The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-09-10
TALES OF THE BORDERS
THE SOLITARY OF THE CAVE
NY yaHy NACKAY WILSON.

on the bank, Of the Tweed and abou
half milc above where the Whittadde
flows /. 10 10 ON the opposite there Is a smal
and singular cave. 1t is evidently not al
excavation formed ly nature, but the worl
of mans .ar~.s. 10 the best Of my rCcol
lection. It about ten feet square, and il
the midst uf L Is pillar or column, hewr
out Of tie IA mass, and reaching from th,
door t. thc roof It Is an apartment ca
out X the S1l'd rock. AMI must Slayc been
Wo,L X great labor IN the ucighhor
hool. Il !, generally known Wy the name o
Kim, Cove. aud ,Ae tradition runs, tha
Il WIS once TIE hiding place Of ScottisE
King. Formerly, II was a,cended from The
level II ihc water ~ fright Of steps, ulsC
4, "a out of rock; but The mouldcrma
touch of time, the storms Of winter. and the
undcrminiu- acton uf the river, which g IL
t!nually appears to press southwark (as
though nature aided IN cnlarging the scot
tish loundary.) has long since swept them
away, though part VI them were entire
within tie memory Ct livin- men. " hat
kim used il as a hiuing place, tradition
,avcth uut but It also whispers that i was
. used for lhe purpose by the great pa
tr,ot hero Sir William Wallace. These
things may have teen; hut certainly It
never vas formed 70 w mere P!a~" "
conccaImcut ior q king, though such iS the
popular belief Immediately above the
hank where u Y situated, are the remains
or 4 itoman camp; ami II ~ more than
probable that tho cave Is cocvai with the
camF, aud ma, have been used for religious
purpoSes--or, pcrchaucc, as a prison
But our story has reference to more mod
rcrn times. Almost ninety years have fallen
as drops Into the vast ocean ot eternity,
since strange and solitary looking man
took M hs residence in the cave. lie ap-
peared melancholy bcins-he was seldom
seen, and there were few with whom he
would hold cunyerse How be lived no one
could tell. nor would he allow any one to
appoach his singular habitation. 10 was
generally supposed that hc had been ''out, "
"a the phrase wort, with Prince Charles,
ybo.after beng hunted as avid beast upon
tbe mountains, cscaped to France only a
few months before the appearance of the
Solitary On TwcclsiIc. This, however, was
merely CONJECTURE. The history and
character of tie stranger were a mystery ;
AMI the more ignorant q the people be-
Iio.ed him TO be a wizard n wicked man,
WHO. wLilo hc avoided all manner Of inter
course with hi, fellow morials, had power
avqr and was familiar with spirits of the
air; for, at that period, the idlc belief ~
vit,bcra.t was siill general Ills garments
, were as singular az his habits, and large
coarse cloak or coat, q brown color, fast
cnrI around him with 4 lcatherr g1rdle
covered he person; while on bis head he
N.rc a long, conical cap, composed oi toA
.,ns some what resembling those WON pow
a-days Nv some of our regiments ct dra
r,on. Ills heard, which was black, wat
y al.o permitted to grow. But there was
lisnity IN his step, as he was occasionally
,ol.,uryed walking upou the hanks over hI'
hermitage. aud an expression oi PRIDE upor
A L;. courtenanrc and in the lance of hI
c,es. which spoke hm 10 have been persoI
vt some note.
/ Ior three years he continued The inhabI
ltapt of the cave; aud, throughout that "
r;od. he permitted no one to cntT It. Bu
on It's appearing to be deserted for severa
days. some fishermen, aPprehendE z tha
the recIuse might be dying, Of perchane
, dead. within il, ascended tie flight {
steps, and, removing rude door Whtc
merely rested against the rock aud blocke
m the aperture, they perceived that th
cave was tcnanilcss. On the farther sid
of The pillar, two bosrrls. slightly raised q
an ipclineJ plane, and covered with Dire
ru.hes. marked what had been OF the Sol
tarv. A low stool, a small and rude tabl'
with two or three simple cooking utensil
comuletcd the fuunrHre OF the apartmen
The fisherman were about to Withdraw
when ono of them picked UP 2 small pare
of manuscripts near the 4 tDor ol The caves
though the hermit had dropped them By a
oident at bis departure They appeared
he intended as letters to a friend, and wel
I entitled. -..-u. .t,
"MY HISTORY"
~Dcar Lewis, (they bcgan,) when dea
shall have sealed up the eyes, and pc
chance some stranger dug grave for yol
!. early friend, Edwafd Fleming, then Il
words which be now writes for your pcrus
may meet your eye. You believe ne de-
) and would 70 Heaven that had died c
ny hands bcc4nc red with guilt, and n
y Conscience living Gre which prcys uP'
= and torturos ne, bui will not consume IDA
r Yeu remembcr-ioE you were with me
/. the .hrst time met Catharine Forester
!, WAS when kcr father invited ne to his hou
I. IN Nitbsiale,and our hearts, like tho seaso
were ynung.. Sic came upon my eyes
u d dream OF beauty, a being more Of beav
!, than Of earth. Nou, Lewis, must adu
!, tbat she was an that fancy can palnt
= r Ioyeliness Her face, her form, her aubu
ringlets, falling over a neck Of alabaster
X where might man ft,d equal ? She becal
x Y tue sole obj 4 Of my waking thoughts
- v;siop tbat haunted my sleep. And v