The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-04-05
From Russell's Magazine.
MY LANDLADY'S STORY.

That hour o. nights black arch the key.stane.
Tam O'Shanter.
Mrs. Grove, in her work entitled the
"Night side of Nature" makes allusion to
the facts, upon which the following little
story is founded but, strange, she does not
give the details. 1t was case strikingly
in point of her. Was it too horrible to
put in her book or was she restrained by
the same delicacy that made every marvel
monger speak OF it in whisper
1t was told to me, in Edinburg, by my
landlady, Mrs. -. She was from Mont
rose, and spoke in well marked Gelici-
dion, that greatly enhanced her descriptive
powers. 1t is remarkable fact, that no
language is so we'll adapted to thrilling, the
pathetic, and the humorous, as the dialect
OF the Scottish Highlander. Sir Walter
Scott owes much of his success to it, and
the lyrics of Burns would be comparatively
insipid without it. remember once hearing
Mrs. s. jest with her husband about
some nonsense he perpetrated in his court
ship. She was so much amused at it, that
she fell back in her chair and exclaimed,
II Gamma think o. it, but it Almost splue me
seeds laching." The same expression in
plolu IIuSllou, L V0uuVt GuluA Vi alts O0A ~
almost makes me split my sides laughing"
is utterly tame by the side of the other.
Mrs. s., moreover, had manner which
made her narration wildly impressive.
1t was in the evening twilight, and we
were watching, from the parlor window,
the Inchksith light in the Firth of Forth,
throwing out its flashes of warning to the
mariner. 1 forget what drew from Mrs.
s. the awful recital, the interest of
which I have feebly attempted to maintain;
by drawing upon my fancy for some slight
ampi6cation but she began, in substance,
as follows, occasionally tapping me upon my
shoulder, and reducing her voice to Kissing
whisper:
1t is scarcely year ago since young
man died in the town of Haddington. HIS
conduct had been so outrageously dissolute,
that everybody repulsed him with abhor.
renee. Finally he sank down in half-starved
condition at the door of his uncle, an old
blacksmith of Haddington, and was kindly
taken in and cared for. Everything was
done for him that even affection could sug-
gest; but he grew worse and worse, until
he went into delirium, and uttered things
of such frightful import, that few persons
could remain near him. There were certain
expressions which excited more astonish-
ment than others-indeed they drew tears
from those who heard them as we'll on &C.
count of the earnestness with which they
were uttered, as the distracted gesticulations
accompanying them. He seemed to stare
at some distant object-distant as o fixed
star; and with his outstretched hands
thurst forward as if to resist the rapid ap
proach of something, be shouted in a voice
bubbling up through his death rattle,
"Back! back !-awa' wi yel ava wi
ye! 1t is nae sac written / am not to be
bruised No, no, no! 1t is written that
the seed of the women shall bruise-awa'
wi ye-mercy oh, mercy, mercy, mercy y
These rawlings at last ended in death.
1t is the custom in Scotland to set up
three nights with the dead. The corpse
of Andrew Allen (for that was the young
mans name) was placed up stairs in back
room. 1t rested upon rude table, con-
slsting of four small benches supporting two
boards. 1t was wrapped in sheet, and
two half-crown pieces were placel upon
the eyes to keep them shut. The black
smiths house was built upon very simple
plan. The outside door opened into small
ball down stairs, and at the farther end of
the hall were two bedrooms. A staircase
commenced near the door, and led to the
second story, in which there were what
might be called an ante-room, and the
large apartment where the body of Andrew
Allan lay. A door opened into this cham
Der from narrow platform at the head of
the stairs. Any one descending the stairs
from the ante-room, must pass in contact
with this door.
Evening came on and the blacksmith's
two sons, cousins of the deceased, were ap-
pointed to sit up the first night. 1t was
too warm for fire /: so they were provided
with a couple Of tallow candles, q jug, of
mountain dew" and some tobacco and
pipes. Jamie was just twenty-a fine look