Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-02-09
Che family Cirele.
The Black Douglas.

The Black Douglas.
King Edward |. of England, nearly
CONQUERED Scotland They did not have
photographs in those days, but had cX
pre>sivc and descriptive names tur people
of rank, which answered list rs we'll
SO Edward was known us LongshankS.
1t was from no lack Of spirit or energy
that he did not quite complete the stub
born work. but he died Il little too soon
On his dea;h-bed lie called his pretty.
spiritlcss son to him. and made him prom
Use To- carry on the war; he then ordered
that his body should be boiled in 4 chal
dron. and that his bones should be wrap
ped ub in bulls hide, and carried at the
head of the army in future campaigns
against the Scots. After these and some
olhtr queer requests, death relieved him
of the hard politics of this world. and 50
he went away Then his son, Edward H..
tucked away the belliyrrrnt OLD Kings
bones anon! the bones of other old kings
in Westminster Abbey. and spent his
time in dissipation among his f,vorites.
and allowed the reSolute Scots to recover
SEQ tland.
Good James. Lord Douglass was a very
wise man in his day. He may not have
nave had lone >hinks, but he had Il very
lun,r head, rs Won shlll presently see. He
was one of the hardest foes with which
the two Edwards hal to contend. and hi,
lono head nrove n,,ite @, uowerfill for the
Second Edward who. in Ills sinolc cam
pairn AGAINST the Scots, lost at Bannock-
i,lrn nearly all that hi, father had Gained.
The tall Scottish castle of EoNbur-h
stood near the border. lifting its grim tur
ret, ,bnv4 thr Trviot and tn, Tweed
When the Black D,u,Il~ i, Lord jaime,
va, called. had recovered castle after cas-
IL, from thn ENGLISH he desired +, ,tin
his .trunohnII md determined 10 ,cen,n-
nlish III. wish
RIM h. knew i coulI he taken only h,
.rrnri.n ami =, vcrv uilv rr~r j. mnct IL.
H., had n,,t,,,,nl ,h. ErcI;.h mann.
Time. thar thew vcr,. ,l,nrnlv ON ,l,r look.
on, for him.
How could il lac, Lnuno
~. an old Nul,..In,, story and Won, ~h,li
bo to]d
\r.,r thn ,,stlp was . .Inomv old Forest
c,I)c1 Jldbnroh Here inst * the frs
l,,s of Snrinr hrr,u ,n in,ln j., th,. SIM
az VI I''i7 - - ~ N4'','-N 80 N'' "''
Else ami sunsets. and warm the frosty hill,
BI1cE ID uIrlJS ,.rurc.1.U .i\ty ,itkrA
men.
Ii WAS SLoyc-titr. and Easteu's Eve.
immediately before the great Church tt>-
tival of Lent, WIS to be celebrated with a
Great rnsh OF music and blaze of li~ht and
free offerings of wine in the treat hail OF
the castle The garrison wa, to have
leave for mcrrv-mAkinr and Inducing in
drunken w:.>slil.
The sun had zone down in the red >kv.
and The lone. drcp shadow bcoan to fall
on .Ju lburrh woods. the river, tie hills.
ana Valleys
An officer, wifi. had retired from the
Great hail, where all was preparation lor
the mc!rv-makinr. to the hioh hattlem.nIs
Of the CASTLE in order To ulitt her little
.I,;lI ami ,,,,, y t va. Tho cou,i,,.l
''i'' ~ wy -
from Time 10 time, lIrtu near Ilc!. she
bpoHn to sine:
"IIu-hvc IIu.hvc
Hush vr j." NOT net We
lII.b \r' l",.in y't w..
SIZE saw some strange objects moving
about the level Ground in the distance
| hey greatly puzzled hcr. They did not
,rv,i q lite like animals. but they seemed
To hsN" four lcT>.
What are those quccr-louking things
vondcr?" she asked Of the sentinel rs he
drew near
They are Farmer .tshcr'> cattle, said
the soldier. stra ming his eyes to discern
the outlines Of the long figures in the
shadows. The good man is making
merry to -night and has forgotten to bring
in his oxen lucky it will be if they do not
fall a prev to the Black Dougla~
50 sure was he that the Objects were
cattle, that he ceased to watch them long
er
The woman's eve. however. followed
the uncer-lookinr cattle for some time,
until they seemed 10 disappear under the
outer works of the castle. Then. feeling
quite at ease, She thought she would slug
again. Spring was in the evening air: it
may have made her feel Ike singing