Crime & punishment > Whinny Park murder

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an opportunity of seeing with his father. It happened
that the house at which he went to- lodge had occupants
of a very different kind from those to whom he had been
accustomed ; and his description of the fright with which,
on the first night of his residence, he beheld a scene of
scolding, uproar, and quarrel between his landlord and
landlady, used to amuse the quiet inmates of Whinny
Park for years after.
Before his departure his mother and sisters used to flout
and jeer him a little on account of his quiet habits, say¬
ing that he would “perish the pack"—lose what his fa¬
ther had gained—want of care however was no part of
Mr Millie’s character; and he returned with sufficient in
his little pocket-book to maintain his character for indus¬
try, and stop all sneers on that score for the future. He
went afterwards to Dunfermline, in order to acquire an
acquaintance with the improved methods of damask
weaving : he resided there for some months ; but seems
to have kept up no acquaintanceship with any of the
young people whom he had met: the manners indeed of
young persons engaged in the manufactures in great
towns were altogether abhorrent to the education he had
received, and from his own disposition ; and his aversion
to them is not to be wondered at.
After this Mr Millie resided chiefly at home, assisting
his father in their business. His chief amusement here,
was in-acquiring a knowledge of music: and on the vio¬
lin especially his performances were really respectable.
He had musical acquaintances through the whole coun¬
try ; and with any of these he would sit in enthusiasm
whole days interchanging musical lore of every kind.
Being much known and generally esteemed in the neigh¬
bourhood, he was often asked to perform on little occa¬
sions of festivity ; but this as a professional matter he uni¬
formly refused with some shew of displeasure: to parties
who visited him in his own house, his violin and hrs hos¬
pitality were on the other hand equally and cordially
ready. Many acquaintances of his who, having long left
the neighbourhood, yet paid it occasional visits, thought
no treat so high as a visit to Mr Millie on any of these
occasions: and numbers on reading this at a distance