New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-04-06
The Romance and Reality az
Scotland.

\ correspondent of the Springfield RtTpHbL-
c,, writes from Scotland:
To tell the trnth about it, the Scotland
that invested in romance. that lives in the
memory and i'm the mir, is very different from
the Scotland that's on the ground as you find
it. Conceive yourselves daiying among the
honeysuckles that over;ang the doorway Of a
beautiful cottage: conceive Yourself going in
and finding the bottle and bible together and
thinking the place is kind o diriy-tbis is
really very much like going To Scotland.
Whoever has read Waverey the Scottish Chiefs,
or the songs OF him who signed mself with a
dignity that seemed unaffected - Rober,
Burns, Poet. is prepared to believe that the
Lights and Shadows Of Scottish Life mus,
be picture OF genuine simplicity and happt
ness. of which by no means the hard condition.
of the subject rendered il necessary To pain,
evil lurking in the midst. He does nor. tol
instance, suppose S0utter Johnny and Tam
getting unco happy, IA case of wide appica
ticn, but attributes all the bad to the Invention
of the author. Yet Scotland is more drunk IN
than Ireland. Each drinks about 5000 .00O
gallons of whiskey year, but Ireland is near
ly twice rs populous. Scotland has twice az
many distilleries. but Ireland brews and drinks
much more ale.
For every $40 Inhabitants in Scotland there
is house licensed TO sell spirits for cousump
ton on the premises, and the combined fam
wine and grocers trade is very large besides
Scotland. indeed, has pledge on her unenvia
BILE superiority being in possession OF an ebony
whistle won At drinking bout in the time OF
James the Sixth, when. in the train OF Anne OF
Denmark, there came TO Scotland Danish
gentleman of gigantic stature and nordinate
love OF drink, being, In short, an immense
walking hOgshead. lie had drank at various
e Ixa. hat .l..t
longing the Scots to a contest the conditions OF
which were, he should be victor whO continued
longest able to blow the whistle, a Scottish
barOnet, after contest of three days and three
nights left the Scandinavian under the table,
unable to pucker. The whistle was, at last
accounts, in the possession of a Scottish Nj. L.
Hot tOdy is poured every night down the
thrOsts of noblemen, clergy, Judges, laborers.
ladies, and strangers, who soon fall into the
habits of the country. Is seems however, to be
drank not with desperation, but from hereditary
habit and strong liking. Nowhere but in
Great Britain, where, the Times says, drinking
is the CRYING scandal, will you find so many dry
looking mouths. so manv flushed faces so many
lips washed and rung and Scotland, in this
respect, is as bad a. any part Of the kingdom.
Another bad thing. According TO Official
statistics. the proportion of illegitimate births
10 the total number is, in Austria about II per
cent. in Scotland, Denmark and Holland about
10 per cent, ia France and Prussia about per
cent. in England. Norway and Sweden less, and
in Ireland. which preserves is chastity while
suffering every other degradation, least of all.
Within fifteen years the number Of llegitimate
births registered in Scotland amounted to over
80 600. aud many doubtless escaped registra.
tion while the Scotsman, the chief newspaper
of Scotland. estimate, that during the tme
rLs.rk - / l. L.. =
marriage occurred within SIX months. This
number added makes over 2J0.Oto women un-
chaste before marriage. or about II, 900 year.
besides prostitutes. This immortality, by which
say one.sixth of all the children are born before
marriage or within six months after. belongs,
it is said, chiefly TO the lower classes but ii
will never do for nations to ascribe guilt TO the
working people. and then cali themselves in any
degree rid Of it.