The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-08-15
Good Morrow Ny Pretty Maid"
From Fraser's Magazine, republished in BY
~ Saturday.

Ty Saturday.
Once upon time in summer morning,
three regiments Of soldiers marched through
an old burgh town, known to its inhabitants
as emphatically "the town"-one of those
towns like the blue-white oysters hanging
from brown and green sea-weed, which
fringe the coast of the firth, known in its
young days as Scotland Water. The town
was not dilapidated then. 1t was the resort
of shippers gently born, who did little in
the privateering business, and left their
mark in the shape of two STORED wind-swept,
sea-washed houses, with back doors, and
main doors,-a coping above the last, and a
.square stone above the coping, bearing an
anchor or a coat Of arms, or two pairs of
initials, those of husband and wife,-uni-
ted in stone if disunited in flesh.
The town had its population, but what
the soldiers saw of them consisted solely of
women, unless children, dogs, hens and
ducks be taken into account. Not women
in their normal state either, running out,
fne or slatternly, rejoicing in the sight of
the red coats, blessing the bonnie faces of
the Southron, but lowering women, scowIing
and scolding, and where they could not
scowl and scold, sore hearted and wet-eyed.
When they held up their children it was not
to laugh and crow to the strangers, but to
threaten them: 'Look at them BARN ken
them again; and if your father falls, laddie.
grow man and be their deaths" The old
skipper town, hating the union and loving
its former privileges in malt and salt and
trade with Holland, was Jacobite to the
hearts core, and these were soldiers of Cum.
berland whom English called Bill and
Scotchmen, the Butcher. The townsmen
were away with the Jacobite leader, the
women were left behind to witness the des.
citation and degradation of the town as the
Hanoverian troops crossed the ferry, quar-.
tered themselves on their enemies, or march
ed in pursuit of "Charlie and ais men," tc
wait for news of encounters and engage
ments, to sigh for the return OF their men
folk, And tho echo of the wonlen's signs
soughs still on the bleak Scotch breezes,
among the swaying thistIes and noddine
blue-bells, in snatches of old songs: ''OI
send Lewie Gordon hame;" GA would be
right again gin Jamie were come back"
A strange, deserted, sad, sulIen world
these English gentlemen, women and
grooms passed through in the hostile dis
tricts, like crossing the Styx and wandering
among the shades of the dead, as to th(
Hessians the Northern pass appeared tn,
mouth of hell; but they were mostly prac
teal men, thinking of the glories of Bail
in the season, or the comforts of country
houses Of shot and shoulder belts, of boot
and tops and aching limbs within them, o
grudged nights quarters and ''sweer'' kai
and porridge, or, if their imaginations wer,
given to excursions, of hillside ambushe
and the slogan of Highland savages.
The bitter jibes and muttered curses o
the women fell on the soldiers like small
stones on coats of mail; they were no
worth resenting, so long as war Of word
was all which the viragos ventured to wage
Yet were they strong women these Scotch
wenches,-someo of them the terror of tn,
yellow harvest field in their snoods or cur
ches, or the randy fishwives of the whit
sandy shore. Most of them had drunk il
scripture with their Scotch blood and thei
mothers milk, and were well read in tn
in the stories of Jael and Sisera, and tn
mother of Israel, who threw down a piec
of milestone on the head of Abimelech, tn
son Of Jerrubal; and the red coats had nee
to march warily through the steep marrow
streets of the town.
a few of the spectators were of highe
rank and gentler breeding, but not of oppc
site faith these were at the windows, ex
pressing their wrath by silent stately SCORE
One young woman of this class filled a nal
row window with her hoop and ruffles; Will
at the other window Of the same tall, gra
house, women and children, ladies and sci
wants clustered and hung by each other lik
frightened pigeons or sheep but the gil
set herself forth alone as mark for, the cal
blnes should there be skirmishing in th
streets or volleys Of insolent triumph, j
voluntary testimony, knitting her sInoot
brow, and setting her white teeth, 10 he