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The Merchant Evangelist, a Memoir of W. M'gavin
The Merchant Evangelist a Memoir of W M'gavin Author:William Reid General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1884 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: CHAPTER II. PAISLEY AND EARLY TRAINING 1789-1798. Joins the Bookselling Trade -- Companions of his Youth -- Wilson the Ornithologist -- Paisley Literary Club -- Becomes a Teacher -- Connects himself with the Antiburghers -- Character and Influence of the Rev. Dr. Ferrier -- 'The Sacrament' -- Covenanting -- Paisley Sabbath School -- Destination of the M'Gavin Family. To Paisley in a great measure is due the credit of making William M'Gavin what he became. Here printing and publishing had been commenced as early as 1769. It was common, however, in this trade at that time only to issue new books after as many subscribers for them had been obtained as would defray their cost Among publishers, Mr. John Neilson then held a conspicuous place, and young Mr. M'Gavin having abandoned the weaving, accepted a situation in his establishment. Most fortunate was he in again finding a considerate employer, for Mr. Neilson was not only characterized by great energy and intelligence, but was ever ready to encourage aspiring young men of promise. Alexander Wilson, having secured him as the publisher of his first volume of poetry, writes of him thus : ' I therefore went and explained matters as they stood, with the deepest regret for being unable to give him any money, arising from the few copies I had sold. His goodness I shall never forget. He freely excused me on account of the circumstances in which I had been placed ; but recommended it to me to be industrious in getting the rest disposed of, and that from whatever place I sent for copies, he would remit them.' BOOKSELLING AND EARLY COMPANIONSHIP. 17 There is ...« less