The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-02 00:00:00

NOVEL MODE OF BLEACHING.

When the mansion-house and estate of Mol-
lance, now the property of John Napier, Esq.,
were possessed by Mr. Copland, of Colliston,
the following curious circumstance occurred—at
first to the mortification, but latterly to the
great amusement of the family. On a fine
morning in tile month of June, the whole estab-
lishment of hand-maidens rose with the lark, and
after finishing a large washing, watched it by the
burn side, as was then the custom, accompanied
by their respective friends and sweethearts, who,
so far from dosing or allowing others to dose,
kept joking and romping, and firing off rusty
muskets at intervals, more for the purpose of
making the lasses' hearts jump to their mouths,
than of scaring away the midnight thief. Among
other articles exposed, were two or three pieces
of Brussels lace, which at that time sold so high
as from three to five guineas per yard ; and
when the linens came to be lifted—that is after
receiving the full benefit of the alternate dews
and heats of summer—one of these was unfor-
tunately missing. An event of this sort
naturally excited a strong sensation within the
limited circle of the family ; in the eyes of
ladies, lace, was supposed, ranks next to jewels;
and the sorrowing hand-maidens, after undergo-
ing a rigorous examination, were not only blamed
for gross carelessness, but suspected of some-
thing a great deal worse. It was in vain that
they severally protested their innocence, and even
attempted to screen their lads, by modestly in-
sinuating, that they " were never kent for ony-
thing wring ;" and perhaps the Procurator Fiscal
himself, might have found in the occurrence a
profitable job, had not circumstances speedily
conspired " to put the saddle on the right
horse." But a short period had elapsed from
the time the lace was missed, when the far-
descended family in question, attended " the
preachings," at the parish church, and were ac-
commodated with chairs very near the tent,
pitched either in the kirk-yard or the green. A
favourite greyhound attended too, and just as
the worthy pastor had commenced reading the
first psalm, the animal was observed to be con-
vulsed with sickness. On attempting to drive
it away, it ensconced itself right under the tent,
and in a few minutes began to rival the feats of
those conjurers who lay claim to the power of
manufacturing from some internal loom, ribbons
by the ell or even the acre. The ladies stared,
as they well might, when they saw their own
identical lace ejected piece-meal from the animal's
mouth, and exclaimed, loud enough to be heard
(high and low at that time spoke broad Scotch),
" na, the like like o' that ! an' Fly to be the
thief after a'." The maidens gazed with equal
interest, and great was their joy, when they dis-
covered, after the lace had been washed, that it
was not only free from injury, hut much better
bleached, from the unseen operation of the gas-
tric juice, than if it had been exposed for a
month to the searching effects of sun and wind.
And this is the best part of the story, for now
that the stomach pump is so well understood,
much good may accrue from the knowledge of
such a valuable bleaching liquor. Formerly a
lady might have lost her property altogether,
even if she had taken a receipt from the canine
bleacher ; but in our day she has only to butter
her lace as a bribe to the watch-dog, and after
the gastric juice has done its duty, ask her friend,
the doctor, to pump it up again, or in other
words, bring it home from the bleach-field !
Dunfries Courier.

THE RULING PASSION.--A certain descend-
ant of Abraham residing in Hull, and who is more famed
for wit than piety, attended the synagogue a few weeks
ago, and repeated the prayer for the assembling of the Jews
at Jernaalem, with much fervour and marked emphasis.—
Some of the brethren congratulated him on the change
whick had apparently taken place in his sentiments, when
he all at once declared that these were just the rame as ever.
On being asked, if such were the case, why he prayed so
earnestly for the gathering together of the tribes, he an-
swered, "Because I wish you all to go, that I may have
England to myself, fur /intend to remain.".--Hull Packet.