The Little Minister

While I couldn't find the World Syndicate 1933 hardback edition that I read of J.M. Barrie's tale first copyrighted in 1891, I did get caught up in the events of the story. The protagonist is a minor character in terms of involvement that recounts the events of the little minister Gavin Dishart. At age 21, Dishart has graduated from university and assumes his first church of the Auld Licht, moving to Thrums with his mother Martha. There with housekeeper Jean they move into the parsonage. The story is told through the eyes of the schoolmaster, who we learn is a biological relative unbeknownst to Gavin. The people of the district are primarily weavers. Their thick brogues are written into the dialogue with unusual words (ken, syne, dominie) that take a bit of time to get used to for the modern reader. For instance Rob Dow talks about the upcoming rain with this response: "Ay," said Tosh eagerly, "but will it be a saft, cowdie sweet ding-on?" You get the sense that they're considering whether it'll be a hard or soft rain, but the specifics zoom past the modern reader not used to the brogue. (I found it interesting that one townsman is named Peter Tosh whose name would be today better known to me as a reggae singer from Jamaica!) A strike squelching by the military and police is outmaneuvered by the information spread by a gypsy referred to as "the Egyptian." After the opening salvo, the events of the story become less political and more personal as Gavin slowly falls in love with the Egyptian, Babbie, who hides a false identity. With complications made by Lord Rintoul who also wants to marry Babbie for her beauty, the story becomes a romance between money and love. Barrie throws in a bit of adventure with a major flood that rearranges the landscape before bringing the story to conclusion. I found the story to be charming with themes and characters that still speak to us today. This story is a little diamond, well worth dusting off by the modern reader. Enjoy!

I recently picked up a copy of this book at the Lenox used book sale. My copy was inscribed by someone who gave it as a present in 1941. The book jacket says that it is a "children's book" but that's along the lines of saying that Gulliver's Travels is a children's book. The author is the same one who wrote Peter Pan.It was written around the turn of the century and its style is a little bit more Victorian. However, it is a very interesting book, and I was fascinated by it. (Not quite fascinated enough to read it in one sitting, but fascinated enough that it was hard to tear myself away.)The narrator is a man who was in love with a woman and circumstances separted them. Now, about 20 years later, she moves not far away from him with her son. The focus is on the circumstances involving the son, which is basically a simple love story.Nothing original here, but some of the language is very poetic, and he tells a gripping story. Those who are interested in such things will enjoy the Scottish dialect and description of the lifestyle of a small Scottish weaving town.