Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-11-13

OWSb w wv V0NSs s"y
where upon, and stud the margin of, Loeb
Boyochd grow in singular beauty on the cdg-
Us of that linn, and throw a fair and melan-
choly radiance over the nook in which il
shelters; but on the bosom Of the pool itself
not a leaf or flower was ever known to float
The circular basin of black, still water seem
IN reality, spell bound for not one of the
weeds which cover the entire surface Of the
waters Hear, ever makes its way within that
enchanted circle.
According to the legend Of the Linn, the
goblin Of the loeb, once a mortal man, sold
his being to the evil one for a pot Of broad
gold pieces which lost their value in his eyes
as soon as the change came over his human
nature. Jealous of the happiness Of the
simple cottars of Strathonc, the spirit rcsol-
we'd within his bitter heart that the base born
~avaricc that took his own soul captive should
be from generation to generation a share to
those who were once his fellows. lie sank
the caldron of gold in a pool of Loeb Boy
ochd, crossed two naked swords upon its
mouth, and spread abroad the fame Of his
unholy deposit among the dunizens of tho
glen. The accompanying prophecy was
this: IL the treasure should be discovered
by numbers, its wealth would turn to fairy
gold; if by one alone, each sword would do
its work Of doom, yet the discovcrcr would
die in wealth and honor. The date of tho
prophecy is long worn out but its authenticity
is Il matter undisputcd by the most enlight-
cncd among the natives of Scrathonc, and
seeing that a thousand strange tales depend
upon it, which if they serve no other pur-
pose, at least bear testimony to the romantic
and imaginative character of the people. /
am tempted to give and illustration of legend
itself, one somewhat more probable in its de-
tails than the rest. Here it is So
Half way between the extrcmitcs of Loeb
Boyoch, Just where the headlcad of Skian
Var almost %cleaves the lake in two, stand tho
ruins of an old house, called by the natives
in their rude dialect, liner Vcolan, or the
".Mill LEDGE" The name is not inappropri-
) ate to the object of it for there dashcs down
the hills Just at that point a torrent, near the
mouth of which may still be seen the
, relics of some primitive production Of art.
! Indeed the whole Of the little area is a beau
f titul doves nest, whici.cling to the only nook
of gsound in that quarter which could afford
4 footing for a domicilc as lowly even as the
u .hHh i<CuSC. 81 tUh Sloui' VI pl"IN I'"So
t shelters it from behind, a swelling brac slopes
, down to the margin of the loch in ont,whilc
the hills rising bold and sheer on every side,
render it tho central point in an arena oil
surprising beauty. The last occupant of
that picturesque domicilc, of which nothing
now remains, but ''brcckan green and cold
grey %stonc," was Donald Banc the stout mill
4 Ter Of the strath, a wight possessed of all tho
= requisites and pcrquisitcs Of his vocation, in
t GLIDING the only child, that " millcr's maid,'
t which seems the per ,ativc of the craft. n
sweet young thing was the millcr's daughter,
! mothcrlcss and bro,hcrlcss, and almost friend
: less; for though few in the lonely glen but
4 would have nourishrd and cherished the gen.
tic Annie as their own, yet there was about
the pensive maiden Of liner Ncolan a sort OF
, fearful ,imidity--a silent shrinking, retiring
-, temperament, that cut of every avenue OF
familiar intercourse with the ruder spirits o.
the vally, and rendered her, with her small
light figure, pale cheeks, and starry eyes, ar
object rather of compassionate interest thar
eliminate companionsllip.
Annie was yet in her very girlhood whcr
thc arrival a!his patcrnal mansion Of Colone
Munro Of Glcnorc, the lord of the manor
and chief of the clan, threatened seriously
10 influence her hitherto untroublcd fate
Colonel Munro had spent his early manhood
in TIC wars of other lands and having car
ricd thence a constitution shattered by thu
chances Of his profession, had come but fol
a passing visi, to the home ofhis fathers, pre-
vious to his departure toa climate more con
genial to his dcbilitatcd frame. Among TIT
.,n:. Sc k,~~ ,,l c.r, -
t~cndants WHO accompanied him on that oc
casion there was n soldier named Hugh,
native Of the glen who had followed hin
though many ofthc scenes of his warfare, ant
established a strong interest with his mastc
by some important service rendered him il
distant parts. The colonel was DESTROYS o
d settling Hugh in comfort and independence
and offered HIM as the reward of all his wan
Is behring's, u farm in Stranthonc, which, wit
IA pension, the reward of a tri1ing wound
Is render d him a little prince in that lowl,
n community. The natural consequence Of
G mans settling in life seems pretty generally
e in all situations, to be, that he shall look on
for a wife, accordingly, even before Hugh
master had left Glenorc, or Hugh himscl
had been discharged from his old duties abou
his person, the latter cast his eyes abou
among the fair-haircd maidcns of tho glen
and established his clam to a refined tast
l. and an cnglithtencd judgment by passing b.
al every other, that he might fix his heart, an
lay his new passions at the feet of his gent
Annic. Donald Banc simple and primitiv
" rs were his notions, knew too much of tn
to value of OF this worlds gear to overlook tn
the prc,cnsions of such a suiior, and Hug
a found his hopes most uncquivocally sane
cs toned, and his claims allowed by the sto,
ct miller of liner Neolan. Donald Banc sa,
as his darling Annie already a lady in the lane
IN and all the dain,incss of her breeding confirm
il ed and justified by the fate in prospect ia
ne her; 50 that Hugh grew in favorof from da
O. and the mountain path that led of old frol
he the mansion house of Glcnorc to the mill {
cr liner Ncolan, was once more cleared of in
H. pcdimcnts.
he All this while Annie was left entirely O,