Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume 20

In this lively entry from the series, a newly‑ordained minister of St Fillan’s reflects on the peculiar mixture of clerical duty and folk medicine that shaped his early life. Through warm, colloquial storytelling he recalls his father’s long tenure as sexton, a man who could read a parishioner’s complexion as surely as a physician might flip through a medical text. The narrative weaves together anecdotes of sermons, schoolmaster duties, and the practical wisdom of Latin proverbs, giving listeners a vivid sense of rural Scottish life in the early nineteenth century.

The chapter unfolds with the dominie’s modest yet earnest attempts to balance spiritual leadership with a deep curiosity about human frailty. As he studies his father’s well‑worn copies of Dr Cullen’s nosology and domestic remedies, the story offers a charming glimpse into the era’s blend of superstition and emerging science. Listeners will be drawn into the rhythms of the kirk, the humor of village gossip, and the quiet determination of a man who sees his calling as both a preacher and a keen observer of life’s fleeting moments.