The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-12
been attributed by their manufacturers to
Scottish Highlanders. The fact is that

been attributed by their manufacturers to
Scottish Highlanders. The fact is that
der on the one side, or the Scottish border
on the other, the more do both Scottish and
English Folk hurl angular chunks of Doric
provincialisms at you until you sicken with
the effort at intelligent comprehension.
These -, oorderers have the greatest pride in
their rich broad Scotch" or Their "rich
jargon. From Carlisle through the North
of England to Berwick on Tweed, and back
through Kelso, Jedburgh, Keswick, Amman
and Dumfries, in Scotland, in ordinary
course Of travel you will find moro people
whom you cannot readily understand than
in all the rest of Scotland; and you will in
the same way discover more folk, from the
most learned Established, or Free, church
minister down to the most ignorant gillie OF
humble crofter, who speak the English
tongue dramatically, with precision and
directness, and with pleasing meditation
than in Glasgow and Edinburgh Combined.
A Highland sheep herder, over on the
sides Of grim old Ben Muichdhui, who had
never seen dozen books in his life. said to
me in connection with his lonely life and
vocation: II am not alone when I have
these sheep with me- can see 80 far from
my sheellng." This was not only sugges-
lively poetic, but it was expressed in excel
lent English, and l give his exact words.
A fisherman taking salmon near the month
OF the Ness told me pleasantly: I'VE have
not been very fortunate this year with
salmon; but | have always noticed that
When salmon are scarce oatmeal is plenti-
full An old blacksmith, at a little forge
near Carnoch said: 'Were not too old 70
take the journey, should like to still en-
n 1%y the ,a advantages ~ your country
9GAQmQTS
punctual in their arrivals" An Inverness
policeman, of whom l had made inauiry
regarding arrival and departure Of Beauty
coaches, responded: Il am sorry I cannot
tell you. II You will wait moment will
station-ofice. A ragged lad, hawking tish
with donkey and cart, of whom asked
the value of his diminutive outfit, promptly
replied: II think, sir. that az good ones
could be got for five pounds; though would
not like to take that for them." Ny land
lady, a very ordinary sort of woman, al
an infusion of tea, or brewing Of coneep''
The humblest shopkeeper will say. II can
not supply the article to-day, sir;' or 81 am
sorry have not the article You wish.''
have set these expressions down literally.
The lowliest in strath or vennel speaks with
surprising correctness and agreeableness.
place Of 81 dinna ken;'' please come in
or 81 am glad to see you" supplants Coon
awa;" and honest Eyes. sir" will not give
way to tho Lowland accented, peasant
English pronunciation Of 20 aye" have
noticed the same phenomenon OF unpolluted
English in another region where both Eng
lash and Gaelic are spoken, at old Galvev
in the west of Ireland. Galway ia The
laughing. stock of the -slatherino
dllletanti OF Dublin; and the Highlanders
are ever the butt Of hypercritical Edin-
ourgh. Yet both the men of Connapoht
ana the descendants of the openly feared,
measurably the superiors Of either nnhiir
OF Edinburgh folk in the oonstruo-
ton OF colloquial expression and IN
delivery of speech itself. Some attrib-
ute this perfection of speech, in both dia-
tticte, 70 the remote, and to some extent
continuous translation of Language from
the old Erse into English, preventing cor
ruPted spoken language from imitation.
ana sendlnR TO secure and preserve untaint-
90 the pure English of literature.
II tins royal old capital of the Highlands
were not pleasing to You from the purity Of
tongue. the attitude Of citizen to stranrer.
and. Its people. certain 6ne grain of Gio.
nifty that y never brusqueness, reserve thst
10 never selfshness, and yet genial cons
s!deration that never betrays, II It poeaessea
the contemplate adability Of alert yenslitv
you could not help falling Completely IN
love with the romance of its historv. the
beauty Of the city itself, and the antiouar-
IAN interest and scenic grandeur of its en-.
vironmenta Your fancy can travel lone
way back here at ancient Invesness. for 4
vas the original metropolis Of ali
the t1ots. COLUMBIA, Scotlandb great
apostle, came here in the sixth century