88 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
of the Church, waiting his arrival ; and although they had probably tormented
him to the utmost during the day, they seldom failed to gain admission to assist
in tolling the bell, and to amuse themselves by swinging on the rope, The
laddies knew well the “weak side” of the bellman. It was no longer Ninepence,
or even Eben, but Mr. Wdson, will ye let us in to jow the bell ’? “0 yes,” Eben
would say, quite gratified with the respect shown him ; “ but see that ye behave
yoursels.” Mr. Wilson was in this way commonly saved the trouble of jowing
the bell himself.
Although in general very regular, Eben committed a sad mistake on one
occasion, by tolling the curfew at seven o’clock in place of eight. The shops
were shut up, and the streets consigned to comparative darkness, when the
clerks and shopboys were delighted to find that they had gained an hour by
his miscalculation, This occurrence afterwards proved a source of great vexation
to him.-“ It’s seven o’clock, Eben, ring the bell ! ” being a frequent and
irritating salutation on the part of the laddies. It had the effect, however, of
making Eben more circumspect in future. Every night as he came down the
High Street, he was careful to look into the shop of Mr. Ramage (at the west
end of the Old Tolbooth), in order, by a peep at the watch-maker’s timepiece,
to satisfy himself that he was right.
Eben was a humble but pretty constant frequenter of Johnnie Dowie’s
tavern, which he used regularly to pass in going from his own house to the Tron
Kirk. When the Print of “ honest John” appeared in the artist’s window, it is
said that Eben was the first to acquaint him with the fact. In order to be convinced
with his own eyes, John was prevailed On to accompany him to Kay’s
shop, where the brassfounder began to indulge in much merriment at the vintner’s
mortification, It so happened that Ebenezer’s own likeness had been finished
some days prior, and a few impressions taken. The artist, watching the progress
of the scene outside, at last exhibited the Print of Eben beside that of honest
John ; who in turn enjoyed a hearty laugh at-the dumbfoundered and chopfallen
countenance of the bell-ringer.
Eben was exceedingly wroth at the artist-he never would forgive him; and
from that clay forward discarded the apron, thereby thinking to render the
portraiture less characteristic. He continued, however, to wear the old cocked
hat’ and shoe-buckles till his death, which occurred in 1823, at the age of
sev’enty-five. He was succeeded in his situation by James Robertson, another
brassfounder and pensioner of the Society of Hammermen, who died in April
1836. One of his daughters became
the wife of a very respectable and useful minister of the gospel in the west of
Scotland.
Eben was married, and had a family.
The late Dr. Hamilton senior used to give him his cast-off cocked hats ; and he and Eben were
for a long time the only individuals in town who wore that species of covering.
