The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-11-21
Miscellaneous.
From Chambers Edinburgh Miscellany.
puRNET OF CASTLEHILL..


Ia consequence ofsome Of those civil and
domestic broils which disturbed the reign of
%o hcan,eous Mary of Scotland, her i'll fitted
S",hond found it convenient TO retire for u
,mo 10 the castIe ofSmithtield in Tweeddale
'"Se,e with IA small retinue, he occupied him
.,lfin the pleasures of the chase and other
,or,s ofthe country. His residence here
,gosrendered very uncomfortable, blythe pred
M a,ory snirit which infested the borders, and
which according TO historian ofthe period,
WINS partallen Off no small degree by the in
Lnhi,on,s of Tweeddale themselves. The
castle which served as II habitation TO Darnley
s,oed on the side of hill Immediately adjoin-
inc tJ,e ancient burgh of PEBBLES, and was
then n place of considerable strength, though
not a stone now remains to tell its site. Here,
then. dweIt the young king when the circum-
stances occurred which we are about 10 re-
late, as the voice of tradition brought them TO
our knowledge.
The vale Of Manor, situated n few miles
70 the west of the town of PEBBLES, is one of
,bc most pleasant ofthe many geus that send
in their tributary waters to the Tweed. For
those who love the richly cultivated field and
,mooth.shaveu lawn, the vale of Manor has
iwcharms; but 10 those who are admirers of
nature in her wilder aspects, who delight in
the bold and hcath-clad hill, and in the clear
rock-born strenmlct, it is II scene full of beau
wand interest. Though nj the present day
OnIya solitary tree raises its lonely head here
aud there on the steep declivities, the vale at
one time unquestionably formed n part of the
tract called the Forest, in the matted woods
Oiwlich the Scottish monarchs hunted the
n wNboar and the wolf as well as game of II
hsSnrrible character. But like Yarrow,
Manor now presents only Ihe grace of forest
charms decayed, and pastoral melancholy
Whatever other changes the vale may have
undergone, its little mill still remains, in near
ly the same situation which it occupied three
hundred years ago. We do not mean to aver
that the same tenement in which honest An
drew Tod drew from his Reighbors the dues
of multure, is still existent; the hand of time
has long since crumbled the old walls into
dust; but nearly in the same spot does The
stream of the Manor still whirl round II noisy
capper, us II did in the DAYS ofQueen Mary.
Many an occupant, too, has been resolved into
dust, indistinguishable from that ofthe stone
walls which he Inhabited, since the time of
the parsonage we have named. Andrew Tod
the miller of Kirkton, as the place was de
nominated, was, at the time of this eyenttill
story, a man considerably above the age of
sixty years, hut still rosy in complexion, and
uuhroken in bodily health. Time had
SllHnuN ulllUtl anu WilllblSttAl MS ltlIlllltS,
bnt he merted still the epithet often bestow-
edupon those of his trade, of "a jolly Miller
Andrew bore n high character for honesty-a
character, which, without antithesis, was not
in his times, often bestowed on those of his
trade;-and the Kirkton miller had obtained,
through his honesty. and industry, sufficient
O'the goods of this world TO make him com
irritable in it, His family, for three genera
TONS had been occupants ofthe mill otkirk
ton, and Andrews greatest ambition was 10
be succeeded in it by his posterity He had
married early in life, but for many years he
had been unbessed with family, until his
wife brought him daughter, and died in Civ
ing birth TO her. The miler's whole affec-
tons were thus thrown upon one object, and
the little Mary Tod was in fair way, it mighr
seem, of being from infancy spoilt child: for
her fathers love was liker to doting than or
binary parental affection. But circumstance
es fortunately INTERVIEWED which rendered
Mary Tod at the age of eighteen. not only
far from being spollt child, but girl of man
nCrs and intelligence far above the ordinary
maidens of her rank. What these crcumstan-
ces were, it is necessary that we should eX-
plain. ..,
In the preceding reign namely that of
James V, the ancient church first began TO
lose its hold on the respect of the Scottish
people. In this reign, at least, the first open
OBJECTIONS were made to the reformed doc
lrines. The Catholics, however. were still in
possession of power, and the king himself
could not staud out against them, or defend
the retormers from their enmity. Hence those
who openly protested the new doctrines were
IN many instances obliged to fly, and to hide
themselves Tor the preservation oftheir lives
one OF these tugtives, a worthy priest who
attached himsefto the new light, had found
shelter in the little retired vale of Manor
Here he applied himself to the teaching of
tle rural population around: and such was his
untllity, and the respect which his learning
ana manners acquired, that he spent his day,
~ SAFETY while the hour ofdanger lasted;ant
wheh the reformed religion came to be open
~ progressed by the country, continued still
lnstructlng the youth ofthe little vale. Hi
P'ice OF refuge had been the cot of poor wild
ow' whose husband had died about the tim
vi the good priests arrival, and had left he
WIN an infant boy to provide for as best sh
might The small pittance which the prizes
could afford to her,together with the produce
vi little plot of land, constituted the who'll
vi her revenue. Her son, Edward Burue
was me NJ iavorite pupil of the refugee; an
wen dld his progress and attainments repa
She care bestowed on him. The miller's fai
uaushter mad been. from her childhood al
most, the object of the good priests instruc
tons; nor was this care thrown AWAY on n
u6fruitful soil. Edward and Mary were thu
often together when children; and MS the
grew in years, they still contihued to receiv
Jointly the lessons ofthe priest But wbetl
er this arose altogether from desire oflearr
ing, is matter ofdouht; and in this dubitatio
our readers will most probably be inclined I
JON, after perusing what follows.
IL was clear and pleasant eveningin sun
lner when Mary Tod left the door other fatl
ers comfortable straw matched dwelling, an
directed her steps TO the. side of the it'll