The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-12-29
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE vENrRILoQUIsT.s


There We're three men and a very
handsome girl loading an immense cart
of hay. We walked on, and at length
this moving hay stack overlook us. l
remember it well, with black horse in
the shafts, and a fine light grey one in
the traces. We made very slow pro-
gress for Naesmith would never cease
q. sss ssshsts shsisap d nature ss ssnnin to admire
Indeed, our progress was 50 slow that
up came the great Lothian peasant sit
ting upon the hay, lashing on his team,
and whistling his tune. We walked on,
side by side, for while, | think about
half mile, when, all at once, child
began to cry in the middle Ct the cart.
load of hay. l declare was cheated
myself; for, though l was walking along
side of Alexandra. l thought there was
child among the hay +; for it cried with
kind of half-smothered breath, that l
am sure there never was such a decep-
ton practiced in this world.
What is the meaning of this 2 said
Terry. you are smothering child
among your hay
The poor fellow, rough and hurley as
was his outer man, was SO much appalled,
at the idea of taking infant life. that he
exclaimed in half articulate voice: i
wonder how they could fork a bairn up
to me frae the meadow, an me never
ken = And without taking time to de-
scend to loose his cart-ropes, he cut
them through the middle. and turned
off his hay. roll after roll. with the ut
most expedition /; and still the child kept
crying almost under his hands and feet.
He was even obliged to set his feet on
each side of the cart for fear of tramp
ling the poor infant to death.
At length. when he had turned the
greater part Of the hay upon the road,
the child fell crying most bitterly
amongst the hay, on which the poor
fellow This name was Sandy Burnet,
jumped off the cart in the greatest tre-
pidation. oh! hae thrawn the poor
thing over /" exclaimed he. i warrant
its killed he began to shake out
the hay with the greatest caution. land
one Of my companions went forward to
assist him. Stand back stand back !?
cried he. Yell maybe tramp his life
out. I'll look for it myself But after
he had shaken out the whole of the hay,
no child was to be found. l never saw
such looks of amazement as Sandy Bur-
nets then were. He seemed to have
lost all comprehension Of everything in
this world. l was obliged myself to
go on to the brow of the hill and call on
some of the hay-mskers to come and
load the cart again.
Mr.. Scott and stripped off our coats,
and assisted, and. as we were busy load
ing the cart. l said to Sandy. seeing
him always turn the hay over and over
for fear OF running the fork through a
child, What has become O. the crea-
ture, Sandy for you must be SEN
sible that there was BARN among this
hay
'The Lord kens. sir, said Sandy. >
Think ye the lasses are a. safe enough
an to be trusted 2 said /.
| FOR any thing tEat Ken, SIR.
Then where could the BARN come
frae
The Lord kens. sir. That there was
BARN, or the semblance O ane. naebody
can doubt; but I'm thinking it was a
fairy, an that I'm hauntit.'
Did you ever murder any BARNS,
Sandy p
'Oh no! | wadna murder bairn fol
the hale world
Then where could the BARN come
frae ?-for you are sensible that there
is or was bairn among your hay. l.
is rather a bad looking job, Sandy, and
| wish you were quit Of it,
i Il wish the same. sir. But there car
be nae doubt that the creature among
the hay was either fairy or the ghais
| Of BARN. for the hay was q forkit OF