The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-09-18
HypRopATHY IN SCOTLAND.
The Cure Near MeIrOse Abbey and It's
surroundings.

The Cure Near melrOse AoDey "u ~
surroundings.
A writer in Harper's Bazaar Furnishes
the following sketch of this celebrated
hydropathic establishment
Hydropathic establishments were,
suppose, invented for invalids, but never
theless they are resorted to by plenty o.
able bodied persons, both male and fe
male. Anyway, nineteen-twentieths oi
the sUjournsrs / saw at the Melrose es'
tablishment looked as healthy as myself,
and riotous living on pills, etc, is moi
my weakness.
The greatest fault l found with the
place was its intense regularity. Other
folks think this is its greatest virtue. AT
7:30 am aroused by a confounded
gong booming all over the house. II
don't get up lose my breakfast. AT
again the enlivening strains of the same
instrument ere heard, and everybody
makes for the breakfast-room, where
must have my appetite in order or want
until dinner-time. The gong sounds
again at intervals during the day for
dinner, prayers, tea, etc. In fact, fol
some time / was kept in continual fid-
get, wondering what it was up TO now.
At 1870 P. NJ, no matter what you may
be doing, cold John" stalks into the
drawing room and ruthlessly turns ont
the gas, when you retire to your bed
room, and if you are not in bed by ii
you can undress in the dark, as the gas
is turned off at the meter. The outer
Ioors are also locked, ard all communi-
cation with the outer world is cut off till
7:3O A. NJ. If you remain outside when
the door is locked, then you remain out
side. To be sure, there are one or two
legends of jovial blades who discovered
q weak point in Johns armor, and got
in about II 90, but they are considered
apocryphal. However, once get over
the "sent to-bed" feeling, and life is
rather enjoyable. Croquet, bowls, bill
lizards, and race or something of that
sort every other night help to pass the
time wonderfully or You can walk to
Abbotsford, a short distance, and see
Sir Walter Scott's relics. The house is
shown bv a dapper Frenchman and
here you'll see the white hat, coat, and
shepherd tartan trowsers wornby Robert
Bruce at Flodden, snuff null and
claymore presented by Saladin on the
occasion of his visit to Edinhurg in 1882
to Walter Scott, etc, etc. think that
is what the guide told us, but he whip
ped us through the rooms so quickly
that / came away with very confused
notions of the whole affair. In the op-
posite direction lies Melrose Abbey and
its guide. We have all heard enough
of Annie Laurie and her swan like neck,
of the fellow who would "crowns re-
sign" in favor of the lass of Richmond
Hill, of Byron's Maid of Athens (now
Mrs. Black, / believe), and of divers
other girls of the period. Here's an
opening for modern poet to sing the
praises of the Maid of Melrose, as she
discourses learnedly and sweetly on
cupstols, Norman arches, gargoyles, etc,
to an admiring audience, who see moth
ing but herself. II you don't care about
walking, you can drive to dozens OF
! laces in no time. In fact, the drives
must be short, if you don't want to lose
your dinner. If you care to fall in love,
you have every opportunity, as the ar
chitect has cunningly contrived sundry
quiet corners for the very purpose, and
Won can have your choice of every age
and condition, widows, and widowers.
If you want "wee drop on the sly, aud
haven't flask" watch some old gentle
man edging away after dinner to his
make friends with him, and
ten chances to one you get it. For sup
per you can have either porridge ard
milk or hot water (pure) and bread but
this meal is a saddening sight. 1t is in
expressively painful to see hale and
hearty looking old boy who looks as if
he could enjoy a stiff glass of toddy
meekly supping porridge, and even pre-
tending to enioy it.