Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Poems and songs, chiefly in the Scottish dialect

XVI
must be as well pleased as himself with his effu-
sions. The irritation of criticism forms a striking;
contrast, and to avoid the uneasiness from criti-
cism, the hope of improvement is foregone.
He had not an extensive experience of man-
kind. He was modest and unassuming to a de-
gree that bordered on bashfulness. Simple and
confiding, he thought others as honest as him-
self. He seldom joined in general conversation,
but was apt to get into an interesting discussion on
a favourite topic with the person who sat next to
him. He at times wrote inadvertently on any part
of the table that was wetted. The disposition of
his mind was chearful, but not gay. He was sel-
dom known to utter a joke, and he seemed always
to speak from motive and conscience, or, to use a
common but strong expression, as if on oath. We
are not to look to him for flashes of wit or smart re-
partee, though it was observed that at times his re-
plies were unexpectedly happy.
His poetical celebrity got him numerous ac-
quaintances, and his time was latterly too much
interrupted by visitors. He made many efforts to
resist such intrusions, and the habits to which they
led. The facility of his nature, and a wish not to