17/05/2026
Commencement of My Travels to the House of Shaws. I shall initiate the narrative of my experiences on a specific morning in early June 1751, when I retrieved the key for the final time from the door of my father's residence. As I descended the road, the sun began to illuminate the hilltops; and by the time I reached the manse, blackbirds were whistling in the garden lilacs, and the morning mist was dissipating. Mr. Campbell, the minister of Essendean, was awaiting my arrival by the garden gate. He inquired about my breakfast and, upon learning that I had eaten, took my hand in his and placed it under his arm. "Well, Davie, lad," he said, "I shall accompany you as far as the ford to set you on your way." We commenced walking in silence. "Are you experiencing regret about departing Essendean?" he asked after a while. "Sir," I replied, "if I knew my destination or what the future held, I would respond candidly. Essendean is indeed a pleasant place, and I have been content there; however, I have never been elsewhere. As my parents are deceased, I will be no closer to them in Essendean than in the Kingdom of Hungary. To be truthful, if I believed I had an opportunity to improve my circumstances at my destination, I would depart with enthusiasm." "Ay?" said Mr. Campbell. "Very well, Davie. It is my duty to inform you of your circumstances, to the extent that I am able. When your mother passed away, and your father, a worthy Christian man, began to prepare for his own demise, he entrusted me with a letter, which he stated was your inheritance. 'As soon as I am gone,' he said, 'and the house is in order and the property disposed of' (all of which, Davie, has been accomplished), 'present this letter to my son and direct him to the house of Shaws, near Cramond. That is my place of origin,' he said, 'and the only place I have ever known.'
