The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-04-24
TALES OF THE BORDERS
THE WIFE OR THE WUDDY.
w

The CfOWd AID cart 0lu 1lA0da
10 zee II he would marry wife,
Or, otherwise, choose u .ie
'0h, why should torment my life y
The victim did reply;
sThe bargains bad 10 every part
But . Wife's the worst-driys on the cart"
Honest Sir John Falslaff talketh of "min-
ions Of the moon;" and, truth to tell, two
or three hundred years age, nowhere was
such an order OF knighthood more prevalent
than upon the Borders. Not only did the
Scottish and English Borderers make their
forays across the Tweed and the ideal line,
but rival chieitAins. though Of the same ma
ton, considered themselves at liberty to
make inroads upon the property OF each
other. The laws Of n.sum and iaBm they
were unable to comprehend. Theirs was
the strong mans world, and with them
might was right. But 10 proceed with our
sto-y. About the beginning Of the seven
teenth century, one Of the b1ldrst knights
upon the Borders was William Scott, she
young LAIRD of Harden. HIS fayOurlte resi-
dence was OakwOod Tower, place of great
strength, situated on the banks Of the Et-
trick The motto ~ bis family was, "RsPa-
rabbi Cornua Phubs," which, being inter
preted bY his countrymen IN their vernacu-
lar idiom, ran thus-"Wep hae moonlight
again" Now, the young laird was one who
considered IL his chief honour to give effect
TO both the spirit ard the letter Of his fami-
" motto. Permitting Us again TO refer to
honest FSlstaff, it implied that they were
gentlemen OF the night" And he was
not one who would Toll upon his
pillow when his "avocation" called him to
the foray.
L. ~.
month Of October, when the leaves in the
forest had become brewn and yellow, and
with hard sound rustlec upon each other,
that young Scott called together his retain
ers, and, addressing them, sai1-"Look We,
friends, Is It not crying sin AID national
shame to see things going Aglee as they are
doing? There seems hardly such a thing
az ma hood left upon the Borders. A bit
scratch With q pen upon parchment is be
coming Of more effect than q stroke with the
sword. a BARN now stands as good a chance
to hold and 10 have, as an armed man thar
has hand to take and to defend. Such a
s'ate O. things was only made for those who
are over lazy to ride by night, and over
cowsrdly to fight. Never shall it oe said
that |, William Scott, of Harden, was one
who either submitted or CONFIRMED to Il.
Give me the GOOD, old, manly Law, that 'they
shall keep who cam and VIZ my hoDest
sword will maintain my right against every
enemy. Now, there is our natural and Jaw
iul adversary, suld Sir Gideon aurrav o.
Elbank, carries his head as high ~ though
he were first cousin to n king, or the sole
lord o. EttrIck Forest. More than ono has
he sighted me in a way which il wasna tor
q Scott to bear; and weel do ken that be
has the will, and wants but the power, to
harry Us o house and ha'. But, BY my
roth, be shall pay dear reckoning for a.
the insults he has offered to the SCOTS O.
Harden. Now, every Murray among them
has weel-stocked mailing, and their kline
are weel-fr,ocred; so-night, the moon is
laughing cauningly through the clouds: then,
what say ye, neIghbors-wtIl We ride va me
20 Elibank2 and, before morning, every man
v them shall have q toom byre.n
"HurTa - shouted they, ssfor the young
laird He is q true Scott from head TO heel |
Ride on, and we will follow ye Horrai-
the moon CLIENTS over the bills 70 guide n
TO the spoils O Ellbankl Tonight, We shall
bring langsyne back again."
There were twenty Of them, stout and
bold men, mounted upon light and active
horses-some armed with 6relocks-others
with Jeddart slaves while, in addition to
such weapons, every man bad q good sword
By his side. At their head was the fearless
young laird; and, at brisk pace, they set
of towards Ehbank. Mothers and maidens
ran 10 their cottage doors, and looked after
them with foreboding hearts when they rode
along; for Il was saying amongst them that
~when young Willie Scott, O. Harden set his
foot in the stirrup ut night, there were TO be
swords drawn before morning." They knew
also the feud between him and the house
Of Elibank, and M well did they know
that the Mnrrays were q resolute and stardy
race.
Morn had not dawned when they arrived
~ the scene where their booty lay. Not q
Murray was abroad; and to the extreme they
carried the threat Of the young laird into ex-
ecnsion, Of making stoom BY res.1 BY scores
and BY hundreds, they collected together,
INTO one immenss herd; horned cattle and
sheep, and they drove them before them
through the forest towards 0akwOod Tower.
The laird. in order TO repel any rescue that
might be attempted, brought up the rear,
and, in the Joy OF his heart, he sang, and, at
tiIses, cIied aloud, "Thers will be dry break
fasts in Eiioank before the sun gsts oct, but
a. ~ meal at 0skwood afore he gangs
doun. An entire bullock shall be roasted,
and wives and bairns shall eat o. IL.
~ humb;y bee your pardon. Maister viii
liam,S ssid IN old retainer, named Simon
Scott, and who traced distant relationship
with the family, Il respectfully ask your
pardon, bat / have been in your iather's FAM
ily for forty years. and never was bsekwsrd
in the hoor o. danger or in ploy like this;
but 20 win just all0o ne 70 observe. mir, that
Wilfn' wasis makes Wofu' want, and ses nae
occasion whatsssr for roasting bullock. Il
would be a. bed q oof nseb0Fs on ths ithsr