The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-11-14
[From Harper's Bazar.l
Story of GriSeH COchrane.

land. Ihey rose to distinction IN the Ill
teenth century, and have always been re-
markable for courage and ingenuity. Sir
William Cochrane was elevated to the peer
age as Baron Cochrane in 1647, and ad-
vanced to the dignity of Earl of Dundonald
in 1869. His grandson was Sir John Coch-
rane, of Ochiltree. who, along with Sir
Patrick Hume, of Polworth, was concerned
in the political troubles which, in the reign
of James II, brought ruin on the Stuart dy-
nasty. While Hume was so fortunate as to
escape abroad, Cochrane was taken prisoner
in the rising under the Earle of Argyle, and,
being conducted to Edinburgh, was ignomin-
iousy lodged in the Tclbooth, on the Sd Of
July, 1855, there to await his trial as a
traitor. The day of trial came, and. as a
matter Of course, he was condemned to
death.
Sir John Cochrane was married, and had
family of several sons, and at least one
daughter, Grisell, about eighteen years OF
age, tstarEr strra u 5reFs
While lying under sentence of death in
that gloomy Tolbouth, Sir John Cochrane
was permitted to see members Of his family.
Afraid, however, of duplicating his sons, he
= forbade them to visit him until they could
take last farewell on the night previous to
his execution. Ills daughter, however, was
allowed to come as often and stay with him
as long as she pleased. The chief subject of
their conversation was an appeal made to
the King for mercy. Although several
friends interested themselves in trying to
procure remission of the sentence, there
were no sanguine expectations that they
would be successful. AS the time wore on
Grisell's fears increased to intensity; and
without explaining herself to any one, she
resolved to make bold attempt to postpone
her fathers fate, if not to save him. A short
time before the death-warrant was expected
by the Privy Council in Edinburgh, she men
Il - L Al 4
would prevent her from seeing. him again for
few days.
Next morning, long ere the inhabitants
were astir, Grisell was some miles on her
road to the Borders. She had attired her
self as young serving woman, journeying
on borrowed horse to the house of her
mother. So equipped, and well-mounted,
abode of her old nurse, who lived on the
English side OF the Tweed, four miles be-
You'd the town of Berwick. In this woman
she knew she could place implicit confidence,
and to her, therefore, she revealed her secret.
She had resolved, she said, to make an at
tempt TO save her fathers life by stopping
the postman, an equestrian like herself and
forcing him to deliver up his bags, in which
she expected to find the fatal warrant. In
pursuance of this design she had brought
with her brace of small pistols, together
with horseman's cloak, tied up in a bundle,
and hung on the crutch of her saddle, and
now borrowed from her nurse the attire of
her foster-brother, which, as he was slight
made lad, fitted her reasonable well. ae y
At that period all those appliances, which
at this day accelerate the progress of the
traveller were unknown, and the mail from
London, which now arrives in less than
twelve hours, took eight days in reaching the
Scottish capital. Miss Cochrane thus calcu-
lated on delay of sixteen or seventeen days
10. H. no,,<s1 * L. 80 -
space of time which she deemed amply suffi-
Gent to give a fair trial to the treaty set on
foot for his liberation. She had, by means
which it is unnecessary here to detail, pos
sessed herself of the most minute informa-
tion with regard to the places at which the
postmen rested on their journey, one of
which was small public house kept by "a
widow on the outskirts of the little town of
Beford. There the man who received the
bag at Durham was accustomed to arrive
about O'Clock in the morning, and take a
few hours repose before proceeding farther
on his journey. She arrived at this inn
about an hour after the man had composed
himself to sleep. Having put her horse into
the stable-which was duty that devolved
on the guests at this little public-house,
from its mistress having no hostler-she en-
tered the only apartment which the house
afforded, and demanded some refreshment.
Il sit down at the end of that table," said the
old woman, ''for the best have to give you
is there already; and be pleased, my bonny
man. to make as little noise as you can, tor
there's one aleep in that bed that like i'll to
disturb" Miss Cochrane promised fairly;
and after attempting to eat some of the
viands, which were the remains of the sleep
ing mans meal, she asked for some cold
water. 2 no re
s'What,' said the old dame, as she handed
1t to her, we are a water-drink, are We? It's
but an i'll custom for change-house.'
g" II am aware of that replied her guest.
land Therefore, when in a public-house, al
ways pay for it the price of the strong pota-
ton, which cannot take"
Indeed! well, that is but just" responded
the dame; 'and think the more of you for
such reasonable conduct"
- Is the well where you get this water near
at hand?" said the young lady; "for if you
will take the trouble to bring me some from
it, as this is rather tepid, it shall be consid-
cred in the reckoning"
SIT is a good bit off," said the woman;
'but cannot refuse to fetch some for such
civil, discreet lady, and will be as quick as
can. But, for any sake, take care and
don't NEEDLE with these pistols" she con-
tinued, pointing to a pair of pistols on the
table, ''for they are loaded, and Pm always
terrified for them."i 7afu-tfrrr i
Saying this, she disappeared; and Miss
Cochrane, who would have contrived some
other errand for her had the well been near,
no sooner saw the door shut than she passed,
with trembling eagerness and cautious but
rapid step, across the floor to the place
where the man lay soundly sleeping, in one
OF those close wooden bedsteads common in
the houses of the poor, the door of which
was left half open to admit the air, and
which she opened still wider, in the hope of
seeing the mailbag, and being able to seize
upon it. But what was her disrhay when
she beheld only part of the integument
which contained what she would have sac
rificed her life a thousand times to obtain,
just peeping out from below the shaggy head
and brawny shoulders Of its keeper, who lay
in such position upon it as to give not the
smallest hope of its extraction without his
being aroused from his nap! A few bitter
moments of observation served to convince
her that If she obtained possession of this
treasure it must be in some other way; and
again closing the door of the bed, she ap-
preached the pistols, and having taken them |
one by one from the holsters, she as quickly |
as possible drew out their loading, which |
having secreted, she returned them to their |
cases, and resumed her seat at the foot of the |
table. Here she had barely time to recover |
from The agitation into which the fear of the |
mans awakening during her recent occupa-
ton had thrown her, when the old woman |
returned with the water: and having taken a |
draught, of which stood much in need, she |
settled her account, much to the landlady's |
content, by paying for the water the price of |
q pot OF beer. Having then carelesSly asked |
and ascertained how much longer the other |
guest was likely to continue bis sleep, |
she left the house, and, mounting her |
horse, she set off at a trot in a different |
direction from that in which she had arrived. |
Making circuit of two or three miles, she |
once more fell into the h;gh-road between
Belford and Berwick, where she walked her
horse gently on, awaiting the coming of the
absorbed in one aim, and the Thought OF her
fathers deliyerance still reigned supreme in
her MIND. she could not help figuring to her
sell Inc possibility of her tampering with the
pistols being discovered, and their loading re-
placed, in which case it was more than lkely
that her life would be the forfeit of the act
abe rnedtated. When she at length saw
and heard the postman advancing behind her.
the strong necessity of the case gave her re.
newed courage; and it was with perfect cool
ness that, on his coming close up, she civilly