Semi-weekly interior journal., 1883-07-31
BRO. BARNES IN SCOTLAND.
"ruAIsE Tnn LonD"

"Stss aud Stripes" hoisied by the hotel
keepers in Edinburgh TO attract the float.
ing custom, which is, suppose, quite an
item just now-the height Of the touring
season. And being thus reminded, can
celebrate II no better than by writing an.
other letter. Happily We have had sue
cessive days Of "scoich mist" which we
should call At home a regular down-pour,
and thus has occurred the opportunity Of
writing these 3 Scotch letters, which, 9TH
erwisc, would not have seen the light, see.
ing that every hour Of 6ne weather IL de
voted TO sightseeing, in order that we
may get fairly over the notable things Of
this charming locality before our visit ex.
pires. ! have been evangelizing too long
to put oil anything for a Second visit."
Now, or not at all, is the safest rule 10 work
by in this wandering life.
Monday was not "blue Monday" to IA at
all, even after six services. The dear
LORD gave His beloved, sleep that made
them fresh as daisies by the next morning,
and we were ready after our morning "por
ridge" for the contemplated trip TO Edin.
burgh; "Scotch, oaI- meal porridge" every
one has heard OF; but like our Southern
hoe-cakcs il must be eaten on its native
heath, to be fully enjoyed. We have all
experienced the admirable sanitary effects
Of the diet, and | am glad IL is finding lie
way to American tables. But that is ve-
ry low view Of pOrridge, or "porrilch' as
the Scotch lovingly call it, Dear friends,
it is not simply digestible article Of diet
and to be taken as one would take a seid.
liiz powder; bat il is a real luxury, de.
lightful and almost indispensable. As eat
en- here and elsewhere, there il all the dif.
ference between the corn bread OF the South
and North; all the difference between an
article prepared con amore and the same
out Of cookery book As TO the delicscy
brown served in great earthenware bowl
Of soft yellow tint; ladled out with huge
spoon such az generous cooks delight TO call
a kitchen spoon: eaten "hot and hot" with
a dessert spoon in the right hand and a
teacup OF cool fresh milk in the left. Let
no words Of idle talk be spoken then, the
crisis ia too serious, and calls only for
promptness and dispatch. The "porritch"
must not be allowed to cool, or the bloom
is off the plum, and only digestible arti-
Gle Of food remains. Again charge you
to believe, my gentle reader, that it is more
than that. Strict silence, therefore, main.
tanned, dip your dessert spoon into your
own particular mess, extract therefrom as
much IA will fill one-third Of the bowl,
and then quickly dip into the milk, filling
the spoon to its utmost capacity. This
transferred to the mouth, is allowed one
ecstatic roll around, in order to touch as
many gustatory nerves as possible, and
followed in as rapid succession by other
spoonfuls as good manners literally inter |
preted, will allow; not observing etiquette
too punctiliously, nor anxious lest over
fastidious people should call you "piggish"
and be horri6ed, il, in your forgetfulness
Of all but "porritch," you should happen
now and then to make an unctious sound |
Of the lips as il swallowing large oyster.
Never mind what people think nor say.
Hold your place; preserve the proportions
Jf one-third "porritch" and two-thirds
milk, eat as rapidly and noiselessly as you
can conveniently, yet sacrificing nothing TO
mere fastidiousness in self or Others; and
when you see the entire bottom Of your
shallow soup.plate, and the dainty mess
comes to an end simultaneously with the
iea-cup full Of milk (of course every one is
not an artist, and this part Of it can not
be oyertaken by bungler); you may then
look around the table with a pleasant
mile, and engage in conversation as you
ike, satisfied that you have simply lone
ustice to one Of the most delightful edibles
hat is brought TO the table. The fact that,
n the animal economy il manufactures
zone Of the frmest and finest quality
Known, and is especially valuable for i'm
parting a hard and brilliant enamel 10 the
eeth, are after considerations, valuable in
themselves, but not worthy to be mention
ID in company with the @ithetical side Of
he question. To those o. my generation,
shom Oscar Wilde has persuaded to doie
m sun1owers as the rarest Of the floral
'esuties, can not do a better service than
n recommending plain common-sense oat
neal, twice day, as an antidoie. 1t will
lourish the brain and save them from
pindle shanks. To the rest l advise TO do
3 did when | came 10 Scotland; watch
low the Scotch do il and initiate them.
lou will find that they know all about
at meal. Every nation knows how to I
at its own peculiar victuals best. Acting
n this, | did not long persist in pouring I
lot of cold milk over platefull Of hot
porritch," making the former unpleasant
Y warm and the latter unpleasantly cool,
nd conyerting delicScy into mere digest.
Die diet. Bet | watched my good host,
opied him, and now can understand why '
he Scotch love "porritch."
"Edinboro' town" is the handsomsst city Z
have ever seen. Nature has layished ad 1
antages Of every sort upon II. "Beauti- G
Il for situation;" built around and upon {
Vo eraggy heights that like "Ebal and I
erizzine" answer each the others call; the /
rith Of Forth on the North; Salisbury I
ags on the South; the Pentland hills be. O