The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-12-05
THE HIGHLAND BoTHY.

duOOner ray OI uSnI upon blme OF STIR
ring interest, was found among the pa
pers of Scottish gentleman Of the last
century. The story is as follows:
In the days of which write, porridge
and milk for breakfast, brose for dinner,
and porridge again in the evening, with
occasional mutton on Sabbath, served to
put pith in our sinews and marrow in
our.bones. There were no coaches on out
of-the-way northern roads in those days,
and any man not content to STAY at
home moved abroad at his own peril on
the back Of his own horse, or, more often
still, afoot.
Craig-end, my worthy fathers farm,
was in Southern Ross-shire, in the val
ley of Strath Conan, few miles south
west from Loeb Luichart. When I as
a lad had finally decided to become a
doctor-Donald, my elder brother, nat
urally taking to the farm when the
growing years began to tell on my
father-I had to walk, or otherwise as
best could find my way to Edingburgh
in the autumn, and return to Craig-end
again IN the spring, on foot; mayhap
esteeming myself lucky getting "a lift .
for q mile or two here and there ON
cartgoing my way, if l happened to fall
in with good-natured driver.
Early in April, 1S47, when the college
session broke up unsatisfactory
Prince Charlie by that time playing the
fool in France, while his Scotch friends
wept and bled and died-I started for
my long homeward walk to Craig-end.
feeling that my time during the two pre-
yious winters had been sadly wasted in
Edinburgh; and that l might have
worked to almost as much purpose
among my fathers cattle, or with my
books by the kitchen fire during the
long winter nights. There was no little
danger in thus travelling alone; but |
was young and fearless and eager for
my mothers fireside. I did at first
twenty miles or more day, increasing
the distances as my legs got thoroughly
into walking trim, to twenty-five and
even thirty miles between sunrise and
sunset. The winter had been very open.
with now and then heavy rains. Itwas
great delight to me when got fairly
among the hills to see the young lambs.
to hear the plover's cry on the moor.
and once again to strain my eye after
the lark soaring, singing away into the
lift 80 high.
l had stopped for several evenings on
the road at the houses of farmers known
to my father, and at wayside village
taverns, where at first / was looked at
suspiciously; but ultimately was gem
orally made welcome to supper and a
bed for my recent tidings of the march
of events in Edingburgh. The weather
had been fine, albeit showers and mists
among the hills, until I reached Loeb
Lochy, where had the luck to be fer
ried across gratis with boat load of
sheep. Then the wind, which had been
westerly, suddenly veered round to the
north, and keen hard frost set in; cold
enough, as the old couplet has it, q to
freeze the wee birds ne5s to stane." I
started on my walk across the mountain
track from Glen Cluny with misgiyings
in the morning, and did not need the
warning more than one shepherd gave
me as passed him leading his eyes and
lambs to shelter, that before nightfaII.
indeed before l should see the back of
Dundregan, we should have snow. I
was only two days march or so from
home, and was naturally eager, if posi-
Bile, to reach Craig-end on Saturday
evening. But the north wind bit nv
face almost into blisters as crossed the
E1oor, and retarded my progress seri-
ously. In the afternoon had the mis-
fortune to miss my way, having mis-
taken an over-swollen tributary of the
Coyltie for the river itself. I was tired
and hungry, and very solitary, feeling
uneasy, too, because of the uncertainty
of my whereabouts, as che light began
to fade, and large flakes of snow fell
around me and battered against my
face. IknewN was several miles from
Knockfnn, and was accordingly eager
on the watch for any human habitatior
where shelter could possibly be had fol
the night.
Not farm, or even cottage or hovel
was to be seen through the thickly fall
ing snow, as | gazed from the top of {
hill. Not drop of comfort could
squeeze from my empty flask, not {
crumb would my pockets yield. In
despair l sat down behind rock tha-
jutted from the hill, making a tempo
rary protection from the storm, anc
wondered whether could safely spent
the night there. But the inereasin.
darkness and the whirling suow and tn,
bitter cold wind soon drove me on to tn,
trackless waste once againI Wrappin,
my plaid about me tightly, moved OF
in no happy mood, recalling the cases
had heard of travellers who had perisheC
in the snow on such night as this.
| had walked thus with clencheC
teeth about a couple of miles, knee-deel
in wet heather, and picking my way a
best | could, whenI thought I perceive,
in the darkness slight depression il
the level of the snow, which indicate
footpath. / followed it, filled wit
hope, TO burn.side, and thence dow
slope to o level place In the shelter {