The Portland daily press., 1885-12-09

Will ucNCI UCS IL llC Odh SOs WIN ONA SNDA
trymen go over to the Irish coast to fish and |
earn an honest livelihood. while the Irish
man sits at home and sings, It's the great
est fun, under the sun, to sit by the fire, till l
the taters are done." She related an anec-
dote of Burns's widow when an old woman: |
One day boy came into the kitchen to sell |
pins and needles; after he was told nobody |
wanted any he hung back as if dissatisfied;
at last he was asked what he wanted. Il
want to see Mrs. Burns" The old lady /
came out to speak to the lad, and bought |
trife; still he did not depart; until Miss |
Begg's mother said impatiently, Come, pack |
up and be off, you've seen Mrs. Burns =
"Dinna tell me that" said the lad, "that's |
no Mistress Burns, it's bonnie Jean want |
to see" Burns's mother always enjoyed |
this joke. The boy could not see in that
wrinkled auld dame, the bonnie lass to whom
Burns has paid such sweet tribute of affec |
ton in these lines:
ssFor there the bonnie lasse lies,
The lassie lo'e best
81 see her in the dewy flowers,
see her, sweet and fair;
hear her in the tunefu birds,
hear her charm the air;
There's not bonnie flower that springs,
BY fountain, share or green,
There's not a bonnie bird that sings
But minds me of my JEAN
After never to be forgotten visit, we felt
it to be blessing indeed to have the auld
lady, with tears in her eyes, kiss our little
daughter, lay her hand upon her head, give
her hearty good bye and "God bless you,
my darling AS we returned the last wave
of her hand from the window we thought no
more telling picture could be'made of an
aged pilgrim, ready for the golden gates to
open, and listening for the welcome from the
Better Land, than this Christian woman, as
she sat there with folded hands, waiting her
Masters call, assured of the forgiven past
and trusting in the promised future.
We strayed along the banks of the "bonnie
DOOM over the ''twa brigs" to the grounds
of the Castle O. Montgomery, where High
land Mary was dairy maid. Near by flows
the little ''burn" on whose banks Burns
and Mary, about to be married, met
for the last time before her leaving
for visit to her parents in the Highlands.
They stood on Sunday morning on either
side of the stream, laved their hands in its
waters, and over the Bible pledged eternal
COuSldllCls OuuOOh 8NCobA PAS'ShoNN ]A~AJ
from keeping her vow ON earth. Years af-
terward Burns bore testimony to the depth
of his affection in one of his sweetest bal
lads:
"Thou lingering star with lessening ray,
That lov'st to greet the early morn,
Again thou usherest in the day
My Mary from my soul was torn
o Nary dear departed shade!
Where is thy place of blissful rest?
See'st thou thy lover lowly laid?
Hearst thou the groans that rendhis breastY'
On our way to the station we turned aside
to the market of dealer in Ayrshire cattle.
The proprietor received us courteously, left
his work and took us about his barns.
Having just made large shipments to Ameri-
ca he had but few in his stalls, and gave us
letter to Mr. David Riddell, an extensive
breeder at Rlackhall near Paisley. This deg
terminJd our days work for the morrow, as
we were interested to see the progenitors of
the best American imported stock. Reserv-
ing the afternoon for our visit upon MI. Rid
dell, we spent the morning at the Great
Western Cooking Depot" which was start
ed through the enterprise and philanthropy
of Mr.. Thomas Corbett, for the benefit of the
poorest classes in Glasgow. We wished to
know if the scheme was practical one for
our benevolent workers at home. We found
one set of apartments where all the cooking
and brewing of beer was done. The latter
expense could be saved in Portland, although
supposed to be indispensable here. The
whole is managed economically, and the
food distributed to the various restaurants
in various districts through the city, each
superintendent by an intelligent man and
woman good breakfast of bread and hot
drinks is served for threepence, and dinner
of SOUP meat potatoes or one vegetable,
with plain pudding, for four and halfpence-
which gives in our currency, two meals for
Is cents. If this can be done in country
where so much of the raw material for food
is imported why cannot it be practical
thing in land overfiowing with breadstutfs?
The counters were covered with tempting
cakes, pies and biscuits, from Which we
made good lunch in season for the train,
which took us in an hours time to Paisley,
| Finding hanson cab at the station we soon
reached Blackhall.
A knock at the door of a substantial and
hospitabe looking farm house was promptly
| answered by a rosy-cheeked Scotch maid,
| who in reply to the inquiry if Mr.. Riddell
was in, said in CHEEKY tone, "Yees, COON
in, and ushered us into well furnished
ROOM Soon the clustering farmer himself
entered rubbing his eyes, as if we had dis
turbed his after dinner snooZe. burly,
bluff man is this son of Anak, with voice
| like believing bull. After few remarks
| on both sides, he said bluntly, Coon, let's
| 90 to the barns, but take summat frs" at
| once ringing bell; the same bonnie lass
| appeared. Jean bring sperrits and water"
| Quickly she returned with silver tray and
| cut glass. When we declined, saying we
were not thirsty, he urged ''yees mon tax
| drink now, 'twon't hurt you" apparently
taking our refusal for difidence. To assure
us of his sincerity he poured full glass OF
whiskey, strong enough to have knocked
| down a weaker brother, tossed it off at one
| swallow, and sat down for talk. He be-
gan in an adroit way about matters gener-
| ally. with purpose to draw as much as pos
| sible from us and give as little himself; at
| last, evidently concluding we were no frauds
| come to spy out his cattle or his methods,
| he warmed toward us considerably, rose and
poured out more whisky, besought us to
drink, ''coom TAX drink and when we re-
| fused the glass he looked upon us as mon
strosities, swallowed our potions and his,
| and stalxed to the door.
| Now his full strength came out in stento-
rian tones, Here Jock, Jinl, boys run Tor
| the Coos While the cows were coming we
roamed over the farm, and were delighted
| with his stud of noble Clydesdale horses,
J many of which had taken large prizes at