, 1864-05-07
FROM WILSON'S TALES OF THE BORDERS. !
Hume and the Mayor of Berwick.

aume ana Cne mayor OF 6efW1ck.
lhe Lord Hume of the latter part Of the
seventeenth century had natural son, Pat
rick. an arch rogue, inheritlng the fire of
the blood Of the Humes, along with that
which burnt in the black eyes Of the gipsies
OF Yctholm. He was brought up by his
father, and, true to the principles Of his
c education, would acknowledge no patrons Of
he heart save the three ruling powers Of
love, laughter, and war-Cupid, Momus,
and Mars-a trio chosen from all the gods.
as being alone worthy Of the worship Of
gentleman. How Patrick got acquainted
and in love with the Mayor Of Berwick
daughter, Isabella. we cannot say, nor need
antiquarians try to discover; for where there
was SOuthrOn to be slain or lady to be
W n, Patrick Hume cared no more for bar,
but res. battlt ment, fire or water, than did
Juve for his own thunder cloud, under the
shade Of which he cOurted the daughter Of
luachus. Letting alone the recondite sub
ject Of :" loves beginn n.y." we shall tread
safer ground in stating that their affection
had been very materially increased, on both
sides, by the walls of Berwick; for, though
Patrick was great despiser Of fortifca-
lions, he had felt, in the affair Of his love
Tor Isabella, the fair daughter If the Mayor
Of Berwick, that there is no getting dam
ei through ioOphOle though there mght
be poured as much sentimental aud pathetic
speech through the invidious opening as
ever passed through the free air that fills
the breeze under the trystiug thorn.
At the period Of our story, the town of
Berwick belonged to the English; and the
Mayor, being himself either an Englishman,
or connected by strong ties of relationship
with the English, had strong antipathy
towards the Scottish Border raiders. whom
he dcnominated as gentlemen -robbcrs, head
ed by the noble robber Hume But, above
all, he hated young Patrick, into whose
We ms, he said, there had been poured the
distilled raid-venom and love-poison Of all
the gentlemen-scaumers that ever infested
the Borders. The origin of this hatred hud
some connection with an affair Of the New
milne, belonging to Berwick; the danl.dike
Of which, Patrick alleged, prevented the
salmon from getting up the river, and hence
destroyed aii his angling sport, as well as
that Of all the nOb.emen and gentlemen
that resorted to the river for the purpose Of
practising the :. gentie art" hc had there
lore threatened to pull it down, to let up
the fish; and sounded his threat in the ears
of the indignant Mayor, in terms tha, were
made stronger aud bitterer BY the thought
that dikes aud walls were his greatest baue
upon earth; by the walls Of Berwick the
Mayor kept IRON his arms the fair Isabella.
and BY the dam-dike Of Newmilne the same
Mayor deprived him Of the pleasure Of au-
gang Was such power on the part Of
Mayor to BE- borne by the high-spirted
youth who had been trained to look upon
mason-work as mere stimnlant to love or
war-a thing that ralsod the value OF what
it enclosed by the opposition it offered 10
The young blood that ragged for entrance
lhe youth thought not. He vowed that he
would neither lose his Isabella nor his sal
mon; and. as fate would have it, the old
Mayor had heard the vow, and vowed also
that young Patrick should lose both.
Having fshed one day to no purpose, in
con. equence Of the obstruction Of that
most accursed Of all dam-dkes, the New
milne dixie" as Patrick styled it, he threw
down his rod and lay down upon the bank
OF the river, to wait the hour when the NOON
should summon and light HIN to the loop
hole in the other Of his hated distractions,
the walls Of Berwiek-where that evening
he expected to meet his beloved Isabella,
and commune with her in the eloquent Ian
guage of their mutual passion. The bright
lumlnary burst in the midst Of his Ieveries
ff,m behind an autumn cloud, and flashed
u long silver beam upon the rolling waters.
He started to his feet.
at is beyond my time" he said, self
accusingly. "My isabella is on Berwick
wall, aud l am still lingering here by the
banks Of the river, three miles from where
my love and honor require me to be. Tho
lOiterer in love is laggard in war; and
shame on the Hume who Is either"
In short time the yodug Hume was
beneath buttress Of the old walls
Of the town, looking earnestly through n
email opehiiigl in which be exl xlected to see
the face Of the fair daughter OF the Mayor.
"Art there at last, loyeI" said he, in
soft voice, us he saw, with palpitating heart,
the pretty but arch face Of the bewitching
heiress Of all the wealth Of the old burgher
lord pecring through the aperture. What,
in the name Of him who got his wings in the
lap Of Venus, and uscth them to this hour
as cleyetly as doth our pretty messenger Of
Spring, hath kept thee, wenchH"
"Hal ha! hush hush, man p respond
ed she, whose spirit equalled that Of the
boldest Hume that ever headed raid.
!. Thou IT the laggard. I've waited for thee
IN hour, until I've sighed this little love
hole into an oven heat, waiting thee, thou
lover Of broken trOth! Some gypsy queen
IL Haugh Of the Tweed hath wooed thee
out Of thy affection for thy Isabel; and now
thou askest what hath kept me. Ha! ha
Hume"
"The moon cheated me, and went skulk-
ing under cloud, " responded Aume.
Sand the cloud threw my love in the
shade" added quickly the gay girl. Me-
thought love kept his own dial, and was in.
Of sun or moon. What If rebel
vapor cometh over the queen of heaven that
night thou art to make me free? My hope
Of liberty, fancy, would be elouded; Snd
would be rennitted again to the care Of
Cantait Wallace. who keepeth the town aud