Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-09-04
'sBessie Bell and Mary Gray.v

The following interesting sketch of
the legendary heroines mentioned in
the caption, we take from the Grief
Journal of August 10th, 1877, published
in Perthshire District, Scotland. The
two hills at this place bearing the names
of these fair maidens-"B Bell and
Mary Gray"-being SO closely linked
with them in history, this romantic sto-
ry will be read with very great inter-
est:
vIsITATIoNs OF THE PEsTILENCE.-Pa,t 5th
That lone deserted bower, and these twin
graves
Shall they be all forgot? Shall future times
Ofthem know nothing? No! while 1owery
Shall prank the greensward gay; while Sum-
Shall flush the full-blown blossoms on the
While Autumn shall heap high her mellow
fruits,
And savage Winter wrap his brow in storms,
So long shall youths and gentle maidens come
In pensive pilgrimage. to view the bower
And graves of Bessie Bell and Mary Gray.
Hetheris0to,s's "Dranatic Sketches"
The summer season of 1925 was ex-
tremely wet in Scotland, frequent del
uges of rain threatening destruction to
the crops; and Royal Fast, in respect
of the weather, was held in the month
of July. Severe scarcity followed, with
out, however, the usual accompaniment
of pestilence; although the year was
marked by dreadful outbreak of the
Plague in London and the adjacent dis
tricts. the metropolis being swept of
,35, AT of its inhabitants! Scotland re-
mained clear of infection until the
Spring of 1927, when some of the Bor-
der shires were smitten but this attack
seems to have been comparatively slight,
and was soon over.
Other troubles were now arising in full
impetuous tide to overwhelm Scotland.
The month of July, 1887, saw the intro
duction of the Scottish Service Book,
and the Sunday riot in the High Church
of Edinburgh, which led to the inaugu-
ration of the Covenant. The fioodgates
of religious contention and civil strife
burst open. The sword was drawn
not to be sheathed until after the land
should be purged with blood, the mon
archy overturned, and the national in
dependence destroyed.
Early in 1645 the plague appeared on
the Scottish Border, after an absence of
eight years, and rapidly advanced into
the heart of the country. On the 1st of
April, an appalling catastrophe befel the
town of Kelso. The Pest having come,
the "Clengers" were employed purify
ing an infected house, when it took fire,
and the devouring flames caught the
neighboring dwellings, and defying the
power of man to arrest their furious pro-
gress, ultimately enveloped the whole
town! By this time the disease had
reached Edinburgh, and as it increased.
week by week, the Scottish Parliament
adjourned to Stirling, where it assem-
bled on July 9Th. The blast of war was
sounding over the length and breadth
of the realm, and Cavaliers and Cove
nanters were mastering their strength
i for a final struggle. At its first sitting,
the Parliament ordered the levying OF
an army of 5000 or 10000 foot and 500
horse, to march against the gallant Mar
quis of MontrOse, who had raised the
Kings standard, and won the victories
of Tibbermuir, Inverlochy, Aulderne,
and Afford. The Covenanting forces
were appointed to rendezvous at Perth
on the 24th of July. They did SO, and
encamped south Of the city, about Kill.
! graston, on the banks of the Earn. That
same day, the Parliament met at Perth
having been driven from Stirling by the