The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-05-15

Ii extended to abduction, and this 81 es faI
SCHOONER exercised on damsels than ! men
who would be well ransomed, especially oi
those classs, duke, earl, or baron, any o.
whom Johnny offered (for his life) to bring
"within certain day, to his Majesty, james
V either quick or dead. This latter part
Of their art was the highest to which the
Bordtrers aspired; and there never was O
never imong them all that excelled 10 il 50
much as Christie's Wnl I" To steal stirk
or year a score of sheep hdmsrards." be
used 10 say, "was nsetning but 20 steal 4
I5rd was the highest fitch, Of mans genius
and ought never to be lippened 70 hand
less than an Armstrongs;" and, certainly
II the success with winch be executed onC
scheme OF that high kind will guarantees
W ill's boasted abiliti-s ,, he did not transcend
the truth IN limiung lord-stealing TO the Arm
strcngs
Viii married distant relation, OF the true
Border breed, named Margaret Elliott-a las;
~nose ideas OF hussys skso were so peculisr
that she thought Gllnockie ard its laird were
going 10 fuin when she saw IN the ksl-pol
= "beugh hane" Of their own cattle--e symp-
tori u waste, extrsvagsnce, and laziness. on
TIE part Of her husband, that boded less good
than the offer made by 'the Lsirt's Jock,
johnny Armstrong's heuchman---to give
Dick o' the Cow" a piece Of his own OK,
which he came to ask reparati0n for, and,
not having got il, tied with st. Mary's knot
-hAmstring ged-thirry good horses. To
this good housewife, in fact, might Be
tTscea, if antiquAries would renounce for il
ess important Investigations, the old saying
thAt stoi. Joys (Qu. queysf) are sweetesL,
undoubtedly a Border Aphorism, and nos
received into tue society of legitimate moral
sayings. When lazy, and not inclined for
felonis, VIII would not subscribe to the
truth Of the dictum, and often got for grace
% the dinner he had not taken FROM the
English, and yet relshed, the wish Of the
good dame, that, for his want Of spirit, II
might choke him. That effect, however, was
more likely 70 be produced By the beef got
IN the regular Border way; foI the laws were
beginning now 10 be more vigorously exc
cuted, aud many rievec was astonished and
offended BY the proceedings ot the Justice
Ayr q, Jejburgh, where they were actually
gong the length Of hanging for the
crime Of conveying cattle from one prop>rty
10 another.
Il was in vain that VIII told bis wife these
proceedings Of the Jedburgh court; she knew
very well that many Of the Armstrong
and the famous Johnny among the rest--had
been strung up, by the command OF their
king, f-r rebellion aeaiost his authority, but
Il was OUT Of al question, beyond the reach
~ Common sense, and, indeed, utterly bar
barons sod Hnjust TO hang a man, as Glide
roy's lover ssid, "for gear," thing that was
never vt known 10 be stationary. bur, even
from the times Of the Old Testament, given
to taking to ltself wings and ay ne away. l.
was, U-sles, against the Oldest constitution
" things, the Ola possgssors being the To-
.les, VIII acted upon tue comelv principle
already alluded 20, that right was might
the new arls, again. being the Whigs, who
wished % take from the Tories-the free
boot ers-the good old law Of nature and
possession, and regulate property BY the
mere c1ncei i % mems brains. TO some such
purpose did Margaret argue against Wits
illusions to The d3lngs al Jedburgh; but,
secretly VIII cared 10 more for the threat
Gf rope than he did for the empty bravaio
II nelghbor whom he had eased of score
Of cattle II merely brought in the doings
ol the JusticeAyr az Jedburgh u screen his
fits Of laZiness-those states Of the mind
common 10 UleVers, thieves, writer's, and
poets, aud generally all people who live upon
their wits which at times incapactate them
'or using sword or pen for their honest 1--we
] hood. But ali Mafgaret's arguments and
Wills courage we're, Jn one occasion, over
turned By tue riever's apprehension for steal
ing a COW, be )nging TO a farmer al Stobbs,
Of the name Of Grant. He EAs carried 20
Jedburgh jail, and indicted 70 stand BIS trial
before The LJrd-J ustice-G q eneral at the next
circuit. There was determination on the
part Of the crown suth0Ii ities, 10 make an ex-
ample Of th most nveterate riever OF the
time, and Will stood q fair chance Of being
hanged.
The apprehension Of win Armstrong
made q great noise throughout ali Liddes
dale, producing, to the class Of victims, Joy !;
and 10 the class Of spoilers, great dismay !;
but none wondered more at the impertnence
and presumption of the government suthor
tues, 10 attempting thus to dislocate the old
Tory principle OF "might makes right" than
Margaret Elliot who, as she sat in her tur-
ret Of GilnockIs, alternately weps and cursed
for the fate Of her "winsome VIII and, no
doubt, there was Ia the projected coudemna
inches high, with a face ike an AdOnls,
shoulders ike Milo, the speed Of Mercury,
the bolGness Of a hon, and more than the
generosity Of that noble animal, for the crime
Of stealing stirk, something that was very
apt 70 rouse-even IN those who loved him
not so well as did Margaret-feelings Of svm-
pathy for his fate, ard Indignation against
bis oppressors.
There vas no keeping, as the artists say,
in me picture, no proper casualty in q sto-
len COW, for the production Of such an effect
as hanged Phaon or stranged Hercules /;
and, though we have used some class.c
names to grace our idea, the very same
thought, At least as good q one-though,
perhaps, not 50 gaudiiy clothed-occupied
the mind Of Margaret Elliot; she sobbed and
cried bitterly, tIll the GilnUckie ravens and
owls, kiudred spirits, were terrified from the
rievgr's tower.
"What is this o'tf" she exclaimed, in the
midst Of her tears. "Shall Cnristie's Will,
the orayest man 90 the Borders, be hanged,
because q cow--Ihat kenned nae better-fol-
lowed him lrae SJobbs to the Hollowss and
shall it be said that Margaret Elliot was the
death o her Draw TieverS had meat enough
In Giinock;e larder that day scorned hlm
wi has laziness, and forced him 30 do the
deed that has ought him to Jedburgh jail
But IN ava to the warden, james Stewart w
Hrsqusir, and see il 1t be the king Aizh
via that mans II should be ta'en tor q
cows"
Making good her resolution, Margaret
threw her plaid about her shoulders, and
hied her away to Trsqusir House, the same
that still stands en the narsia Of the Tweei,
and raises i.s high, white walls, perforated
by numerous Flemish shaped Windows,
among the dark woods Of Traquair. When
she came to the front Of the house, and saw
TIE two stone figures stationed at the old
gate, she paused and wondered at the weak
ness and e6eminasy Of the Lord High
Steward in endeasoring to defend his castle
by fearful representations Of animals.
t'My faith," muttered she to herself, as
she approached to request entrance "thee
was right in no maxim choice o. the figare
O. q queg to defend his castle" And she
could scarcely resist chdckle ia the midst