Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-07

and do service anywhere by night; and
here and there the seafarirg instinct has
caused the rigging of hammocks from
rotten nets, or more ingenious oues still
from lines and barrel slaves. Creels and
tubs are many and various. Chests,
black and huge, are ranged along the
walls. And there are chairs constructed
from dristwood or tree limbs. and seats
of square-hewn stone.
The food OF these people in general uss
is ''loef- hread' from GLASGOW, which
is, unfortunately, supplanting tho more
healthfui cat-cske and porridge, pots-
toes, FISH and tea. The few oats they
raise ere not made into meal. These are
reserved for the cattle: and thsreare
few instances where they are not COM
PEELED TO purchase city manufactured
ost- meal for food and seed oats for .sach
years seeding. The dress of the men
and women is almost exclusively of
HoME-sPUN MATERIAL,
the Harris (island) tweeds being famoua
for warmth and durability. The OdoIef
their garments, from impregnatiousHifh
peat-smoke, is at first very DISAGREE able
To strangers. Both men and women are
fond OF colored materials, espeoinily -
haudkerchiefs, neck-ties aud soarfs,
aud, on occasion, some wondsyfui rom
binations result. I have seen blue
gown. red tartan shawl and huge
white bonnet displayed by most modest
and retiring young woman. But inter-
communication with Glasgow, which IS
the London of these folk, IS gradually
modifying these peculiarities of dress.
Their outdoor amusements are meager.
This s most noticeable At the schools
where the children indulge In few games,
displaying In hese far less enthusiasm
and skill than with the fisher-chiidren OF
the east coast. "Shintv,' or as they
call il in Skye. "clubs,'' is the prevail
ing youths game, and the only other
one of nots is ''putting the Stone
1t is difficult TO understand where and
how "courting' is accomplished. My
friend lived nearly five years in skye.
and he asserts that in that time he newer
saw "a couple walking together for pleas
ure who were known to be lovers. Two
instances of their matter-of-fact ways,
where affairs of the heart are concerned,
came under his personal notice. young
man proposed for The hand OF neigh
boris younger daughter. The crofter
father decided that the elder should be
first married, and the young courtlsH
oDedienily took her away, apparSutfy
perfectly contented. Another young
crofter proposed three times dugidg Que
winter before securing bride. III ask
ing the fathers consent the ioyer is ac-
companied by "best man.. who sees
that sufficient dowry is given with the
bride-a COW, ''sheitie '"sCr one or
more sheep, Us the standing of the
BRIDES father warrants. The lover
sbest man. had been too tlmid TO 4SE
for this, and until one was procuredxat
the third proposal, with the bravery to
ask the bridegroom $ traditional nueMt
tine sage crofter father dId not feed 4ke
trusting his daughters fortune where u
prospective son-in-law showed such i'm
providence regarding his Owni
There is one prevailing custom among
them where labor and pleasure are very
wiusomely blended, and this may pro-
vide ali necessary preliminaries TO Croft
ter matings. 1t is called walking the
cloth, tn I is "fulling' the cloth.
The expression doubtless has its deriya-
ton, Us do many other Scottish proEin-
cial words and idioms, from the old
German. Waukmulier is old German
for q fuller; aud "wauker' or 'wauk-
Miller has the same sIgnifcntion in
Scotch. .FullinC' or shrinking tho
iue home-spun woolens lie common oo-
cupation of the women during the win
ter evenings. In this operation of
t'wAULKING THE CLOTH
half dozen women, USUALLY grown las
sizes, sit on each side of long, wide deal
table. The dampened cloth is held
firmly between them, and each
side in turn strike the clothf
sharply upon the table. They DO
this with very pretty sway ing motf6h,
while the leader sings and the remainder
give hearty chorus. While this is in
progress the young men begin to arriyeS
singly and in groups. Some one haS
brought bagpipe, perhaps another IL
DIN, although the latter is of quite Je-d
cent introduction. Shrill accompanying
ments then often inspire the lassies at
their labor and singing, but IN no other
manner will the lads interfere until the
"stint' of :weu.king' for the evening
being accomplished, dancing generally
follows. At marriages in Skye the whole
neighborhood follows the bridal couple
in body to the church. The bride and;
at least one bridesmaid wear tremendous
white wells. if the remainder OF their
costumes comprise the most barbaric col
ore, aud the wearing of these wells Is re-
peated at church on the Sabbath morn
ing following the marriage. On returo-
ing to their home after the ceremony is
performed the bridal party is greeted
along the way with fusillade of rusty
firearms and by extraordinary hallooing
and cheering. 'tSweeties' are freely
distributed and thrown to the children at
intervals. After substantial 'wed-
ding SUPPER when health and toasts
are enthusiastically drunk, the night is
passed in dancing, eating and
d Thinking; aud q large number of rela-
tivrs and particular friends return the
following evening to prolong the festivi-
ties. As the Gypsie is often absolutely
ruined by his generosity during mar
ringe festivities, 30 the fisher-crofter
pair, from the same generous cause,
find themselves entering upon the reali-
ties of life sadly distressed.
The departure OF these people for the
East coast in June and July is marked
by many ludicrous AMI pathetic scenes.
They leave IN groups of from q dozen TO
fifty The entire ueighborhood bids
them farewell. The leave takers will
start, one at time. down a long line
their friends who remain,