The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-02-17

|
| Up one fight,
| To yourright;
| Please to ring the bell"
"what can you see in Baby-land 9'
Little folks In white
Downy heads,
| Cradle beds,
Faces pure and brightW
| "What do they do in Baby-land?'
Dream and wake and play,
Laugh and crow,
1 Shout and grow;
| Jolly times have theyv'
"WLy the oldest things;
| Might as well
| Try 10 tell
What birdie singsl"
"who is the queen Of Baby-landH" ?"
| "Mother, Kind and sweet;
| Aid her love,
| Born above,
Guides the little feet"
THE BLACK DoUGLAs.-King Edward
!, of England, nearly conquered Scot
land. They did not have photographs in
those days, but had expressive and de-
scriptive names for people of rank, which
answered just as we'll. So Edward was
known as Longshanks." 1t was from
no lack of spirit or energy that he did
not quite complete the stubborn work,
but he died little too soon. On his
death-bed he called his pretty, spiritless
son to him, and made him promise to
carry on the war; he then ordered that
his body should be boiled in caldron,
! and that his bones should be wrapped
| up in bulls hide, and carried at the
head of the army in future campaigns
against the Scotch. After these and
some other queer bequests, death re-
lieved him of the hard politics of this
world, and so he went away. Then his
erent old kings bones among the bones
of other old kings in Westminster Alb
bey, and spent his time in dissipation
among his favorites, and allowed the res
olute Scots to recover Scotland.
Good James Lord Douglas) was a
very wise man in his day. He may not
have had long shanks, but he had very
long head, as you shall presently see.
He was one of the hardest foes with
which the two Edwards had to contend,
and his long head proved quite too pow
erful for the second Edward, who, in his
single campaign against the Scots, lostat
Bannockburn nearly all that his father
had gained.
The tall Scottish castle of Roxburgh
stood near the border, lifting its grim
turrets above the Teviot and the Tweed.
When the Black Douglas, as Lord James
was called, had recovered castle after
castle from the English, he desired to
gain this stronghold, and determined to
accomplish his wish.
But he knew it could be taken only by
surprise, and very willy ruse it must be.
He had outwitted the English so many
times that they were sharply on the look
out for him.
How could it be done?
'Tis an old Yule-log story, and you
shall be told.
Near the castle was gloomy old for
est, called Jedburgh. Here, just as the
first days of spring began to kindle in
the sunrise and sunsets, and warm the
frosty hills, Black Douglas concealed
sixty picked men.
1t was Shrove-tide and Fasten's Eve,
Immediately before the great church fes-
tival of Lent, was to be celebrated with
great gush of music and blaze of light
and free offerings of wine in the great
hall of the castle. The garrison was to
have leave for merry-making and in
dulging in drunken wassail.
The sun had gone down in the red sky,
and the long, deep shadows began to fall
on Jedburgh woods, the river, the hills,
and valleys.
An officers wife had retired from the
great hall, where all was preparation for
the merry making, to the high battle
ments of the castle, in order TO quiet her
little child and put it to rest. The SEN
tinel from time to time, paced near her.
She began to sing:
"Hush We, Hush ye,
Hush ye, Do not fret ye;
ha.s a:1s ye ps, s6si aS Hsst noi sei ao%s"' ys
She saw some strange objects moving
across the level ground in the distance.
They greatly puzzled her. They did not
travel quite like animals, but they
seemed to have four legs.
"What are those queer-looking things
wonder 2" she asked of the sentinel as he
drew near.
"They are Farmer Asher's CATTLE" re-
piled the soldier, straining his eyes to
discern the outlines of the long figures
in the shadows. "The good man is
making merry tonight, and has forgot
ten to bring in his oxen lucky It will be
if they do not fall prey to the Black
Douglas"
So sure was he that the objects were
cattle, that he ceased to watch them
longer.
The woman's eye, however, followed
the queer-looking cattle for some time,
until they seemed to disappear under
the outer works of the castle. Then,
feeling quite at ease, she thought she
would sing again. Spring was in the
evening air; it may have made her feel
like singing.
Now the name of Black Douglas had
become 80 terrible to the English that it
proved bugbear to the children, who,
when they misbehaved, were told that
Black Douglas would get. them. The
little ditty / have quoted must have
been very quieting to good children in
those alarming times.
So the good woman sang cheerily:
"Hush ye, Hush ye,
Little pet ye' The Black Douglas
Hush ye, Shall not get ye"
"Do not be 30 sure of that" said a
husky voice close beside her, and a mail
gloved hand fell solidly upon her shoul-
der. She was dreadfully frightened,
for she knew from the appearance of the
man that he must be the Black Douglas.
The Scots came leaping over the walls.
The garrison was merry-making below,
and almost before the disarmed revelers
had any warning the Black Douglas was
in the midst of them. The old strong
hold was taken, and many of the garri-
son were put to the sword; but the
Black Douglas spared the woman and
the child, who probably never afterward
felt quite 50 sure about the little ditty:
"Hush ye,
Hush ye,
do not fret yet:
The Black Douglas
Shall not get yeW
II is never we'll to be too sure, you
know.