Perthshire in bygone days

68 PERTHSHIRE IN BYGONE DATS.
portion of wine and rum-punch, the two fell into a
dispute, which ended in a furious quarrel. High words
and bitter recriminations passed between them. The laird,
although he did not wear a red coat, did not relish the idea
of being considered " no soldier," and thinking himself the
aggrieved party, he pulled forth his card, and tendered it to
the son of Mars, which broke up the party, and naturally
caused deep consternation and offence. Next morning the
belligerents, with unappeased wrath, rose to go in search of
friends. He of the army took out the foe's card in order to
find his address. He looked first at one side, then at the
other ; but name or place of residence could be found on
neither. Instead thereof, there was written in legible
characters, "Naething should be done in a hurry but catching
fleas." The effect of this on the gallant respondent was
irresistible. Bursting with laughter, he went to a mutual
friend, and, after holding deliberate counsel, they thought
it would be best to enclose the laird's card and send it to
him without remark, presuming that the absurdity of his
position would soften his resentment, or at least stay his
peremptory purpose, in terms of the proverb itself. • But
their cautious mode of procedure did not quite answer the
desired purpose ; for before they separated the laird's
answer came, in the shape of another card, enclosed
without remark, on which was written in stout characters,
"Naething's to be got by delay but dirt and lang nails. 7 '
Thus, what might otherwise have been a serious matter, in
those days of duels, was eventually quashed, and check-
mating by proverbs became more popular than slaying by
powder.
I come now to what was a striking feature in Sir William
Stirling-Maxwell's character, and the contemplation of it
greatly deepens my regret at his comparatively early death.
His business habits were of the very highest order — staid,
prompt, and considerate. Some raw politicians are intol-
erant to an opposing friend, and in frenzied moments
cannot hear his name even mentioned. Not so the late
Member for Perthshire. Politics never lost him a friend,
feeling as he did that the closest attachment to his own
party did not necessitate violence towards an opponent who
was otherwise a friend. I cannot better illustrate the
sedate, unostentatious spirit of the man than by inserting
here a correspondence which I had with him twenty years
ago : —