commiserated her on having so many daughters, said "But, Mrs. Baillie, how will you get husbands for all those daughters of yours?" replied "Oh, Heaven will send down husbands for my daughters." Whether this proceeded from faith in Heaven, or faith in her daughters, need not be enquired into; but it turned out afterwards that four out of the five became the wives of one English, and three Scottish Peers respectively, viz. :-Ashburnham, Breadalbane, Aberdeen, and Polwarth. And did not her six sons come to honour, as a Peer, or in the Church, in the Law, in the Navy, and in the Army? On another occasion, when asked why Lady Grisell

THE HON. MAJOR AND LADY GRISELL BAILLIE.

was not getting wed? replied that "Lady Grisell had never any heartburnings after the young men." That she remained single was not the result of want of proposals, for we understand that she had many good offers of marriage.

Mellerstain House, Berwickshire, is one of those Border mansions which, while not devoid of all architectural qualities, appears to have been erected for convenience rather than appearance. It is a roomy dwelling, and "boasts of as many windows as there are days in the

year." It would be here where most, if not all of the family first saw the light, and where, as years came and went

66

They grew in beauty side by side,

They filled one home with glee." The Mellerstain Woods must have engendered good health in that record family, for we find that the eleven brothers and sisters lived an average life of 68 years, while six of them reached an average age of 79 years, John and Thomas reaching the age of 78 years, and Robert the modern patriarchal age of 81 years, whilst Mary, Dowager Countess of Aberdeen, still survives at the great age of 85 years. The Baillies were, in many respects, a noted Border Family. Now, these "flowers o' the forest are almost a' wede away."

Mr. Baillie died in 1841, when Mellerstain became the property of his eldest son, George, afterwards Earl of Haddington. In 1842, Mrs. Baillie and the others of the family who were still with her, removed to Eildon Hall, a large Mansion House belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch, and situated in a magnificent position on the south side of the Eildon Hills, from which there is a splendid view across to Bemersyde and down the valley of the Tweed; and southwards, with the range of the Cheviot Hills crowning the distance. Having to remove hence to make way for the Earl of Dalkeith (now the present Duke) who had recently set up an establishment of his own, the Baillie family found accommodation-first at Maxpoffle, near Bowden, about 1859, and eventually at Dryburgh Abbey, in 1864, where they remained till 1890, when Lady Grisell, the last of the Dryburgh trio, removed to The Holmes, a house on the opposite side of the Tweed, where she resided till her death in 1892.

Our knowledge of the family began about 1861 when circumstances led us to visit Eildon and spend holidays at Dryburgh-" Beautiful Dryburgh" as it has been called. The family quartette as then existing were known and spoken of as "Mrs. Baillie," "The Major," "The Admiral," and "Lady Grisell," respectively. Mrs. Baillie died at Dryburgh, in October 1865, at a good old age, and the remaining threefold cord remained unbroken till 1888-a period of 23 years-when "The Major" died. We have no recollection of ever having seen Mrs. Baillie, but when about Dryburgh we had opportunities of seeing the other three nearly every day, and invariably "The Major" and "Lady Grisell" were in company. The Admiral" might often be seen engaged in fishing on the Tweed. The trio kept a phaeton, which for a long time was known by its grey horse. Every Sabbath morn

The

ing, from our cottage window, this equipage was seen passing up the road for Clintmains, and round by St. Boswell's-where it was as well known-towards Bowden Parish Church, where the family worshipped, and where "The Major" and "Lady Grisell," taught in the Sabbath School, and did other Christian work.* movements of the phaeton were so regular and punctual that people might easily have timed their clocks and watches by its passage. On Sabbath "The Admiral" was generally seen by himself; and when at Bowden Church discarded wheels, crossed Tweed in the ferry-boat, and used the locomotive power provided by nature. At Dryburgh the family lived in a very quiet way, and undoubtedly in the bonds of peace. There was none of that pride or stand-offishness about them which so frequently mars the intercourse of the upper classes with their neighbours; on the contrary they visited the people in their cottages, and took an interest in their welfare. Of "The Major" and "Lady Grisell," it might be said that they were as well known inside many of the houses of Dryburgh, St. Boswell's, and Newtown, as they were known outside. Especially were they interested when city children visited Dryburgh, and such an arrival was sure to evoke a special visit from "The Abbey House." Bemersyde House-the home of "The Haigs"

-on the heights above Dryburgh, was for some years the country residence of Lord Jerviswood. From there he removed to Dryburgh House,† where he died in 1879. The Misses Baillie still reside there.

It now only remains that we note some of the good deeds performed by "Lady Grisell." Her Ladyship was the first Deaconess set apart for service in the Church of Scotland. This took place in December 1888, and gave her a position quite in keeping with the bent of her mind. After Major Baillie's death, a Memorial Hall was erected at Newtown by his friends, and opened in 1890. On the building is a suitable inscrip

* Major Baillie was an elder in Bowden Parish Church, and was usually sent up by the Presbytery as a representative to the General Assembly.

There are two mansions at Dryburgh; the one is named Dry. burgh Abbey, the other Dryburgh House,

tion. "Lady Grisell" left a sum of money to endow this Hall, and within is a Tablet to her memory. The clock which adorns the front of the Hall, and seen by the traveller by night as well as by day, was a gift from her Ladyship to the memory of "The Admiral." But, perhaps, not the least beneficent act of this good Lady was the repairing of Dryburgh Suspension Bridge. In the olden time Dryburgh was reached from the Roxburghshire side by a ferry boat. In 1817 the passage was improved by the eleventh Earl of Buchan erecting "an elegant wire suspension bridge over the Tweed, 260 feet in length, and 4 feet 7 inches between the rails." During a great storm of wind on the evening of 6th January, 1840, this bridge was blown away to such an extent as to leave only the main stretches. For 32 years after that date the ferry

DRYBURGH ABBEY HOUSE.

boat remained on duty; and those, who like ourselves, had to cross the Tweed when the river was in flood, knew something of the difficulties and dangers of the passage. To Lady Grisell Baillie are the public indebted for the resumption of traffic by the bridge; for she expended about £100 on the work of reconstruction, and the bridge was reopened in August, 1872. Long may the bridge remain as a monument to the memory of the Noble Lady, and in use by the community around, and for the thousands, who, from all quarters of the globe, come to visit "Beautiful Dryburgh," and see "Sir Walter's Tomb." +

The writer has to acknowledge his indebtedness to Lady Ashburnham's volume on Lady Grisell Baillie for some of the facts noted in this article; and to several Border friends for help in procuring other items of information,

Association sat down to dinner-Lord Tweedmouth in the chair. In the course of the evening an interesting incident occurred in the presentation to Mr. Usher of a cheque for £170 from the members of the Association, in token of their friendship and regard, and estimation of the services he had rendered as Secretary. In his reply, Mr. Usher warmly expressed his sincere and earnest thanks for the gift, and stated that through the Association he had become acquainted with a large number of Borderers whose warm, pure and generous

most interesting item of which is that connected with the inauguration of the Ettrick Shepherd Memorial at Ettrick Hall, on the 29th July last year. The Right Hon. Lord Napier and Ettrick presided. That occasion was a memorable one, and must always possess a special interest of its own for it was the last time on which the much-loved and respected Border chief appeared in public. Shortly afterwards, Lord Napier went to the continent, where he died at Florence on the 19th December last.

After the reading of the report at the annual meeting in Edinburgh, the members of the

Kindly lent by Borderers' Union,

friendship was one of the greatest blessings of his life.

In our Supplement to the present number wel have the pleasure of presenting to our readers the latest portraits of Lord Napier and Mr. Usher.

In looking over the twenty-fourth annual report of THE EDINBURGH BORDERERS' UNION, we cannot help feeling greatly impressed by the life vigour, and thorough character of all its operations and movements. Both Association and Union seek to promote friendly intercourse among natives of the Border Counties, annual excursions, the advancement of educational interests, helps