138 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
then Mr. Charteris of Amisfield. Lord Drummore is said to have been so fond
of the bagpipe, that he used to go about the country like a common piper. Once,
on a frolic of this kind, he was met on the way by a glazier belonging to Dalkeith,
who had been engaged to clean his lordship’s windows. Taking him for a
common piper, the friendly tradesman offered him a dram, which he readily
accepted ; and in the course of discussing it, the glazier was loud in applauding
his performances: “Foul fa’ me, man,” gin ye dinna play amaist as wee1 as
our ain Geordie Syme.” The glazier’s surprise may easily be conceived, when,
on their arrival at the mansion-house, he was treated with wine in return for his
dram.
It is not known when Geordie died. His successor in office was Jamie
Reid, who lived long to enjoy its honours and emoluments ; and who is still
remembered by a few old people in Dalkeith. He seems to have been a man of
sagacity and worldly prudence. It is reported of him that, when he understood
the late benevolent and still much revered Duchess, widow of Henry Duke of
Buccleuch, to be on her return to Dalkeith, he would go a mile or two out of
town to meet her-place himself in some conspicuous situation-and the moment
she came in view he would blow up-“ Dalkeith has got a rare thing :” and, in
like manner, when she left Dalkeith for any of her other residences, he would
escort her out of town playing “ Go to Berwick, Johnnie.” These two tunes
he invariably played on such occasions, and never failed to receive a reward for
his attention. “ Losh keep me, man,” said Jamie, one day, to a neighbour, “ I
wonder how it is, for it’s like the Duchess maun aye carry siller in her hand ;
for she nae sooner sees me than out paps my five shillings, without ony ane seeing .
her hand gang to her pouch.”
Jamie had a son called Tom, of so forward and frolicsome a disposition, that
he was continually falling into one scrape or another, which sorely grieved his
father, who tried both entreaty and punishment to reclaim him, but in vain.
At length he adopted a singular expedient. Having a turn for mechanics, amongst
other tools for aiding him in his pursuits, he had a vice, into which, whenever
the boy would commit a trespass, he would fix him by the tails of the coat, so
that he could not move ; and then, placing the drone of his pipes to his ear,
would blow till poor Tom became quite subdued and senseless. A neighbour
once remonstrated with him on the cruelty of such a punishment, and observed
it would be better if he would apply a rod to his back. “A rod to his back !”
answered Jamie ; “ haith ye little ken him. Ye may break a’ the hazels in the
Duke’s wood owre him, an’ he’ll no be ae bit better. Na, na ! I hae tried a’
that ; but ye see this mak‘s the callant as quiet as poussie ; and besides dings
the music into his head; an’ I hae great hopes he will ae day mak‘ a grand
piper, for by this way he has amaist learned a’ the tunes already.”
Jamie Reid was succeeded by Robert Lorimer, who acted as town piper for
On the
The company
of the musical society, and the gentlemen of the catch-club.”-Amol’s Hid. of Edim.
death of his lordship the Society held a grand concert, in honour of his memory.
was numerous, and all were dresaed in deep mourning.
