sister's life, as she was the principal witness againsther. Helen said, 'It is impossible for me to swear to a falsehood; and,whatever may be the consequence, I will give my oath according to myconscience.'
"The trial came on, and the sister was found guilty and condemned; but inScotland six weeks must elapse between the sentence and the execution,and Helen Walker availed herself of it. The very day of her sister'scondemnation she got a petition drawn, stating the peculiar circumstancesof the case, and that very night set out on foot to London.
"Without introduction or recommendation, with her simple (perhapsill-expressed) petition, drawn up by some inferior clerk of the court,she presented herself, in her tartan plaid and country attire, to thelate Duke of Argyle, who immediately procured the pardon she petitionedfor, and Helen returned with it on foot just in time to save her sister.
"I was so strongly interested by this narrative, that I determinedimmediately to prosecute my acquaintance with Helen Walker; but as I wasto leave the country next day, I was obliged to defer it till my returnin spring, when the first walk I took was to Helen Walker's cottage.
"She had died a short time before. My regret was extreme, and Iendeavoured to obtain some account of Helen from an old woman whoinhabited the other end of her cottage. I inquired if Helen ever spoke ofher past history--her journey to London, etc., 'Na,' the old woman said,'Helen was a wily body, and whene'er ony o' the neebors asked anythingabout it, she aye turned the conversation.'
"In short, every answer I received only tended to increase my regret, andraise my opinion of Helen Walker, who could unite so much prudence withso much heroic virtue."
This narrative was inclosed in the following letter to the author,without date or signature--
"Sir,--The occurrence just related happened to me twenty-six years ago.Helen Walker lies buried in the churchyard of Irongray, about six milesfrom Dumfries. I once proposed that a small monument should have beenerected to commemorate so remarkable a character, but I now preferleaving it to you to perpetuate her memory in a more durable manner."
The reader is now able to judge how far the author has improved upon, orfallen short of, the pleasing and interesting sketch of high principleand steady affection displayed by Helen Walker, the prototype of thefictitious Jeanie Deans. Mrs. Goldie was unfortunately dead before theauthor had given his name to these volumes, so he lost all opportunity ofthanking that lady for her highly valuable communication. But herdaughter, Miss Goldie, obliged him with the following additionalinformation:--
"Mrs. Goldie endeavoured to collect further particulars of Helen Walker,particularly concerning her journey to London, but found this nearlyimpossible; as the natural dignity of her character, and a high sense offamily respectability, made her so indissolubly connect her sister'sdisgrace with her own exertions, that none of her neighbours durst everquestion her upon the subject. One old woman, a distant relation ofHelen's, and who is still living, says she worked an harvest with her,but that she never ventured to ask her about her sister's trial, or herjourney to London; 'Helen,' she added, 'was a lofty body, and used a highstyle o' language.' The same old woman says, that every year Helenreceived a cheese from her sister, who lived at Whitehaven, and that shealways sent a liberal portion of it to herself, or to her father'sfamily. This fact, though trivial in itself, strongly marks the affectionsubsisting between the two sisters, and the complete conviction on themind of the criminal that her sister had acted solely from highprinciple, not from any want of feeling, which another small butcharacteristic trait will further illustrate. A gentleman, a relation ofMrs. Goldie's, who happened to be travelling in the North of England, oncoming to a small inn, was shown into the parlour by a female servant,who, after cautiously shutting the door, said, 'Sir, I'm Nelly Walker'ssister.' Thus practically showing that she considered her sister asbetter known by her high conduct than even herself by a different kind ofcelebrity.
"Mrs. Goldie was extremely anxious to have a tombstone and an inscriptionupon it erected in Irongray Churchyard; and if Sir
Walter Scott willcondescend to write the last, a little subscription could be easilyraised in the immediate neighbourhood, and Mrs. Goldie's wish be thusfulfilled."
It is scarcely necessary to add that the request of Miss Goldie will bemost willingly complied with, and without the necessity of any tax on thepublic.* Nor is there much occasion to repeat how much the authorconceives himself obliged to his unknown correspondent, who thus suppliedhim with a theme affording such a pleasing view of the moral dignity ofvirtue, though unaided by birth, beauty, or talent. If the picture hassuffered in the execution, it is from the failure of the author's powersto present in detail the same simple and striking portrait exhibited inMrs. Goldie's letter.
Abbotsford, April 1, 1830.
* [Note B. Tombstone to Helen Walker.]