The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-01-14 00:00:00

MISCELLANEA

At the next meeting of the Liverpool Polytechnic So-
ciety much interest is likely to be excited by the discussion
which is to take place upon the Trish peat charcoal ques-
tion, Mr. Rogers, the originator of the scheme, having
promised to be present.

min, and a narrow berth fixed in one corner. The track
through the forest leads up to his door, before which.
AULD JEAN OF ADERGELDIE.—In the estate of Aber- stands a bit of paling, or a couple of hurdles, to sun his
geldie, there lives an old woman known generally by the blankets on, if he takes this trouble to dispel the vermin.
name of Auld Jean. Her Majesty, one day in passing, His mode of life is uniform to excess. When he arises
did not fail to notice the strange appearance of the build- in the morning he smokes his short black clay pipe ;
ing, which looked more like a potato pit than a house,, breakfast tardily appears, consisting of tea, damper, and
from the many coatings of divot which had been laid on, a huge pile of mutton chops, if his is a sheep station, or
and which had become green and grassy. Her Majesty salt beef if a cattle station. After breakfast he lights his
entered the hut, which was to Jean, kitchen, parlour, bed- pipe again, and sallies forth on horseback. His dress
room, and laundry, and offered to build her a more com- consists of! a broad-brimmed straw hat, a blue shirt, fus-
fortable house, by substituting stone and lime in place of tian or some such trowsers, supported by a belt round the
stone and thrf, to which Jean replied, " Na, na, am no waist, and ankle boots ; his heels are armed with spurs,
seekin' a new house ; a white house widna do wi' me. I while in his belt, or in his holsters, he probably has pis-
think an I had the ane' I had sortit, I would be braw tols. In his hand he carries the universal stock whip,
enough." Her Majesty gave orders to get the house the handles a foot long, and the lash twelve or sixteen
comfortably repaired. It is now a comfortable home for feet, and giving forth sounds that startle the silence of
Jean. Her furniture being scarce, and so acted upon by the forest. During the day his pipe is relighted at every
soot, smoke, and old age, that one would think that it hut or Ere-stick he passes, or if he sees none of these, he
had undergone the thorough process ofjapanning;an offer has recourse to his flint and steel. Probably he is out
was made to Jean. to make it all new, but Jean replied, till sunset without eating anything, and when he returns
" A vow, weel await no ; I widna want my bed ava, for he sups, as he breakfasted, on damper and mutton chops,
it was made afore Culloden, an' three pretty lords sleepit or salt beef, not both, but on one or the other, according
in't fan they war coming hame." Jean's house being to the stocks he breeds. If at home to dinner his fare
now finished., a number of her neighbours met on the 17th is the same ; and even if he calls on a neighbour ten or
ultimo, to celebrate what is called in the Highlands of twelve miles off he finds no variety. Ten to one he has
Scotland the " fire-kindling" of Jean's new house. The no books, or no taste for reading ; therefore he smokes
old wnintin and her brother danced at the ball—the one his pipe till bedtime, and then turns in. The next day is
aged eighty-seven, and the other eight?-four only a repetition of the one that went before.—llender-
Akri.teen Herald. I son's Excursion; in Australia.