Author of “The Clean Hearth Stane” and some fugitive poetical pieces, belonged to an old family—the Moffats of Stoneyflat, Kirkintilloch—and was a merchant in that town. He died on 18th September, 1853, and was interred in the burying-ground of the parish.

THE CLEAN HEARTH STANE.

When gloomy gloamin’ o’er the lift
Spreads out his dark’nin’ cloud o’ gray,
An' doors an' winnocks sneckit tight,
Keep angry howlin' win's at bay,
Then, Jeanie, in our cosie cot,
Our bairnies roun’ us a* sae fair,
Contentment smilin’ o’er our lot,
We sit beside our clean hearth stane.

The blissfu’ hours on downy wings,
Afore we min1, flee by sae sune;
An’ sweetly, while my Jeanie sings,
Her wheel goes roun* wi’ cheerie croon.
Douce, drowsie “ Collie ” o’er his nap,
Perplext wi' nocht o’ grief an’ pain,
Wi’ Baudrons thrummin’ on his back,
Lies beckin' on the clean hearth stane.”