Hamewith

I think it was a combination of Milli's superb photo from yesterday, and exchanges about kindles and the like vs. "real books" with some of you who commented on my scowling selfie, that gave me the idea for today's blip.

The book in the picture is Hamewith, a collection of poems by Charles Murray, a native of Alford in Aberdeenshire who emigrated to South Africa to work in the mining industry. He wrote in the Doric dialect of North-East Scotland. Rather than go for an arty approach, I've hopefully managed to keep the script legible, at least in the large version. But to save you eye strain:

Nae a fairy free 'neath the hazel tree
That dances upon the green
Ever kent a charm that could heal or harm
Like the glint o' her twa blue een.

(The Witch O' the Golden Hair, by the way, continues over two more pages :)

Hamewith was published in 1900, This is my grandfather's copy of the 8th impression, dated 1912. He was headmaster - the Dominie - of the tiny country school at Whitehill, near New Deer. He and my grandmother went there in 1930, planning to stay for perhaps a couple of years; they ended up living and teaching there until they retired 32 years later!

The book has his name, in pencil, on the first page. When I hold it, as well as enjoying Murray's verse and admiring the character of the book - the ragged and yellowed edges of the well-turned pages, the visible texture of the paper, even the slightly musty, dry smell of it - I'm very conscious of the fact that this is the same book he read (frequently, by the look of it!), and it brings back incredibly precious memories of the times I had with him.

Somehow, I can't imagine future generations treasuring today's kindles as irreplaceable heirlooms :)