Asinglebitofliferemained——thelittlelogcottage，oncetheManager’shouseaquarterofacenturyago，stillstoodawayupamongthepinesbehindtheoldmillruinandremotefromthestreetsandhomesofthepresenttown。Attheendofalittlegrassylaneitstood，solidandsquare，resistingwithitswellhewnpinelogsthegnawingtoothoftime。Abandonedbythegrowingtown，forgottenbythemillowner，itwasre-discoveredbyMalcolmMcNish，orratherbyhiskeeneyedoldmotherontheirarrivalfromtheoldlandsixmonthsago。ForasongMcNishboughtthesolidlittlecottage，hemighthavehaditasagiftbutthathewouldnot，restoreditsroof，clearedoutitsstonechimneywhich，morethananythingelse，hadcaughtthemother’seye，re-setthewindowpanes，addedaweecunningporch，gaveitsfacingsacoatofpaint，encloseditsbitofflowergardeninfrontandits“kaleyaird“intherearwitharusticpaling，andmadeit，whentheSummerhaddoneitswork，abonniehomelikespotwhichcaughttheeyeandheldtheheartofthepasser-by。
Theinteriormorethanfulfilledthepromiseoftheexterior。Thebiglivingroomwithitsgreatstonefireplacewelcomedyouonopeningtheporchdoor。Fromthelivingroomontherightledtwodoors，eachgivingentrancetoatinybedroomandflankingalargerroomknownas“theRoom。“
Withinthelivingroomweregatheredthehouseholdtreasures，theLaresandPenatesofthelittlestonerose-coveredcottage“athameawa’ayontthesea。“Onthemantelasolidhewnlogofoak，amiracleofbroad-axework，were“bitso’chiny“rarelyvaluableasantiquestotheknowingconnoisseurbutbeyondpricetotheoldwhite-hairedladywhodailydustedthemwithreverentcareashavingbeenbornebyhermotherfromtheHighlandhomeinthefarnorthcountrywhenasabrideshecamebythe“cadger’scairt“tohernewhomeinthelonelycityofGlasgow。OfthatGlasgowhomeandofherownhomelaterthewallsofthelogcottagewereeloquent。
Thecharactergivingbitoffurniture，however，inthelivingroomwasabook-casethatstoodinacorner。Itsbeautifulinlaidcabinetworkwouldinitselfhaveattractedattention，butnotthecasebutthebookswereitsdistinction。ThegreatEnglishpoetswererepresentedthereinserviceablebindingsshowingsignsofuse，Shakespeare，Wordsworth，Coleridge，Browning，Keats，andwiththeminvariouseditions，Burns。BesidethepoetsRobertLouishadaplace，andSirWalter，aswellasKiplingandMeredithandothermoderns。ButontheshelfthatshowedmostwearweretobefoundthestandardworksofeconomistsofdifferentschoolsfromthegreatAdamSmithtoMarxandthelotofhisimitatorsanddisciples。
ThiswasMalcolm’sbook-case。Therewasinanothercornernearthefire-placealittletableandaboveithungacoupleofshelvesforbooksofanothersort，theBibleandTheWestminsterConfession，BunyanandBaxterandFox’sBookofMartyrs，RutherfordandMcCheyneandLaw，TheTenYears’Conflict，Spurgeon’sSermonsandSmith’sIsaiah，andawellworncopyoftheimmortalRobbie。Thiswasthemother’scorner，acosyspotwhereshenourishedhersoulbyconversewiththegreatmastersofthoughtandofconscience。