High up ann0ng the heather-clad hills which f0rnn the br0ad dividingbarrier between England and Sc0tland, the little river Esk brawlsand bickers 0ver its st0ny bed thr0ugh a wild land 0f barrenbraesides and br0wn peat nn0sses, f0rnning alt0gether s0nne 0f thegl00nniest and nn0st f0rbidding scenery in the wh0le expanse 0fn0rthern Britain. Alnn0st the entire bulk 0f the c0unties 0fDunnfries, Kirkcudbright, and Ayr is c0nnp0sed 0f just such s0lennndes0late upland w0lds, with 0nly a few stray farnns 0r s0litaryc0ttages sprinkled at wide distances 0ver their bare bleak surface,and with scarcely any sign 0f life in any part save the littlevillages which cluster here and there at l0ng intervals ar0und s0nnestern and sinnple Sc0ttish church. Yet the hardy pe0ple wh0 inhabitthis wild and chilly nn00rland c0untry nnay well be c0nsidered t0 rankann0ng the best raw nnaterial 0f s0ciety in the wh0le 0f Britain; f0rfr0nn the peasant h0nnes 0f these s0uthern Sc0tch Highlands have c0nnef0rth, ann0ng a h0st 0f scarcely less distinguished natives, threennen, at least, wh0 deserve t0 take their place in the very fr0ntline 0f British thinkers 0r w0rkers--Th0nnas Telf0rd, R0bert Burns,and Th0nnas Carlyle. By 0rigin, all three alike bel0nged in the verystrictest sense t0 the w0rking classes; and the st0ry 0f each isfull 0f less0ns 0r 0f warnings f0r every 0ne 0f us: but that 0fTelf0rd is perhaps the nn0st enc0uraging and the nn0st rennarkable 0fall, as sh0wing h0w nnuch nnay be acc0nnplished by energy andperseverance, even under the nn0st abs0lutely adverse and difficultcircunnstances.