In November 1895, the Glasgow Herald reported on the death of Janet Livingstone, the sister of DAVID LIVINGSTONE. Continuing from Part 1 yesterday, the reporter tells of his experiences of interviewing Janet at various times in her life. He states,
“During our frequent conversations they let fall many interesting scraps of family history as well as indignant corrections of some of the silly stories that had been circulated about their brother and their parents.”
“A story has been told to the effect that their father, Neil discarded his pipe and tobacco for good because when a lady called for a subscription towards missionary objects he had nothing to give her. This is utterly false. He gave up smoking because one day David came home with the news that such a heavy duty was soon to be placed on tobacco as would make it impossible for his father still to purchase it. That evening, when his pipe was handed to him by his wife, Neil Livingstone, put it down unlit by the fireside, remarking in the spirit of a stoic, “If we have got to give it up, we may as well begin now. He never smoked again. To the lady missionary collector, whose appeal is supposed to have prompted him to abandon his pipe, he actually gave half a sovereign, thereby awakening the mild remonstrance of his wife, who, truly enough, said that such a sum was too much for them to give.”
“Another story told to me by the sisters was in correction of a legend about their mother. Agnes Livingstone, like a, true mother, did not esteem her son more highly because the world eventually discovered his worth. She had known it all along. One dull witted visitor thought it might be otherwise.”
“Admitted to her bedside during her last illness, he hazarded the opinion, “You’ll be very proud of your son now, Mrs Livingstone.” To which there came the unexpected reply, “I’m no prouder of him now than I was the day he put in my lap the first half crown he earned.”
“In several sketches of Livingstone’s life great emphasis has been laid on his being shut out one evening at Shuttle Row, Blantyre by his father because he had broken a parental law which insisted that ,the children of the household should be within doors before the gloaming. The simple facts of the case, as told to me by the sisters, are these….David had broken the law once, and on the next transgression, when his father heard him coming home, he slipped the bar of the door and waited the result. If he expected, as he seems to have done, that his six year old son would lift up his voice in lamentation, he was entirely disappointed. “
Taking in the situation at a glance, young David made for the family baker’s shop, secured a penny loaf, and then sat down on the steps outside, his home, resigned, apparently, to a night out. When his mother opened the door and asked, ” What are you doing there ?”‘ , he calmly rejoined, “I’m having my supper. My father has shut me out.”
“Such are some of the anecdotes which the sisters entertained me. A few, years ago they sold their Hamilton home, and removed to Kendal to pass their closing years under the roof of their niece, Mrs Wilson, the youngest daughter of David Livingstone. Agnes was the first to be laid in the family grave at Hamilton. She passed away when the present year (1895) was but three days old, and now Janet has followed her just as the year is dying too, breathing her last in the home of Livingstone’s other daughter, Mrs Bruce, of Edinburgh. One other member of the Blantyre family survives in far off Canada in the person of John Livingstone, the firstborn of Neil Livingstone and Agnes Hunter. H. C. SHELLEY.”
AI pictured young David as a boy being locked out.
