The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-03-09

THE VILLAGE WONDERS.

THE VILLAGE WONDERS.
Like one greater than either of US, "we woke |
one morning and found ourselves famous |
We had walked the previous morning very |
humdrum, ordinary specimens OF the feminine
gender, in Edinburg this morning, we found
ourselves at Highland village, and, as have
above said. famous. Who are they That
was the question that absorbed the postmas-
ter and the toll keeper-it preplexed the min
lister and the hotel -keeper-it interested the
visitors at the hotel, and the cotters by the
loch side-the very dogs and birds inquired
in their mute language, "Who are they p
It's a pity we were not young men, for we
could have enjoyed ourselves much more even
than we did. since we should not have needed
to be so proper and quiet. That was what
we were not but what we were, was the
question. All that was known was, that two
ordinary looking girls had suddenly appear
ed In the village at that dreamy fairy time,
Highland sunset-that they had no luggage
but what they carried in their hands-that
they had Immediately endeavored TO secure
lodgings anywhere but at the hotel, but In
the scarcity Of rooms TO let, had finally got
accommodation at Mrs. Stewart's small cot
tage thereupon Mrs. Stewart became as one
OF the lions-the mou thpiece of the wonders
the oracle of the village Opinions OF us
shew 1t was not Mrs. Stewards fault that
she could not supply them with definite in.
formation for, amiable and kind hearted
though she was, she was not free from that
invariable failing in country villages, especi-
ally Highland ones-the love OF gossip. we
easily saw how the differe nj results OF her con-
vsrsations swaysd her opinions. and the plea.
mind was quite piquante. The second morn
ing after our arrival the postmaster and
his wife found it necessary to visit Mrs.
Stewart.
"Sae we've gotten twa leddies bidn' Wi We,
Mrs. Stewart. VIVA are they ~
(Mrs Stewards mind was not made up yet,
and she took care not to express herself too
a~Iv NJ 6ra
"Ay, but kenna wha they are. They
havsna tsllt me as yet; but leave me alane
for dndin out funny thIngsr'
"Ye may weel say that Hoo lang are they
Eaun TO bide wi yer"
zane O. them tellt me the day that they
liket the place sac weel they wad stay tort fort;
10 I'm supposing they stay"
"Can ye find DOT their names p
ma! hear theirsels ealing Ally and Carry
and sometimes Granny but ony MAR can.
DOT o. them and dinna like to ask down
RIGHT, What's your namer"
"Whsn their letters come, we shall see; il
They're writin' away this mornin' at ony
rate"
GWEN see then. But what kind O. folk d.
ys think they'll bef'
ssThe father o. ane o. them's hoose- penter
that's certain. for the lassies brocht bit
brod TO try her haun' upon and I'm thinkin'
the ither ane mann be the dochter O. miller or
stsekit thegither Wi yallow paper it maun
be on that trade, by the picturs ootside; and
"What has Maggy to do wi Corns ?"
"I'm thinkin' they'll be dressmaker or mil
liner bodies theirsels," suggested the post
mistress.
"Uressmakers, they are no that weel pitten
on - responds her spouse,
''Sure certain, they haze just the claes they
staun in, and puir enough trash II is But ye
ken cobblers shoon are aye DOM at the heel. "
"I'm thinkn they're no leddies, ony gate
leddies wad haze MAR to say about theirsels,
said the postmaster
Gay, then they're aye talkin' and haverin'
ABBOTT lads"
.'Whilk is a sure sign o. a milliner''
There's ane that l think they maun be
bath wantin, for they're kind @ fechtin'
aRoot htm-they ca him Garry Bauldie: l
think he maun be some great catch, for they
speak maist and Largest ABBOTT him-ye see
they dinna ken that Hieland was are sac thin
and just speak out their mind-but they've a
deal o. haverng ABBOTT some Brownie or
Browning (ill-fanred set a. thae brownies are
and ABBOTT Curry Bell and Dickins. Ye see
mind the names, TO see if they'll be of ony use
to me Afterwards
"They maun be glaikit hizzies."
"Yet dinna think they're that a. thegither
they're sas quiet l. the house, and respectful
To- me, and very little trouble-that's ae thing
mAks me think they're no leddies And wheI
they're no clishmaclav ering O. NIGHTS, if IL
gang in by accident, they're reading eithe
ABBOTT the grain trade, or DOT o. q bulk whau
ilka sntence gangs jump WI the ither, for a
the warld like see-saw. Poultry, they car
it-but why pou' try, / dinna ken, II it's n
that the jabbers o. a hubby jock or clocki II
hen has nair sense in them
.Maybe because name but Geese or ither fOu
read them!"
A hearty laugh and my appearance close
the important colloquy for the time. Tha
afternoo n the carrier, in the same mysteriou
manner in which we appeared ourselve
oh tWn m q n for
Here, Mrs. Stewart, here's somethin
solid for your leddies."
(which ieddies2 What's their namesa"
III dinna ken-no more than yersel. / wa
tauld TO leave them for tne leddies at Mr.
s'Whar frae ~
"Callander,"
"Wha gie'd We shem p
"The station master"
"What did he sayF'
"Nasthing but what I've tellt ye''
This was q terminus, so she knocked at OF
door.
"Here's some luggage com'd but we dim
kan II it should be for you. What nam
should be on IL ~
."Oh, It's all right We expec ted them. As
the man to bring them in.
She did so with evident unwillingness, b,
we parted with the carrier on the best
Passer- by log. "Hoo are ye gsttin' on W
ye "F, ,Sass''''
~ 'onu oot their names yetf'
~ wonder II they've ony. I'm thiaki,
!sAy're no that canny-maybe fairies or Z
. ., or witches. ! wadna be YOU Mrs Ste,
IT, tor something. They came in q ficht
sunlight, and they'll gang In a puff O. smol
Matr hy token, when Nanse was down wi b
water stoups to the loch, she saw them loo
Ia into the water like q couple o. fules, q
she went gey near them on purpose and I
fatr-haired one, Ally, said to the ither
'Hasn't that q fne effect, that glorious gre
on the water = 'Ay, Ally; but love
water-scenes 30 much: mind you, I'm hal
mermaid And what she meant by tn
but something unsarthiy, ] wad like
know
"Na. M Rather owrs sabs tantiai for O
unsarthiy bsin', especially the Carry an
she's ABBOTT - braid she's lanx-and tn,
name o them that bonny either; and 10
what hsarty meals they take--that's no fai
"Faithsr says they're some gamblin' b
gass, but mtther thinks they maun be Or
tieed gapsles. They hinna seen them vet,
sesyrs comm by 70 get peep o. them
sOome early, then. for never ken VI
they'll b after they generally ba,ag out
The norma without rhyme or rea son. /
somettmes come back 70 dinner At Id
times, III ind them landed In their room
the dusk, and they'll tell me they've b
some score o. miles. ! dinna like 70 misd
them; but 1t looks funny. for they're evid