The Peasant Poets of Scotland and Musings Under the Beeches

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. To be altogether devoid of interest. As to my poetical musings, all that it becomes me to say is that several of the pieces appear in print for the first time; that the selections from those which have been previously published have been carefully revised and corrected, and a few of them re-cast - while, taken over all, the volume will be found fairly representative of what I have been able to accomplish in prose and verse while labouring under the disability of total blindness. Shunted, as I have been for the last eighteen years, into a siding of the active railway of life, and shut out from the usual sources of information and inspiration, - books and Nature, -and endowed with no extraordinary qualifications for literary work, I have, nevertheless, from necessity, been compelled to draw on my literary talents, such as they are, as the readiest available means of rendering my life enjoyable, and of keeping myself intellectually abreast of the times. Composition is not with me a light and easy matter; but, on the contrary, a slow and laborious pro cess: and I venture to say that few people can be aware of the full extent of the difficulties which I have had to overcome in preparing this volume for the Press. It cannot be expected that a work produced under such circumstances can be otherwise than faulty both in design and workmanship, or that its perusal can afford to others a tithe of the pleasure and profit which its composition has conferred upon me; but I shall be satisfied if the verdict pronounced upon it, should fortunately be that the time and labour bestowed upon its preparation have.

To be altogether devoid of interest. As to my poetical musings, all that it becomes me to say is that several of the pieces appear in print for the first time; that the selections from those which have been previously published have been carefully revised and corrected, and a few of them re-cast — while, taken over all, the volume will be found fairly representative of what I have been able to accomplish in prose and verse while labouring under the disability of total blindness. Shunted, as I have been for the last eighteen years, into a siding of the active railway of life, and shut out from the usual sources of information and inspiration, — books and Nature, -and endowed with no extraordinary qualifications for literary work, I have, nevertheless, from necessity, been compelled to draw on my literary talents, such as they are, as the readiest available means of rendering my life enjoyable, and of keeping myself intellectually abreast of the times. Composition is not with me a light and easy matter; but, on the contrary, a slow and laborious pro cess: and I venture to say that few people can be aware of the full extent of the difficulties which I have had to overcome in preparing this volume for the Press. It cannot be expected that a work produced under such circumstances can be otherwise than faulty both in design and workmanship, or that its perusal can afford to others a tithe of the pleasure and profit which its composition has conferred upon me; but I shall be satisfied if the verdict pronounced upon it, should fortunately be that the time and labour bestowed upon its preparation have.