Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-05
A HIGHLAND WAKE,
Solemn whisky Drinking to tho ,Doiorl
GUS sonnd Of the Bagp:res-

solemn Wnisky-DrtnktnE 10 tho Dotof
-r, GUS Sound Of the Bazp.res
u.ngnr Irr fS'. James Garsttel,u FER, 80
The corpse was that Of gillie. sol
| of q shepherd who owned the Smelling
| but though | was within two feet of hin
as he lay exposed in white shroud 4
avoided looking at his face. These shell
ings are dark. uuwholesome huts of peat
for the most part: but rude attempt had
been made in this one TO do honor to the
dead. VIII ch puriously altered It's internal
appearance aek is nowhere more the
emblem of mourning than 10 scotland,
yet the sheiling was hung with white,
White cloths more than half concealed is
dingy walls, ha' dkerchief pinned seross
the wi dow shut out the dark. and The
deal table MAS sHaihed In linen Is is
customary in the Highlands to dress the
room in which the. body lies in. this way.
as well IS the remains themselves, and had
net the shepherd been desperately poor,
not speck OF another color than white
would have shown az, where within his
hut. the dress of the mourners. of course,
excepted himney there was none, and
as the smoke rose from peat fre that
would have been better out 10 wandered
in little clouds through the room and
finally sank into the roof of peat and
rushes. ...., ..., y, ......,,., .,,. OF, ,..-,.
There were six or seven persons present,
including the piper, who had been driven
inside by the inclemehcy Of the weather
In q more popu ated glen the attendance
would have been much larger The piper
who was shepherd from the other side
of the hill. and who made several at.
iempts to air his noisy instrument outside.
was the only mae mourner present. ex-
cepting the master Of the sheiiing.t of
the women. one wES the mo her Of the
deceased and another his sister, i think
The remaii ing three were elderly persons
all Inhabitants cf the narrow glen w hen
the piper burst into a dirge he desfened
the rest Of the she'll ng into silence
when he stopped the wall was
taken up by the women. In
the dista,,ce' the effect would
no doubt, have been solemn: for the
chant; which, SO far as I could make out
not being acquainted with the Gaelic
tongue consisting of an irregular verse OIL
two with mythmic chorus was slow
and measured. Heard in such close prox
unity, howe or. IL was painfully shrill "
The elderly dame. who led the sing
ing and supefintended the arrange
ments generally. drank less than thl
others, and seemed to grudge the time,
that was not spent in mourning. Not 50
the others with the exception of thu
young girl, who drank not at alb; and o..
the night wore into morning, and a
gloomy light made its way through
he handkerchief on the window. a
second jar was d, broached 1t was
most fiery stu i; but it had no Risi
bic effect upon the mouraers. Steadily,
they drank Of it hour after hour. but Il
did not make them boisterous- the chant
became lower as the day broke and to
the, end the praises OF the dead were re-
cited and listened to with severe counte
nances r.....- r---r ,.....r .,- ...,.,r..t,rrr q.
There was an oc iasiopal lapse into 81
ence; but when this became, noticeable
the chant was raised with Increased vehe
mence, and the,old dame. bending over
the corpse and addressing it in 3 qusver
ing voice would draw the others round
her to note some physical peculiarity,
reat stress is pat upol the Ia ing out"
and dressing of the corpse and on the
appearance it presents The wake proper
was now over What remained to be
done was 10 cores; ,ae, remains Of the de
ceased to his last resting pla G, ., village
church-yaro in q neighboring glen.