The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-14
Written for THE SUNDAY CALL.

Written for THE SUNDAY CALL.
GRETNA GREEN SCOTLAND, Aug. 1,
1901 had tramped over the once great
| mail road from Carlysle to Glasgow, from
Ecclefechan, where Thomas Carlysle was
born and lies buried. towards the Border to
GreIna Green. So far as human eyes could
discern, not soul had housing within its
half dozen ruinous habitations. Not
youthful or vrinkled face pressed against
tiny window-pane as l passed. No dirty
children skulked like grouse in and out of
the pleasant hedges. Not even the snarl Of
watchlul cur contributed to the fact of
arrival, or conveyed a sense of welcome l
kicked bIayely at few doors, without even
| awakening an echo. Where echo is dead it
is silent indeed, reflected, as l broke into
the old kirk yard 1 could not force the
door of the kirk itself. Then l prowled
about the UNCOVERED manse behind. Here
lived, 1 knew, one of those remnants of a
half-dead and altogether breathless eccle-
siastic systematic Established Church Of
Scotland, expiring from a TRANSMISSION
of religious blood and life into the
vigorous young Free Church
parish minister but evidently he, too,
was past awakening. Then l saun-
tered among the graves. There was at least
interest, if not life, here. That extraor-
binary priest of Hymen, the first "Bishop
Of Gretna," who had defied bulls of Popes,
buliyingS of Lord Chancellors and edicts of
Kings, fat, old Joseph Paisley, lies here. and
the path to his humble grave-stone is worn
deeper than to that of puTest life or of high
est title, who is cOmmOner in the same last
mold His successors as priests OF the
irregular Gretna marriages are buried near,
and their head-StOnes are also Shrlnes Tor the
curious. | could not but reflect that could
all the couples or the descendants of all the
thousands of couples in England and Srot-
land, that these three men joined together,
unite in visiting the graves of those to
whom they owed their connubial joys or
miseries, what wonderful pilgrimage it
weuld be. Why, the cd coach road would
be nassed with folk, score abreast, away
back over the Sark and Esk to Carlisle.
Lettering outside the wall for a fEal
glimpse Of
THE DREAR AND GRAss-GRowN PLACE,
[ at last became conscious of presence.
Turning | saw nose Of wOndrouS proper
TONS with man OF no proportions at all
behind ii. The man stood m0tOnleSs, but
the nose seemed possessed OF life. 1t gently
sWayed pendulum-like in the August breeze.
as if in compensation of all else dead and
still at Gretna. The man was old and
bumped, and was clad in that beautiful cur
tailed garb of the British pOstman, with the
skirts at the waist, the waist at the shouI-
ders and the cuffs at the elbows, with a
straightforward cap like a truncated ounces
cap, and the whole wrinking and concen-
tering skyward as if Authority had the
British postman eternally in grip at the name
of the neck to accelerate the action of his
neither extremities. The hands of the old
man hoyered about his wrists, suggesting
chilly WFathe and his two green little ewes,
brighter in theif.- green for the red and
rheum of their lash,'S seemed peering over
and around his mighty >SQse, as II the intel
lect behind were having Slrd time of it set
ting the exact status of the stranger: Ii
could not have anywhere recognize1>the odd
tumble of clothing and figure as belonging
to a British poStman the environment the
recent kirk-yard musings, and the unesrthly
silence at Gretna would have cOniured the
fellow as some gnome On postal service from
another world; and the first impulse of the
situation was to hold out my hand for the
forthcoming message. But restraining that,
fell in beside him with civil greeting and we
trudgfd on together down the long street into
Springfield. The old fellow seemed still in
deep study He would not walk beside me-
If L crowded close upon him at
one side, lie would suddenly fall
behind, bring up in the rear, and
paiter along there in silence, or hug the
Dpu8t dG lilt Quiet SlQ6 VI the way. bur
always when | could get glimpse Of his
wicked little eyes, they seemed fastened on
me with glitter of intense calculation and
veuality. As we reached the edge of the
village the sides of the old ramshackle
houses were fringed with sullen-looking
binds, filthy ana wrangling children ana
old danes with short skirts and ''nlutch'
caps. yellow with age and dirt; and all these
uncanny folk, first eyeing the old man and
then myself, INDUCED in shrugs and derisive
smiles that were disquieting indeed. There
were TWO inns, the Kings Arms and the
Maxwell Arms, equally forbidding; and l
chose the latter at the old mans recommends
alton, as it was the first reached. Its pro-
pretress was veritable Meg Merrilies" of
a woman, and the ground floor, chiefly given
over to drunken orgies and reeking with
filth, was crowded with pl1wmen, herdsmsn
and tramps
IN VARIOUS STAGES OF sTUPoR
Or elaton All of these seemed to regard
myself and my companion in the light of
such hllari0usiy fortunate arrival, that not
until had paid a reckoning for two score
thirsty Scotch outlets could | avoid sundry
demonstrations which Savored overmuch Of
husting and secure the secluSion OF a musty,
dark room. Turning TO close the door, the
wrist-futterng hands and the ogre-like face
OF the old man prevented.
" Moo, waur We seekin' the meenester ?"
he asked with an nncanny leer
=" The m MISTER"
"Oh, aye-the meenester O. Gretna.'
No, only those who were dead; whatever
| could lind out about them; and perhaps
the old Gretna records if they were to be
discovered; | managed to explain.
NIaun be yer'e seekin' DRY perteeklar
ains?'
"oh. no, my good man simply anything of
general interest,""
"Oh, aye" Then long pause with that
glitter of calculation flashing diabolically
from Those specks Of green eyes; and sud
denly, while his shriveied old hands rubbed
nervously together: tits no wantin' sthe
record, yere seekin'?'
| subsequently well understood the old
wretch's meaning. At that moment | did
not. But it flashed over me that he was an
old man; postman; had probably always
lived at Springfield and Gretaa; might be
very serviceabe in assisting in my investiga-
tions; and / asked him plainly If he could
be; to which, after long time regarding
me with look of inerednlity, suspicious
cunning and positively piteous greed, he
Solemniy asserted that he was the only man
living that could give any one of an in
quiring turn of mind complete informa-
ton upon the subject of Gretna mar
riages; which he would do ii
would join him on the morrow at his
own house, the third from the Sark bridge
Eff there's siller ahint itP' he concluded
almost savagely. | assured him there was
a reagonabie amount ''of silver behind
whatever he could do for me, whereupon