Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-02-11
GHAIST o. GHAIRLEE

GHAISI o. GHAIRLEE
The incident ] am about TO relat,
occurred to myself when on a visit tC
an old house far in the wilds of Ross
shire. Scotland is the land of visions
Few are the places that have not some
tradition attached to them. Gloomy
and grim stand the old houses, and
there is a cause for their forbiddine
aspect. The sullen shadow of past
crimes hangs over them.
Last autumn | was invited by nv
dear old friend the Laird o. Ghairlee, TO
make one of a shooting-party assem-
bling there. Sport is good there, if
anywhere; and, moreover, the laird
owned a covey of pretty daughters,
who would be sure to make things
lively and pleasant
l arrived, then, at Ghairlee Station
full of hope, and prepared for enjoy
ment, | brought with me my guns
and my beloved violin, without which
never travel.
Ghairlee itself is curious old
house; the passages run about it in an
extremely complicated fashion, up one
step to room, down two steps into it,
and 50 on. The hall is portion of
the old tower; the walls of immense
thickness. Many additions have been
made by different lairds, long since
gathered to their fathers.
did not see all this the night of my
arrival-in sooth, it was so dark that l
could distinguish very little as the dog
cart spun up the avenue; but l did
notice the black mass on my left as we
turned a very sharp corner round
block of buildings, and on my right,
sullen roar as if angry waters boiled
over in torrent to dash upon rocks In
The dark depths, far, far below.
The next moment we drew up before
the door, barred and studded with
great iron nails. Light was pouring
from the hall, and the Laird stood in
the doorway surrounded by bowling
body-guard of terriers.
whist, dogsl Come in, laddiep'
And my old friend gathered me into
his ancestral hall with Highland hospi-
tality. We passed up low stairway,
and across thickly carpeted corridor
furnished with strange pieces of
workmanship-frowning cabinets and
carved chairs from which uncanny
faces leered in the freight. The
drawing-room was at the far end and
there were again two or three steps
Leading to it alone. By the side of
these steps and against the wall, stood
d 1ne, old press of marguerite, quaint
ly inlaid and used, as | afterward
learned, for the slowing away of odds
and ends, of nothings and all-things.
1t Was here, that my vioiin soon found
place, and | laid it, in its modern
embroidered case, by the side of a
quaint, old lutte about which was twist
ed faded, moth-eaten ribbon.
"This,' said the Laird's pretty
daughter, touching it reverently, "has
history. We keep it here-pretty as,
hls-because none of us like to look
omit" But all this belongs else
where in my story.
Report had not exaggerated the
charms Of the old Laird's daughters. |
-Four OF them he had-the youngest,
charming child-the eldest, already !
appropriated. But there remained |
the adorable second and the exquisite |
uiird and after day of painful uncer-
ainty, fell before the first of these !
TWO, who was called by the tuneful |
name OF Mavis, and who had a musical !
Ie'er akin to my own. Together we /
'rilled and tummed and turned leaves !,
ana played love songs and madrigals,
Serenades and sonatas, and when we
uid not play-we talked music and /
"heh We did not talk music, we talked
-ah well' suffice it to say that the
uays hurried by and the weeks flew
ai'er them and had been a guest at
Vhairlee nigh on to a second month,
ana my heart belonged to Mavis.
Ihe cream of the shooting was over,
ana the party much diminished. One
vi TWO men only remained beside my
'elr' and pretty young woman-a
helghoor of the Laird's who had come
h0r two weeks visit. We were
gathered in the drawing-room and
somebody asked for music. L went
0ut into the fre-lighted hall to the old
SS9inef to get my violin, and Maryis
.rsns with me, We fingered there,
A0ns, sss Z moment .tust for the saks