The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-19

ever favoring those who rescue love-lorn
folk from plight and distress. was, in turn,
perforce made to come to the glorious
north, with my home in a sweet old manse
where could see, for 80 long as my fancy
willed, life as it truly is in the very heart of
the remotest Highlands of Scotland.
1t was strange, weird coach-load of folk,
speaking in strange, weird tongue, and we
rolled rapidly along through a strange.
weird country. Every soul of the dozen or
more within the wagonette, but myself.
spoke the Gallo tongue, and not word
was spoken during the entire journey in
English, save when l was addressed. 1t
was an immediate revelation of a condition
of things in the Highlands which
even intelligent scotchmen in the
with. or affect to be ignorant of. From
every source of book, newspaper and oral
information outside the Highlands, you
gain the impression that the Gaelic Ian
guage is dead; that perhaps somewhere
among the peat and mists of inaccessible
land, or of Sutherland, Ross, Skye and the
Hebrides, in Scotland, there are a few old
men and women who have retained few
words of a language once common to the
Cymric Celts; indeed that the Gaelic lam
guage, with the crumbling remains of the
glorious antiquities Of Ireland and Scot
land, are but the fabrics of zealots' dreams.
But if you will come far enough you will
find this language in all its original rich
ness, purity and power, and will be astound-
ed to know that every soul in many dis
triots in Ireland and, geographically. in the
larger portion of Scotland. speak It every
waking hour of their lives precisely a. their
f0refathers spoke 1t for unknown cycles of
years before them.
''Oh, yes" explained my friend, I'VE are
all Cello still, north Of Pertshire and Aber-
deen-shire, and all the outlying islands."
And then modestly, as though there might
be something of the lingering old Jacobite
Cello every other sunday"
And do they all understand it?"
understand it! They will tell you that
Adam spoke Gaelic; that the scripture can
be alone properly expounded in Gelic; my
English sermons are given to empty
from twenty miles away; ard every face is
q picture of radiant devotion and joy---even
to the last one of their grave collie dogs"
Bless them for loyalty to their traditions
and language. it must be 50; for below and
behind us there came roar OF song that
They had worn ont the thread-bare gossip
of Strathglass, and, a. all without exception
had had the cookies of their hearts warmed
little this day by "a cinder in their
glasses" as the Highlanders affectionateiy
term drop of peat whisky, moodiness and
silence. after "the ceilidh" or gossiping was
exhausted, were succeeded by impetuous
song. 'Coire Cheathaich'' was the name OF
the first one they sang and the very title,
from coire, kettle, and cheathaich, steamy,
vapory, or 1.-THE Misty Dell' 40 applied to
loved Highland valley or hollow. is illus.
trative of the exquisitely poetic Significance
of words in all Gaelic original.
cit will be my turn soOn," said my
friend in a whisper and with grimace OF
resignation.
''Your turn?"
"rhey will tire Of their Misty DELI
shortly, and then every one. women and
all, will begin such doctrinal exposition
and catechism IA, could you hear it in Eng
lish. you would regard az little else than
assault. Oh, yes. every one of my dock
and indeed all Highlsnders, love to gel
their minister outside the kirk and harry
him little. All Scotchmen arc born dis
putants. Add a little of the right kind Of
f1ame to their zeal and they are masters Of
polemics. One glass makes one of my peo-
pie doctrinal enthusiast; two, sets him e
expoundinR the most difficult theol0Qis
problem: and, sometime think, with an
other he would stop on his way into heaven
and engage st. Peter himself"
His prediction WAS a true ono. One BY
one they approached the cherished subject
Then few more bars of the "Misty DELI
were unleashed in joyous, uneven measure
and high, sustained notes. Again two Of
three would deploy, IS it were, and Get upoE
the minister with a dank movement Of doc
trinal problems that kept his best vita dash
inc to meet and parry. Than they wOulG
subside again and another song. in praise o.
lord LOvat, the joys Of tho Iovat house
elan. The chase, hospitalitiss ard all 20