Southern Christian Advocate

DR. McCRIE'S LIFE OF JOHN KNOX

The way in which this work first fell under the notice of the author's illustrious contemporary, Professor Dugald Stewart, was very remarkable. The Professor, one Sunday, being confined at home with illness, and all the family at church except his man servant, had occasion to ring his bell, to call up this faithful old attendant. To his surprise, John did not make his appearance. Again he rang the bell, but without effect. After ringing a third time, he thought it necessary to step down stairs to see what could possibly be the occasion of John's apparent negligence. On opening the door of the old man's apartment, he found him sitting at a little table, his eyes bent attentively upon a book, and his whole soul engrossed, apparently, with what he was reading. It was only on being shaken by the shoulder, that he rose from the trance of rapture in which he had been held by the book. Mr. Stewart was, of course, much surprised at the sudden turn John's mind seemed to have taken in favour of literature; and he had the curiosity to ask what book it was that had captivated him so wonderfully. "Why, sir," said John, "it's a book my minister has written, and really it's a grand one." The Professor said he would take it up to his room, and try what he could make of it.—He accordingly did so, and being once commenced, he found it fairly impossible to withdraw himself, till he had completed the perusal of its whole contents.—Christian Magazine.